Resisting constraints, creating opportunities. The experiences of some early medical women

This paper aims to document the experiences of some women doctors who graduated between 1924 and 1940. It highlights some of the difficulties they encountered in establishing themselves as respected medical practitioners and briefly describes the social context in which they worked. The data for this paper were gathered through the use of one qualitative research method, viz. intensive interviewing. This paper draws on seven in-depth interviews. It focuses on two aspects of these women's professional lives: their medical training and their career paths. It seeks to demonstrate that while some were subject to discriminatory practices by a male-dominated medical profession, they were also involved in pioneering work and made their mark as respected practitioners.