page_title: London School of Medicine for Women
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: London School of Medicine for Women / History
caption_attribution_description: Français&#160;: London School of Medicine for Women - Free Hospital, London, Hunter Street
context_page_description: The London School of Medicine for Women established in 1874 was the first medical school in Britain to train women as doctors.
context_section_description: The school was formed by an association of pioneering women physicians Sophia Jex-Blake, Elizabeth Garrett Anderson, Emily Blackwell and Elizabeth Blackwell with Thomas Henry Huxley. The founding was motivated at least in part by Jex-Blake's frustrated attempts at getting a medical degree at a time when women were not admitted to British medical schools, thus being expelled from Edinburgh University. Other women who had studied with Jex-Blake in Edinburgh joined her at the London school, including Isabel Thorne who succeeded her as honorary secretary in 1877.  She departed to start a medical practice in Edinburgh where she would found the Edinburgh School of Medicine for Women in 1886.
  The UK Medical Act of 1876 (39 and 40 Vict, Ch. 41) was an act which repealed the previous Medical Act in the United Kingdom and allowed the medical authorities to license all qualified applicants irrespective of gender.
  In 1877 an agreement was reached with the Royal Free Hospital that allowed students at the London School of Medicine for Women to complete their clinical studies there.  The Royal Free Hospital was the first teaching hospital in London to admit women for training.
  Elizabeth Garrett Anderson was Dean (1883–1903) while the school was rebuilt, became part of the University of London and consolidated association with the Royal Free Hospital.  In 1896, the School was officially renamed the London (Royal Free Hospital) School of Medicine for Women.
  In 1894, a well known Indian feminist Dr. Rukhmabai qualified in medicine after attending the London School of Medicine for Women.  The number of Indian women students steadily increased so that by 1920 the school, in co-operation with the India Office opened a hostel for female Indian medical students.
  In 1914, the school was further expanded due to the number of women wishing to study medicine, making it necessary to increase the number of laboratories and lecture rooms by double.  At the time of expansion, the school had over 300 students enrolled, making it the largest women university colleges in Britain. 
  In 1998, it merged with the University College Hospital's medical school to form the UCL Medical School.
caption: London School of Medicine for Women, Hunter Street.
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