Preview
  • Women in White Coats

  • How the First Women Doctors Changed the World of Medicine
  • By: Olivia Campbell
  • Narrated by: Jean Ann Douglass
  • Length: 11 hrs and 29 mins
  • 4.4 out of 5 stars (187 ratings)

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Women in White Coats

By: Olivia Campbell
Narrated by: Jean Ann Douglass
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Publisher's summary

For fans of Hidden Figures and Radium Girls comes the remarkable story of three Victorian women who broke down barriers in the medical field to become the first women doctors, revolutionizing the way women receive health care.

In the early 1900s, women were dying in large numbers from treatable diseases because they avoided receiving medical care. Examinations performed by male doctors were often demeaning and even painful. In addition, women faced stigma from illness—a diagnosis could greatly limit their ability to find husbands, jobs or be received in polite society.

Motivated by personal loss and frustration over inadequate medical care, Elizabeth Blackwell, Lizzie Garret Anderson and Sophie Jex-Blake fought for a woman's place in the male-dominated medical field. For the first time ever, Women in White Coats tells the complete history of these three pioneering women who, despite countless obstacles, earned medical degrees and paved the way for other women to do the same. Though very different in personality and circumstance, together these women built women-run hospitals and teaching colleges—creating for the first time medical care for women by women.

With gripping storytelling based on extensive research and access to archival documents, Women in White Coats tells the courageous history these women made by becoming doctors, detailing the boundaries they broke in gender and science to reshape how we receive medical care today.

©2021 Olivia Campbell (P)2021 Harlequin Enterprises, Limited
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What listeners say about Women in White Coats

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Wonderful hidden and lost history of female trailblazing doctors

I learned something completely new about the outrageous odds these brave women had to repeatedly fight to be accepted as doctors at the same level as men. It was terrible the amount of misogyny they had to overcome.

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What a ln amazing book. so eye opening.

What a ln amazing book. so eye opening. and so sad, at times even angrying book :) necessary to read.

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What a tightrope for women to balance on

Strong women. Not sure I would have been so courageous. Kiddos to the men who stood up in support of these women. That also took courage.

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Great story, but...

The history of women physicians/women in medicine was absolutely wonderful. But this narrator was not the right one for this. This is a better book to read rather than listen to, in my opinion. The narrator was too slow and soft spoken which made it feels like it was just dragging on. I eventually had to put it to 2x speed to make it tolerable to listen to/stay awake during.

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2 people found this helpful

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women's tenacity to become MDs

I liked that we can now seek Medical primarily by women.
I disliked that men were so abusive to the women pioneers to become doctors.

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you’ve indeed “come a long way,baby” through a tedious journey to success!

Even in 2021, when the majority of medical students are now women, this book should be inspirational to the new generations to follow. All health care persons NEED TO KNOW the shoulders upon which they stand. The struggles to balance career, parenting, coupling remain daunting to be sure, but women’s contributions remain crucial to provide comprehensive CARE to all societal needs.

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Not fast paced or exiting.....but Very informative

I love learning medical history so this was a good listen. I learned a great deal but there was no psazz.

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Great history of women in medicine

Everything about this Audible book was enjoyable. The narrator did a great job (and that’s a necessity for me when purchasing an Audible book). The writing was clear, accurate and amazingly informative.

I’m a retired certified nurse-midwife (I have a Masters degree in nursing), but I remember my mother telling me in the 1950’s that women were nurses, not doctors. So, it has literally taken about 150 years to get to where we are today - in great part due to the women and events recounted in this book.

I’d recommend it highly to all.

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The courage and integrity of the women in white. Should be required reading for guidance counselors🙏

I enjoyed the brave journey and how they were persistent in overcoming so many challenges to pursue and achieve their goal.

the women

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Amazing

This is a well researched, well executed inspiring story of the women who strove to make medicine their vocation against all odds. It would have helped me appreciate the story more if there was even more in the way of background regarding the times and typical (expected) lives of women in those times—cities, sewage, lighting, transportation etc. This a great book and an amazing story!

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1 person found this helpful