How Women Changed Medicine

Task 1 (Videos)

Watch the videos below and answer the questions under them.

Short Answer Questions 1:

Write your answers in 2-3 sentences. Then, share and compare your answers orally with your study partner and improve them together.

1. What was Edward Jenner’s most important contribution to medicine, and how did it work?
2. What role did Florence Nightingale play in the development of modern nursing?
3. What was Marie Curie’s main research area, and how has this impacted medical treatment?
4. How did Alexander Fleming’s discovery of penicillin revolutionize the treatment of bacterial infections?
5. How was polio largely eradicated in the world?
6. What was the most important change in the treatment of AIDS in the 1990s?
7. What is the human genome, and how can knowledge about it be used to improve healthcare?

Short Answer Questions 2:

Write your answers in 2-3 sentences. Then, share and compare your answers orally with your study partner and improve them together.

1. What challenges do female doctors face in Canada, according to Dr. Shannon Rosicky and Allison Brown?
2. What does Allison Brown believe must be done to combat sexism in medicine?
3. Give two examples of how sexism can manifest itself in medical education and careers.

Task 2 (Vocabulary)

Practice vocabulary on Quizlet before you read the text below. You may need to register for full access to Quizlet.

• Link1: English-English vocabulary list on Quizlet
• Link 2: English-Norwegian vocabulary list on Quizlet

Task 3 (Reading)

Read the text about women’s contribution to medicine.

Women in Medicine

Women have played a crucial role in advancing the field of medicine throughout history, despite facing numerous challenges and obstacles. Their contributions have been instrumental in shaping modern healthcare and scientific research. This project will explore the lives and achievements of four remarkable women who made significant impacts in medicine and science: Florence Nightingale, Marie Curie, Virginia Apgar, and Rosalind Franklin.

Florence Nightingale, known as the “Lady with the Lamp,” revolutionized nursing practices during the Crimean War in the 1850s. She improved sanitation in hospitals and established professional nursing as a respected career for women. Nightingale’s work laid the foundation for modern nursing education and hospital management.

Marie Curie, a Polish-French physicist and chemist, was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize and remains the only person to receive a Nobel Prize in two scientific fields. Her groundbreaking research on radioactivity led to the discovery of two new elements, polonium and radium. Curie’s work paved the way for advancements in cancer treatment and medical imaging.

Virginia Apgar, an American physician and anesthesiologist, developed the Apgar Score System in 1952. This simple and effective method for evaluating newborn babies’ health immediately after birth has saved countless lives and is still used in delivery rooms worldwide.

Rosalind Franklin, a British chemist and X-ray crystallographer, made crucial contributions to the understanding of DNA structure. Her X-ray diffraction images, particularly “Photograph 51,” provided key evidence for the double helix model of DNA proposed by James Watson and Francis Crick.

These women overcame gender barriers and societal expectations to make lasting impacts in their fields. Their stories inspire future generations of women in science and medicine, showing that determination, intelligence, and hard work can lead to groundbreaking discoveries and improvements in human health.

Task 4 (Reading Comprehension)

Based on the text you have read, answer the questions below.

Task 5 (Podcast)

Listen to the podcast and note down 3-5 key takeaways from it.

Women in Medicine (Project)

The work you have done so far is meant as a foundation for the project on women in medicine. This study guide will help you with your assignment. You will work in groups to learn about the contributions of women in this field and then prepare an oral presentation about one of these women.

Alternatively, you may work on your own, record your presentation, and send it to us.

Kick-off: Medicine and Sexism

Before we start the project, let’s sum up what you already know about sexism in medicine. Discuss the questions below with your partner, or reflect on them on your own:

1. Do you think the experience of women and men has been the same within the field of medicine throughout history? Why or why not?
2. Have you personally witnessed any sexism in medicine, for example, when you were at the doctor’s or hospital? Can you share an example?
3. What are some of the challenges women in medicine face?
4. What can we do to promote gender equality in medicine today, in your opinion?

Project

1. You will be divided into groups of four.
2. Each student in the group will be assigned one of the following women to work on individually for 30 minutes:
   • Florence Nightingale
   • Marie Curie
   • Virginia Apgar
   • Rosalind Franklin
3. You will then meet up in your groups, and each of you will present “your” assigned woman in brief (ca 15 minutes altogether).
4. After hearing all the presentations, each group will choose one woman to focus on in-depth.
5. At this stage, you may work in pairs or alone to find more information, read articles, create a PowerPoint presentation, and practice presenting the material. You can use the links provided in this study guide for your chosen woman.
6. You will present your project to another person or pair. This will also be your presentation for the oral test.

Content of your presentations

• Their lives
• What they did within medicine
• How their discoveries or work affected the world

Remember to:

• Include a list of sources you used.
• Find pictures to illustrate your topic.
• Create a PowerPoint presentation.

As you prepare your presentations, consider how these women’s backgrounds, education, and personal experiences shaped their careers. Explore the challenges they faced, their major accomplishments, and the lasting impact of their work on modern medicine and science.

The information in this study guide is intended to be a starting point for your project. The goal is for you to explore these sources, find interesting and relevant information, and develop your own presentations. By doing so, you will gain a deeper understanding of the significant contributions of women in medicine.

Suggested Sources

Rounding Off (Song)