Impossible! Unheard of! When Elizabeth Blackwell decided to become a doctor, she repeatedly heard those comments. In mid-19th century, medicine was not a field open to women. But Blackwell wouldnt let that stop her from earning a medical degree at New Yorks Geneva Medical College in 1849. Blackwells determination to succeed led her to become Americas first woman doctor. Her pioneering spirit opened the door for women in medicine, inspiring generations that followed.