Eloísa Díaz

Eloísa Díaz Inzunza (Spanish pronunciation: [elo.ˈisa ˈði.aθ]; June 25, 1866 – November 1, 1950), was the first female medical student to attend the University of Chile, and the first woman to become a doctor of medicine in Chile as well as the entire region of South America.[1][2]

This article uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is Díaz and the second or maternal family name is Insunza.

Eloísa Díaz
Eloísa Díaz.
Born	(1866-06-25)June 25, 1866 Santiago, Chile
Died	November 1, 1950(1950-11-01) (aged 84) Santiago, Chile
Education	University of Chile alumni
Years active	1887 – 1925
Known for	Being the first female physician in Chile and South America
Medical career
Profession	Physician
Sub-specialties	Gynaecology

Early life and education

Eloísa Díaz Insunza was born in Santiago, Chile. Her parents were Eulogio Díaz Varas and Carmela Insunza.[3] She completed her requisite studies at Dolores Cabrera Martínez's school, Isabel Le Brun de Pinochet's school and at Instituto Nacional.[2]

Díaz enrolled in 1880 in Escuela de Medicina de la Universidad de Chile (English: University of Chile, School of Medicine) shortly after a law was enacted which allowed women to study at the university.[1][2] Díaz became the first woman in South America to graduate and earn her medical license[1][2][3] She graduated on December 27, 1886, and obtained her degree on January 3, 1887.[2] Her thesis was named Breves observaciones sobre la aparición de la pubertad en la mujer chilena y las predisposiciones patológicas del sexo (English: Brief observations on the apparition of puberty in Chilean women and their pathological predispositions about sex).[1]

Career

Díaz began working at San Borja Hospital in January 1891. She worked as a teacher and physician in Escuela Normal from 1889 until 1897. Díaz became the School Medic Supervisor of Santiago in 1898, and was promoted to School Medic Supervisor of Chile. Díaz held this position for more than 30 years.[2] As a philanthropist, Díaz founded several kindergartens, polyclinics for the poor, and school camps.

In 1910, Díaz participated in the Hygiene and Medicine International Scientific Congress in Buenos Aires, where she was named "Illustrious Woman of America".[2] Díaz was named Director of the School Medical Service of Chile in 1911, where she implemented school breakfasts and mass vaccination of students, as well as campaigns to combat alcoholism, rickets and tuberculosis.

Díaz retired in 1925. In 1950, she was taken ill and admitted to the San Vicente de Paúl Hospital, where she died at the age of 84.[2]

Tribute

La Florida “Dra. Eloísa Díaz Insunza” Hospital is inaugurated in November 2013.[4]

On June 25, 2018 Google celebrated her 152nd birthday with a doodle.[5]

References

1. "Eloísa Díaz" (in Spanish). Nuestro.cl. Archived from the original on 27 February 2013. Retrieved September 10, 2011.
2. "Eloísa Díaz y Amanda Labarca" (in Spanish). Memoria Chilena. Archived from the original on 27 April 2012. Retrieved September 10, 2011.
3. "Personajes de Nuestra Historia - Díaz, Eloísa" (in Spanish). educarchile. Archived from the original on 27 February 2013. Retrieved September 10, 2011.
4. Chile, C. N. N. "Gobierno inauguró el hospital de La Florida "Dra. Eloísa Díaz Insunza"". CNN Chile (in Spanish). Retrieved 2020-04-03.
5. "Eloisa Díaz's 152nd Birthday". www.google.com. Retrieved 2020-04-03.

Further reading

• Windsor, Laura Lynn (2002). Women in medicine : an encyclopedia. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO. ISBN 1576073939.