Emily Charlotte Thomson (c. 1864 – 21 August 1955) was a medical practitioner, co-founder of

Dundee Women's Hospital Dundee Women's Hospital, officially known as Dundee Women's Hospital and Nursing Home was a hospital for women in Dundee, Scotland. Originally it operated from premises in Seafield Road, it later moved to Elliott Road. History The original site ...

and one of the first women admitted to professional medical societies in

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...

Early life and education

Emily Charlotte Thomson was born in

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

to parents Emily Plumb Ogilvie and Alexander Thompson, a schools inspector. She was educated in

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 c ...

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian on the southern shore of t ...

and Rouen and, in 1891, obtained qualifications from three medical licensing authorities in Scotland: the

Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh The Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh (RCPE) is a medical royal college in Scotland. It is one of three organisations that sets the specialty training standards for physicians in the United Kingdom. It was established by Royal charter ...

Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (RCSEd) is a professional organisation of surgeons. The College has seven active faculties, covering a broad spectrum of surgical, dental, and other medical practices. Its main campus is located o ...

and

Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, is an institute of physicians and surgeons in Glasgow, Scotland. Founded by Peter Lowe after receiving a royal charter by James VI in 1599, as the Glasgow Faculty, it originally exis ...

. She achieved the Dublin Licentiate in Medicine in 1892 and, in 1899, graduated with a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery (MBChM) from the

University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 15 ...

Career

In 1893, Thomson applied successfully to become a member of the Forfarshire Medical Association and, later, the British Medical Association. She joined

Mary Lily Walker Mary Lily Walker (5 July 1863 – 1 July 1913) was a Scottish social reformer, who worked to improve conditions for women and children working in industrial Dundee. The ninth child of a Dundee solicitor, Walker was born into a relatively affluent ...

in co-founding the Dundee Women's Hospital in 1896 and worked as a medical officer in the hospital along with fellow physician

Alice Moorhead Dr Alice Margaret Moorhead MD LRCP LRCSE LM (Dub) (1868–23 June 1910), also known as Dr A.M. Moorhead, was one of the first practising female physicians and surgeons in Scotland. In the late 19th-century she established a practice and hospi ...

. Moorhead partnered with Thomson to establish a medical practice at 93 Nethergate in Dundee, later moving to 4 Tay Square in 1901. Together Thomson and Moorhead were the first female doctors in Dundee. Moorhead worked mostly with poorer members of the community, while Thomson tended to the upper classes. After Moorhead's death during childbirth in 1910, Thomson moved practice to 22 Windsor Street in Dundee. She retired from medicine in 1922.

Personal life

In addition to Thomson's medical achievements in Dundee, she was also one of city's first female drivers. She was described by her contemporary Elizabeth Bryson as 'vivid, dark, business-like ndcapable' and her life was the inspiration for the novel ''Butterflies in December'' by Eileen Ramsay. In retirement, Thomson moved to Arbirlot where she collected art and antiques until her death in 1955.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Thomson, Emily Alumni of the University of Edinburgh 1860s births 1955 deaths

Early life and education

Career

Personal life

See also

References