Scars that Shine: The Edinburgh Seven, The Women Who Changed the Face of Medicine

In a time when women weren’t even allowed to vote, seven extraordinary women stood at the doors of the University of Edinburgh in 1869 and demanded the impossible: a place to study medicine alongside men. They were laughed at, threatened, physically blocked from exams, and publicly ridiculed—but they did not back down.

These women—Sophia Jex-Blake, Edith Pechey, Matilda Chaplin, Helen Evans, Mary Anderson, Emily Bovell, and Isabella Thorne—would go down in history as the Edinburgh Seven: the first group of women to matriculate at a British university.

This isn't just about academic achievement. It's a story of resistance, endurance, and courage. It’s the story of women who fought not just for themselves, but for generations of women who would come after them.

The Power of One: Sophia Jex-Blake

It all started with one woman. Sophia Jex-Blake, born into a wealthy English family, was brilliant, determined, and relentlessly ambitious. In 1869, she applied to the University of Edinburgh to study medicine. Her application was rejected because the university claimed it could not accommodate a woman student alone.

Instead of giving up, Sophia placed an ad in the newspaper to find other like-minded women who wanted to study medicine. She found six. And together, they applied as a group.

The university couldn’t ignore them this time. In a historic moment, the Edinburgh Seven were admitted to study medicine. It seemed like a victory. But that was just the beginning of the battle.

Edith Pechey: The Fighter for Fairness

Edith was known for her intelligence, passion, and eloquence. She ranked among the top in her class and earned the right to a scholarship typically given to the top students—except the scholarship committee refused to award it to a woman.

But Edith didn’t take it quietly. She spoke out, wrote letters to the press, and brought public attention to the injustice. Her courage in demanding fair treatment ignited debates across Britain about women’s rights to education.

She later became one of the first female doctors to practice in India and was a tireless advocate for women’s healthcare and education.

Matilda Chaplin: The Global Healer

Matilda was a quiet force with a fierce intellect. She not only studied medicine, but she also had a passion for anthropology and public health. After being blocked from graduating in Edinburgh, she completed her training in Paris, and later practiced in Japan and India, bringing medical care to undeserved populations.

Matilda proved that the mission was never about status—it was about service. She showed that when a woman is empowered, her healing reaches far beyond the borders of her home.

Helen Evans: The Hidden Strength

Helen was perhaps the most elusive of the Seven in historical records, but what we know is that her strength was in solidarity. She walked the same halls, sat in the same lectures, and endured the same hostility. Her quiet perseverance speaks to the many women in history whose contributions went unrecognized, but whose presence made all the difference.

Helen reminds us that showing up in the face of resistance is an act of revolution in itself.

Mary Anderson: The Steadfast Visionary

Mary believed in education not just for herself, but for all women. While her time in Edinburgh was cut short, she continued to advocate for women’s access to medical education throughout her life.

Her story is a reminder that even if our personal dreams get deferred, our voice can still lift others toward theirs.

Emily Bovell: The Compassionate Trailblazer

Emily was both compassionate and courageous. She later married one of the few professors who had supported the Seven and went on to practice medicine in Paris. She also became involved in educational reform, particularly for women and girls.

Her life showed that it’s possible to remain soft and strong at once—to be both kind-hearted and utterly unshakable in your purpose.

Isabella Thorne: The Organiser and Advocate

Isabella played a vital role behind the scenes, organizing lectures, advocating for women’s education, and building networks that would eventually lead to the establishment of the London School of Medicine for Women. Though she never completed her medical degree, her administrative and advocacy work laid the foundation for others to succeed.

She teaches us that being a leader isn’t always about being in the spotlight—it’s about lifting others up.

They Were Denied Degrees, But Not Their Destiny

In 1873, after years of hostility and systemic resistance, the University of Edinburgh finally shut its doors to the Edinburgh Seven, formally blocking them from graduating. It was a crushing blow.

But they didn’t stop.

Most of them completed their studies abroad—in France, Switzerland, and Ireland—where laws were slightly more favorable to women. They became doctors, educators, reformers, and pioneers in public health across the globe.

Their collective work laid the groundwork for the medical schools and institutions that later admitted—and graduated—thousands of women. In 2019, the University of Edinburgh finally awarded the Edinburgh Seven **posthumous honorary degrees**, acknowledging them not just as students, but as trailblazers who helped change the world.

The story of the Edinburgh Seven is a mirror held up to every woman who has ever been told:

“You’re not allowed.”  
“You don’t belong here.”  
“This isn’t your place.”

And yet—she walked in anyway.

Their legacy lives in every woman sitting in a medical lecture today, in every woman writing code, leading a team, raising her hand, starting over, or standing up.

These women didn’t just change medicine. They rewrote the rules of what women were “allowed” to do.

To the Woman Reading This: You Are Not Alone

You come from a long line of fighters. You come from a history carved out by women who refused to be silent. Women like the Edinburgh Seven who looked injustice in the face and said, “We’re not going anywhere.”

So if you’re the only woman in the room... stay.  
If you’re starting over... begin again.  
If you’re scared but certain... move forward anyway.

You are not the first, and you will not be the last.

You are not an imposter—you are a pioneer.

To the Edinburgh Seven: thank you for daring to believe in something bigger than yourselves. You opened a door, and we are still walking through it.