July 26, 2023
By Andrew Tawfik, Drexel University College of Medicine

The 20^th century marked an era where there was a substantial increase in the number of women entering the medical field and the number of female physicians making significant contributions to society. One such physician was Patricia Bath, MD, an innovative ophthalmologist, and scientist who invented laser cataract surgery (Green, 2019).

Dr. Bath was an outstanding clinical scientist who made significant contributions to the field of ophthalmology. Her research varied in genre and in impact. Her early epidemiologic studies researching the differences in access to ophthalmic care between African American communities and the general population would lead to improved access to health care in local New York communities. Her later clinical studies would lead to the foundation of laser technology in cataract surgery with the invention of the first-ever LaserPhaco probe (Barohn, 2021) She was a woman of many “firsts,” most notably being the first African American female doctor to receive a patent for a medical device (Barohn, 2021). Her career was filled with altruistic missions and significant reform to ophthalmic care in underprivileged communities. One significant contribution was the co-founding of the American Institute for the Prevention of Blindness (AIPB) in 1976. The AIPB was founded as a nonprofit organization dedicated to the prevention of blindness. This organization emphasized Dr. Bath’s belief that “eyesight is a basic human right” (Kermode-Scott, 2019).

Her perseverance in the face of adversity led her to successfully challenge racist and sexist ideologies. As an African American woman who navigated a career in medicine, ophthalmology and academia in the 1970s, Dr. Bath serves as a beacon for minoritized groups aiming to prosper in uncharted territory.

Sources/Resources:

• Green, A. (2019). Patricia Bath. The Lancet, 394(10197), 464
• Barohn, R. J. (2021). Remembering Dr. Patricia Bath for Women’s History Month: Ophthalmologist, inventor and humanitarian with many firsts. RRNMF Neuromuscular Journal, 2(3)
• Kermode-Scott, B. (2019). Patricia Bath: ophthalmologist, inventor, and humanitarian