Medicine in NC After the Nineteenth Century
Schuchman, Joseph
While in North Carolina, Dr. Alexander “served on the boards of both Saint Peter’s Hospital and Presbyterian Hospital in Charlotte”, as well as stayed very active in the community (Riggins). Also, she was the first woman license to practice medicine in the south. Since Dr. Alexander passed away, North Carolina medicine has changed even more.
“UNC Hospitals at Chapel Hill”.
“In 1922, the Board of Trustees of the University of North Carolina asked the legislature to build a hospital in Chapel Hill” (Roberson, 2010). Unfortunately, a year later it was turned down because of finances. At one point, Duke University in Durham wanted to work together with the University of North Carolina; however, this was turned down because the University of North Carolina was a public school. “Through the philanthropy of James B. Duke, Duke University had the funding and built a first class hospital and four-year medical school. The hospital opened to patients in July of 1930 and in October of that year admitted first and third year students – women as well as men” (Roberson, 2010). It was not until 1948, when the University of North Carolina got their funding approved for building Memorial Hospital in Chapel Hill. “The standards for admission for medical school also become more stringent as a result of the report, making admission more difficult and providing less opportunity for the disadvantaged to become doctors” (Roberson, 2010).
However, the medical school at East Carolina University is trying to change that. “Its mission is to train primary care physicians to serve the rural areas of North Carolina; to provide health care to the citizens of eastern North Carolina; and to make medical education available to deserving minority and underprivileged students” (Roberson, 2010).
However, the medical school at East Carolina University is trying to change that. “Its mission is to train primary care physicians to serve the rural areas of North Carolina; to provide health care to the citizens of eastern North Carolina; and to make medical education available to deserving minority and underprivileged students” (Roberson, 2010).
“Homeopathic Medicine”
Some other changes that occurred were alternative medicines. In the early twentieth century, new types of health practitioners appeared in NC bringing new alternative therapies including homeopathy, chiropractic medicine and Chinese medicine (NC Museum of History). Even a form of health insurance was created in the twentieth century. These advances in medicine only continue to grow with prescription drugs, hospitals, health care, and the different disease epidemics that occurred. With each disease epidemic, NC made advancements in their treatments, cures, and antibiotics.