Elizabeth Blackwell. Drawing of Elizabeth Blackwell (1821-1910), first woman to become a doctor in her own right in Britain. Born in Britain, Blackwell emigrated with her family to the United States (USA) in 1832. She was accepted by Geneva College in New York to study medicine because her application was thought to be a joke. Graduating in 1849, she received further training in London and Paris and was placed on the British Medical Association's register in 1859. In the USA she lectured on hygiene and opened a dispensary which she expanded to a medical college. She returned to Britain in 1869 to practice medicine until her retirement.