Medicine: A Legacy at Queen's

This half term we marked the birthday of Sophia Jex-Blake, a trailblazing alumna of Queen's College, London whose legacy in science and medicine is still felt today. 
 
Along with 6 other women (2 of whom were also alumna of Queen's), collectively known as the "Edinburgh Seven", Jex-Blake led the movement to allow women a university level education. Despite huge amounts of backlash, and even being pelted by rubbish and mud as they tried to enter their anatomy exam in 1870, this group became the first to matriculate from the University of Edinburgh, and their bravery and resilience resulted in a change of law, allowing all women to be licensed medical practitioners in 1786. 
 
Jex-Blake continued her medical career as the first practising female doctor in Scotland, founding two medical schools for women in London and Edinburgh. She practiced medicine for a further 17 years, also opening a clinic where poorer women could receive cheap care.   

Today, an interest in medicine still thrives at Queen’s, and our Medics Society welcomes anyone with an interest in veterinary science, nursing, dentistry, and other medical fields to meet once a week. This term alone they’ve explored practical skills in dissections, and gained hands on experiences with suturing kits, learning different stiches. Our medics have widened their knowledge by delivering presentations on a topic of their choosing, and in the last few weeks they’ve heard about allergies, epigenetics, Alzheimer's, endometriosis and migraines. 

A key part of Medics Society is hearing from visiting speakers, who give our pupils incredible insights into a range of fields and areas within the wider medicine industry. If you would be interested in visiting Queen’s to run a session with our Society, please do get in touch. We’d love to hear from you!  

Email cmcintosh@qcl.org.uk for more information.