Laura Martínez de Carvajal
Laura Martínez de Carvajal | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 27, 1869 |
| Died | January 24, 1941 (aged 71) |
| Education | University of Havana |
| Medical career | |
| Field | Ophthamology |
Laura Martínez de Carvajal (1869–1941) was the first female doctor in Cuba.[1] She was the oldest daughter of a rich Spanish family, and learned to read and write at age four and finished high school at age thirteen.[2] Because she was a woman, when she studied medicine she was not able to dissect corpses at the same time as her male classmates, but had to do so by herself on Saturday and Sunday.[3] She graduated in medicine at age 19 in 1889, at the University of Havana.[3] She also married in July 1889.[2] She worked as an ophthalmologist; her husband, Dr. Enrique López Veitía, also worked as such and she became his chief assistant and cared for his patients when he could not.[2][3] She also collaborated with him on many papers and three volumes of "Clinical Ophthalmology".[2] She had seven children.[3] Her husband died of tuberculosis in 1910 and she died of tuberculosis in 1941.[3]
Early Life and Education
Childhood
Laura Martinez Carvajal was born on 27 August 1869 in Havana, Cuba. She was the oldest daughter of a wealthy Spanish family who's social status brought about connections which enabled her parents to provide a good education to her and her siblings[4]. She was taught the social codes of high society while being reminded of always valuing human values[4]. Her family also made sure to give to others by starting with the people living in their neighborhood. She distinguished herself very earlier on for being a precarious child. At the age of 4 she could read and write, and at the age of 10 enrolled into high school[4][5].
Education
She enrolled in the college of San Francisco de Paula where she earned her bachelor and graduated at the age of 13[4] [5]. One year later, after insisting that she should study along side her brother, her father enrolled her into the University of Havana, in the faculty of physical-mathematical sciences and medicine. Laura out-shadowed her all male peers[4]. The professors who taught physiology and dissection at the San Felipe and Santiago Hospital in Havana, Cuba, did not allow her to dissect with her peers because women were conventionally excluded from taking part in such activity[4]. As an alternative, she worked on her own on the weekends[4] [5] which turned out to be an advantage. She graduated as medical in 15 January 1889 and became the first female physician and ophthalmologist of Cuba[5].
Career
End of Life
References
- ^ Reyvi Enrique Bilbao Btancourt. "27 de Agosto de 1869- Nace Laura Martínez de Carvajal, primera mujer médico cubana". Archived from the original on 2015-01-23. Retrieved 2015-01-11.
- ^ a b c d "Laura Martínez fue la primera mujer médica en Cuba". CiberCuba.
- ^ a b c d e "Laura Martínez de Carvajal". La Jiribilla. Archived from the original on 2013-05-31. Retrieved 2015-01-11.
- ^ a b c d e f g Habana, Laura Martínez de CarvajalPrimera mujer médico y oftalmóloga de CubaNombreLaura Martínez de Carvajal y del CaminoNacimiento27 de agosto de 1869La; de 1941Cotorro, CubaFallecimiento24 de enero; Habana, La; CubaNacionalidadCubanaCiudadaníaCubanaOcupaciónOftalmología. "Laura Martínez de Carvajal - EcuRed". www.ecured.cu (in Spanish). Retrieved 2022-12-07.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ a b c d "Laura Martínez de Carvajal, pionera de la medicina y la oftalmología cubana". Mujeres con ciencia (in Spanish). 2019-11-28. Retrieved 2022-12-07.
Further reading
Laura Martinez de Carvajal y del Camino: primera graduada de medicina en Cuba, by María Julia de Lara Mena, published by Consejo Cientifica, Ministerio de Salud Pública, in 1964
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