Letter from Martha Tracy to Charles J. Hatfield

Once students graduated from medical school, they were then expected to continue their training at a hospital for several years to gain clinical experience. These temporary positions were then called internships (today, we call them residencies), and the hospitals provided housing for the interns for the duration of their time there. In the early 20th century, internships open to black women doctors were hard to find. Even at African American-run hospitals, men were favored over women for the limited number of positions available. In her effort to address this problem, WMCP dean Martha Tracy wrote to Charles Hatfield, a member of the Philadelphia Health Council.

Once students graduate from medical school, they are expected to continue their training at a hospital for several years. In the early 20th century, there were few of these internships open to black women doctors. Without this important clinical experience, these women would not be considered fully trained on an equal footing with male doctors.