Women Physicians in Ancient Rome

Until recently, it has generally been assumed that ancient Roman women did not figure prominently as medical doctors. Much of the reason for this view derives from the extreme obstacles and difficulties women experienced in becoming qualified as physicians in the West during the Victorian Era and the twentieth century. It is now becoming apparent among scholars that women in ancient Rome did not encounter impediments to their medical practice to the same degree as pre-modern and early modern women. Although there are few references to women doctors in Rome, those mentions treat these physicians with the same respect and honour as that accorded to their similarly deserving male colleagues.