02/14/2026
In honor of black history month, Here are some of the first medical professionals:
1. The Ancient Pioneer: Imhotep (c. 2600 BCE)
Long before modern degrees existed, Imhotep served as a vizier and physician to the Pharaoh Djoser in Ancient Egypt (Kemet). He is often cited as the first physician known by name in written history. He diagnosed and treated over 200 diseases and is credited with writing the Edwin Smith Papyrus, an ancient text detailing anatomical observations and cures.
2. The First MD in the U.S.: James McCune Smith (1837)
Dr. James McCune Smith is officially the first African American to hold a medical degree. Because U.S. medical schools were closed to Black students at the time, he traveled to Scotland to attend the University of Glasgow, where he earned his MD in 1837.
• Legacy: Upon returning to New York, he became the first Black person to run a pharmacy in the U.S. and was a prominent abolitionist.
3. The First MD from a U.S. School: David Jones Peck (1847)
A decade after Smith, David Jones Peck became the first Black person to graduate from a medical school located within the United States. He graduated from Rush Medical College in Chicago in 1847.
4. The First Black Woman MD: Rebecca Lee Crumpler (1864)
Dr. Rebecca Lee Crumpler made history during the Civil War era by becoming the first African American woman to earn a medical degree. She graduated from the New England Female Medical College in Boston.
• Legacy: She dedicated her career to treating formerly enslaved people and published A Book of Medical Discourses, one of the first medical publications by a Black author.
