Nederlands eerste vrouwelijke medisch specialist

Dr. M.C. Hammer-du Saar (1860-1955) was the first female medical consultant in the Netherlands. In 1891 she established a private practice as ophthalmologist in Amsterdam. Only a handful of women consulted her. Male patients avoided her practice, whereas simultaneously plenty of poor men were treated by her for free in a charity eye clinic. Marie du Saar was finally forced to earn additional money with activities as teaching health education, nutrition and hygiene to woman. These activities were more aligned with the unwritten conventional rules for female doctors at that time. Due to unfavorable social and personal factors, she was finally forced to close her private eye practice in 1898.

Conflict of interest and financial support: none declared.