Women In Medicine: Illustrating Three Women's Pioneering Work in Medical Practice and Research
Both
now and in the future, the study of medicine and its research is of utmost
importance. Medical science has become one of the most important fields of
study and application in the post-pandemic world. However, men have
historically dominated this field, which has marginalised women and people of
colour.
Women
in medicine and research have barriers to advancing to top positions, are
interchangeably referred to as nurses because nursing is a gendered profession,
and other examples of how gender double-endangers them in the job. This gender
pay gap is quite upsetting. Women who have made significant contributions to
the field with their ground-breaking work must be recognised for their efforts.
Here
are a few examples of women who have worked hard, were smart, and had a strong
will to succeed in the medical industry.
S.I. Padmavati, M.D.
The
first and most experienced cardiologist in India, Dr. Padmavati Sivaramakrishna
Iyer was also known as the "Godmother of Cardiology." Dr. Padmavati
was born in 1917 in what is now Myanmar during British administration. In 1942,
during the Second World War, her family moved to India. She left Rangoon
Medical College after receiving her diploma and moved abroad to continue her
education.
She
made the decision to go back to India after completing her education, research,
and experience at prestigious American institutions including Harvard Medical
College and Johns Hopkins Hospital. She became a member of the Lady Hardinge
Medical College faculty. In 1967, she held the position of director-principal
at Delhi's Maulana Azad Medical College.
Also
created by Dr. Padmavati were DM, or Doctor of Medicine, programmes in
cardiology and later other specialties. She also established the first
catheterization lab in northern India. Dr. Padmavati founded the All-India
Heart Foundation in 1962, and she also founded the National Heart Institute in
1981.
The
Padma Vibhushan (1992) and the Padma Bhushan (1967), the second and third
highest civilian honours in the nation, were given to Dr. S.I. Padmavati by the
Indian government. Dr. Padmavati made significant contributions to Indian
medicine. Many of her former pupils are now directors of cardiology in both
India and other countries thanks to her extensive knowledge and fervour, which
single-handedly reshaped the cardiology industry.
Dr. Ann Tsukamoto, M.D.
Unique
and undifferentiated cells are stem cells. These have the unique capacity to
change and grow into different types of cells in the body. Stem cells are used
to replace the body's aged cells. Since stem cells have the potential to
significantly improve the treatment of deadly diseases, they have been the
subject of extensive research. The only kind of stem cells now used in medicine
is those used to treat blood diseases like leukaemia.
Dr.
Ann Tsukamoto is a pioneering American researcher and stem cell innovator. Dr.
Ann studied immunology and microbiology at the University of California, Los
Angeles after graduating from the University of California, San Diego with her
undergraduate degree.
Dr.
Ann and her colleagues made the discovery of hematopoietic stem cells, also
referred to as human blood stem cells, early in the 1990s while doing research.
These stem cells are still forming since they are immature. These blood stem
cells can differentiate into all other types of blood cells, including
platelets, red blood cells, and white blood cells.
The
technique used to isolate these stem cells was also patented by Dr. Ann and her
associates. Blood stem cell isolation is incredibly helpful for cancer research
since it restores cells that have been destroyed by malignancy. Her expertise
is essential to understanding how cancer patients' blood systems function.
The
potential of stem cells to save lives in the future is quite vital, and Dr. Ann
Tsukamoto has made significant contributions to the subject. They would also
help scientists better understand how the human body works.
Dr. Ketayun Ardeshir Dinshaw, M.D.
Dr.
Ketayun Dinshaw, who was born in Kolkata on November 16, 1943, studied medicine
at Christian Medical College in Vellore, Tamil Nadu, and later completed a
radiotherapy and oncology fellowship at Cambridge University in the United
Kingdom. She began working at the Tata Memorial Hospital after returning to
India. She spent 35 years there as an employee and 13 years as its director.
The
Indian government honoured Dr. K.A. Dinshaw with the Padma Shree in 2001 for
her contributions to science and medicine. Her initiatives and zeal changed
India's radiation oncology industry. Dr. Dinshaw put a lot of effort towards
expanding Tata Memorial Hospital. She worked hard to introduce cutting-edge
technology to India in order to improve cancer treatment and research.
About
20 oncology clinics nationwide have the telecobalt system, a ground-breaking
radiation method that has also been donated to some poor nations. Dr. Dinshaw
was a member of the group in charge of this.
She
was not only orderly and thorough, but also compassionate. She has a soft spot
for kids and women in particular. Since radiology and radiotherapy were
initially practised together, Dr. Dinshaw also made an effort to earn a
separate MD in radiation oncology. Additionally, she worked internationally
with renowned organisations like the World Health Organization, the
International Atomic Energy Agency, Union for International Control, etc.
When
asked about how she entered the field of radiation oncology, Dr. Dinshaw
responds, "But for some reason, there was a little bit of a clawing
nagging doubt in my mind, and I suppose it was an issue of needing to claw your
way up to the top in those days, as a woman practising surgery." Dr.
Dinshaw died of cancer in 2011 at the age of 67. She heroically battled cancer
on both a personal and professional level. She left a lasting legacy on cancer
research, and her demise was mourned by friends, relatives, and medical
professionals all around the nation.
Women
who have achieved success in the medical sector have done it through hard work
and perseverance, overcoming barriers including gender bias and glass ceilings.
Women are underpaid and underrepresented in the field due to ingrained biases
and discriminatory attitudes that still exist. Even though the situation has
improved, we still have a long way to go before we reach parity.