HSLS Update

Changing the Face of Medicine

The National Library of Medicine has created an interactive exhibits, library and Web site to celebrate and honor women in medicine. Featured in the exhibition are women who have changed the face of medicine by shaping public health policy, developing innovative medical procedures, providing care to patients in marginalized communities, or reminding us of the roles of culture and spirituality in patient care.

The Web site contains profiles of the first generation of America's female physicians, as well as contemporary female physicians who stand out for their persistence, dedication, and commitment to excellence in the science and practice of medicine. Among the physicians profiled are Katherine Detre and Jeannette South-Paul, both currently on faculty at the University of Pittsburgh.

Visitors to the Web site can browse

• Physician profiles (or create a customized search of the profile database).
• Online lesson plans for grades K-12.
• An extensive bibliography that provides additional resources on the history of women in medicine, and autobiographies by female physicians.
• A career section, designed primarily for teens, which provides links to practical information on undergraduate education, how to apply to medical schools, obtaining financial assistance, and contact information for student medical associations.
• An interactive Web page that allows visitors to share stories about women physicians who have made a difference in their lives.

The exhibition "Changing the Face of Medicine: Celebrating America’s Women Physicians" is on display at the National Institutes of Medicine (Bethesda, Md.) through April 2, 2005. The Web site is accessible at <www.nlm.nih.gov/changingthefaceofmedicine>.

--Mary Lou Klem

Photograph Copyright © 2004 HSLS and it licensors. All rights reserved.