In the winter semester of 2023, there were over 113,000 students enrolled in medical programs in Germany, with nearly 65% of them being women. The shift in thinking that allowed women to pursue medical studies was influenced by pioneering figures like Dorothea Christiane Erxleben in Germany and Elizabeth Blackwell in the United States. Erxleben challenged restrictions on women studying medicine in Germany and eventually became the country’s first female doctor. Blackwell faced similar challenges in the United States but persevered, founding institutions that provided opportunities for women in medicine. Their stories highlight the progress made in gender equality in the medical field, although disparities and barriers still exist.
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