Women's Medical Association of New York City is an organization of female physicians and medical students, with a mission to "provide communication, information, and educational programs for women in the medical profession, along with financial assistance to women medical students and researchers." It was charted by the state of New York in November 1909.

Background and history

The Women's Medical Association of New York City grew out of the alumnae association of the Women's Medical College of the

New York Infirmary for Women and Children NewYork-Presbyterian Lower Manhattan Hospital is a nonprofit, acute care, teaching hospital in New York City and is the only hospital in Lower Manhattan south of Greenwich Village. It is part of the NewYork-Presbyterian Healthcare System and one ...

It was established by Dr.

Elizabeth Blackwell Elizabeth Blackwell (3 February 182131 May 1910) was a British physician, notable as the first woman to receive a medical degree in the United States, and the first woman on the Medical Register of the General Medical Council for the United Ki ...

in 1854 as the first hospital in the United States to be staffed completely by women. In educating female physicians, the Women's Medical College not only provided women access to the medical profession, but also medical care. In a meeting at the

Union League Club of New York The Union League Club is a private social club in New York City that was founded in 1863 in affiliation with the Union League. Its fourth and current clubhouse is located at 38 East 37th Street on the corner of Park Avenue, in the Murray Hill ...

in March 1878, Robert B. Roosevelt suggested that the "deplorable health of women was owing to a want of proper medical advice. The sympathy of women for one another enabled the female physician to penetrate to the very source of the disease. Nothing was hidden from her through motives of delicacy. Mountains of headgear, thin-soled shoes, glove-fitting and shape-destroying corsets no doubt have considerable influence in producing general ill-health among women; but he was persuaded that the lack of medical adviser of their own sex had been the leading cause." Dr.

Mary Putnam Jacobi Mary Corinna Putnam Jacobi (August 31, 1842 – June 10, 1906) was an esteemed American medical physician, teacher, scientist, writer, and suffragist. She was the first woman to study medicine at the University of Paris, and had a long career pr ...

spoke at the same meeting, and stated that the aim of the association was to put "the medical education of women on an equality with that of male students." The Alumnae Association was formed in 1870, and included both graduates of the Medical College and other female physicians in the New York City area. This association became WMA-NYC in 1899 with the closing of the Women's Medical College. WMA-NYC was chartered by New York State in 1909 and became branch #14 of the American Medical Women's Association in 1933.

References

* * {{authority control Medical associations based in the United States Medical and health organizations based in New York City