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Trained as a nurse in Middlesex Hospital - but went to classes for doctors
Studied to become a doctor in private - using tutors -
Became certified by the Royal Society for Apothecaries - legal action forced them to certify her, as they had no rules barring women - like the other societies
^ they banned women straight after she passed through - she was the only women for 19 years -
Sophia Jex-Blake, Edith Peachey and more entered the University of Edinburgh to work for their medical degrees - however they were met with a lot of prejudice
Edith Peachey achieved the highest score in the Chemistry paper, however the award was giving to the man that came second -
Went to France to achieve her medical degree - had to teach herself French in order to do this
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Sophia Jex-Blake, Edith Peachey, and the other women were kicked out of the University of Edinburgh - and not allowed to become doctors
^ They had even paid higher tuition fees to be accepted
^ Had to then complete degrees in Dublin or Switzerland -
Parliament changed the law - women were allowed to study an obtain medical degrees from Universities in Britain
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Around 1,000 women with medical degrees, but hospitals refused to employ female doctors - could only work in all-female hospitals, or as GP's
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War office refused to employ female doctors in the Royal Army Medical Corps - or in official charities supporting military (Red Cross, Order of St John)
Some other charities employed women (Women's Imperial Service League - only women)
Overseas organisations (French Red Cross) accepted female British doctors -
300 nurses in 1914, 10,000 nurses in 1918
Were allowed to work on the front line after the first few months
Tasks increased - carry out minor surgeries, and learnt many new skills
This was all taken away once the war ended -
First Aid Nursing Yeomanry (FANY) supported medical services on the front line
1914 - worked with French and Belgium forces
1916 - RAMC (Royal Army Medical Corps) allowed FANY ambulance drivers (including women) to transport wounded British soldiers -
Established 1909, the VAD (voluntary aid detachment) offered a range of support - burses, stretcher-bearers, cooks and clerks
Majority were women -
Because of a shortage of male doctors (all at war), and because they were very good, the War Office allowed women doctors to work in Military Hospitals in Britain
^ However, this ended and things went back to normal when the war ended -
RAMC began recruiting more female nurses to work for the military - then they were sent all over the world when the war broke out
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RAMC (Royal Army Medical Corps) included women by 1939 - allowed to serve overseas, but many served in British Military Hospitals - had officer status, but some soldiers objected
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Far more women were doctors - and this increased as war went on and more women volunteered
However, like WWI, when the war ended the women had to step aside once more -
Female nurses given military ranks - equivalent to soldiers
^ some were killed, others became prisoners of war
As qualified nurses tended to stay in their jobs in Britain, female volunteer nurses went abroad and cared for soldiers there