Frances K. Conley, MD
Frances Krauskopf Conley entered Stanford Medical School in 1961, one of just 12 women in a class of 72. She completed her medical degree in 1966 and began her surgical internship at Stanford University Hospital, becoming the first woman to do so. After finishing her neurosurgical residency in 1975, she became the fifth woman to be certified by the American Board of Neurological Surgery in 1977.
In 1986, Conley achieved another milestone, becoming the first woman to gain tenure as a full professor of neurosurgery at a U.S. medical school. In 1991, she made national headlines when she challenged the sexist culture at Stanford University Medical Center, risking her career to call out both overt harassment and the subtler “gender insensitivity” that women in medicine experienced.
Throughout her career, she excelled in teaching and clinical research, chaired the University Advisory Board and the Academic Council Senate, and led the Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System. Conley also authored Walking Out on the Boys, a memoir recounting her experiences as a female surgeon and the sexism in medicine.
She left a profound legacy as a trailblazer for women in medicine and neurosurgery. Her fearless stand against sexism in the medical field and her leadership in both clinical practice and academia paved the way for future generations of female surgeons. Through her groundbreaking achievements and her memoir Walking Out on the Boys, Conley shed light on the challenges women face in male-dominated fields, inspiring lasting change. Her contributions to medicine, education, and advocacy for gender equality will continue to resonate with those she mentored and beyond.
As a right hand to Harvey Cushing, MD, Louise Eisenhardt, MD was the first neuropathologist and kept records on all of his surgical pathology specimens.
Rarely in life do you meet a person whose hard work, determination, ambition and willingness to help others profoundly affects your life.
Dr. Ruth Kerr Jakoby was born in Palo Alto, California. She attended Barnard College of Columbia University, receiving her B.A. in 1949.
Dr. Carole Miller was born in Kalamazoo, Michigan. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree with Honors in History at the Ohio State University.
Dr. Joan Venes attended Downstate Medical Center of the State University of New York, graduating in 1966.