Woman's Medical College of St. Louis
Encyclopedia
The Woman's Medical College of St. Louis (sometimes St. Louis Woman's Medical College) was a homeopathic
medical
college for women
located in St. Louis
, Missouri
. It opened first opened in 1883 as a branch of the Western Homeopathic Medical College, and then later reopened as a separate entity in 1891.
al community resisted the admission of women students longer than did the homeopathic and eclectic schools
," meaning most women of the period who aspired to be doctors had to attend alternative institutions. The college "held only one course of lectures" before closing in 1884.
west of the Mississippi River
that existed solely for the education of women in medicine. The first classes were held in September 1892.
The opening of the college was met with opposition from the local medical community. The St. Louis-based Medical Mirror published an editorial saying that "[w]omen are not endowed by nature or art with the qualities, nor can they gain the necessary equipment for making a successful physician
." Following the graduation of the first class in 1894, the Medical Mirror reported that the St. Louis Board of Health
"found it inexpedient to admit women to the hospital
s as assistant physicians
[interns]...inasmuch as the admission of women would mark a change from the established order of things." According to Clevenger, only one graduate
, Henrietta Borck, was ever admitted to the St. Louis Medical Society, nineteen years after her graduation.
Following a move to a new building, the Woman's College was affected by the Panic of 1893
and began to struggle financially. It closed permanently in 1896.
Homeopathy
Homeopathy is a form of alternative medicine in which practitioners claim to treat patients using highly diluted preparations that are believed to cause healthy people to exhibit symptoms that are similar to those exhibited by the patient...
medical
Medical school
A medical school is a tertiary educational institution—or part of such an institution—that teaches medicine. Degree programs offered at medical schools often include Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, Bachelor/Doctor of Medicine, Doctor of Philosophy, master's degree, or other post-secondary...
college for women
Women's college
Women's colleges in higher education are undergraduate, bachelor's degree-granting institutions, often liberal arts colleges, whose student populations are composed exclusively or almost exclusively of women...
located in St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
. It opened first opened in 1883 as a branch of the Western Homeopathic Medical College, and then later reopened as a separate entity in 1891.
First college
The Woman's College of 1883 was opened to serve as a way for women to obtain medical degrees in the state of Missouri. According to The History of American Homeopathy, "the orthodox medical educationMedical education
Medical education is education related to the practice of being a medical practitioner, either the initial training to become a doctor or additional training thereafter ....
al community resisted the admission of women students longer than did the homeopathic and eclectic schools
Eclectic medicine
Eclectic medicine was a branch of American medicine which made use of botanical remedies along with other substances and physical therapy practices, popular in the latter half of the 19th and first half of the 20th centuries....
," meaning most women of the period who aspired to be doctors had to attend alternative institutions. The college "held only one course of lectures" before closing in 1884.
Second college
In 1891, a new Woman's College was incorporated by T. J. Beattie, J. Block, C.A. Dannaker, and R.S. Sloan. Now separate from the Western College, this new incarnation was the first collegeCollege
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
west of the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
that existed solely for the education of women in medicine. The first classes were held in September 1892.
The opening of the college was met with opposition from the local medical community. The St. Louis-based Medical Mirror published an editorial saying that "[w]omen are not endowed by nature or art with the qualities, nor can they gain the necessary equipment for making a successful physician
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
." Following the graduation of the first class in 1894, the Medical Mirror reported that the St. Louis Board of Health
Health board
Health board might mean in the following countries a current or historical body concerned with health services and/or public health.*Australia*Canada*Denmark - a National Board of Health*England - a Board of Health...
"found it inexpedient to admit women to the hospital
Hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
s as assistant physicians
Physician assistant
A physician assistant/associate ' is a healthcare professional trained and licensed to practice medicine with limited supervision by a physician.-General description:...
[interns]...inasmuch as the admission of women would mark a change from the established order of things." According to Clevenger, only one graduate
Bachelor's degree or higher
Bachelor's degree or higher is a commonly used term by the United States Census Bureau and other U.S. government agencies on the federal as well as state and local level. The term describes the portion of the population that has either a bachelor's degree or a higher degree such as a master's or...
, Henrietta Borck, was ever admitted to the St. Louis Medical Society, nineteen years after her graduation.
Following a move to a new building, the Woman's College was affected by the Panic of 1893
Panic of 1893
The Panic of 1893 was a serious economic depression in the United States that began in 1893. Similar to the Panic of 1873, this panic was marked by the collapse of railroad overbuilding and shaky railroad financing which set off a series of bank failures...
and began to struggle financially. It closed permanently in 1896.