Maria Teodora Pimentel (1865-1948) was the first woman from the Portuguese island group of the Azores to become a medical doctor.
Maria Teodora Pimentel | |
|---|---|
| Born | 11 September 1865 Angra do Heroísmo, Azores, Portugal |
| Died | 16 november 1948 Angra do heroísmo |
| Resting place | Angra do Heroísmo |
| Occupation | Physician (doctor) |
| Known for | First female doctor from the Azores |
Early life edit
Maria Teodora Pimentel was born on 11 September 1865 in Angra do Heroísmo, on Terceira Island in the Azores. The daughter of an army sergeant, Manuel Quaresma Pimentel, who died when she was young, she obtained a teaching diploma at the beginning of 1884 that qualified her to teach at primary and secondary levels, so allowing her to support herself and her mother and continue her studies. She entered the Polytechnic School of Lisbon in 1887 to take the course that was a requirement to study at Lisbon's Medical-Surgical School (Escola Médico-Cirúrgica de Lisboa), which would later become the medical faculty of the University of Lisbon. In 1895 she obtained a degree in Medicine from the Medical-Surgical School.[1][2][3]
Working life edit
Failing to get a position at the University of Lisbon, Pimentel returned to the Azores where she became known as the "doctor of the poor". She also became the first woman to occupy a public administration position in the Azores.[1][2]
In her will, Pimentel left her residence to be used as a Municipal Hostel. This was called the Albergaria Cruzeiro, and it opened in 1973,[1] being later converted to a hotel.
References edit
- ^ a b c "Maria Teodora Pimentel". Portuguese women scientists:historical overview. Retrieved 6 October 2020.
- ^ a b de Sousa Menezes, Manuel (1957). "Médicos, Cirurgiões e Outros da arte de curar na Ilha Terceira" (PDF). Institute Histórico da Ilha Terceira: Bolletim. 15. Retrieved 7 October 2020.
- ^ Feminae – Dicionário Contemporâneo. Faces de Eva. p. 709. ISBN 978-972-597-373-8. Retrieved 4 November 2020.
