Dr. May Edward Chinn – A Pioneer in Medicine and Justice

Born: April 15, 1896, Great Barrington, Massachusetts, U.S. A.
Died: December 1, 1980, New York City, New York, U.S.A.

Dr. May Edward Chinn was a pioneering physician who overcame racial and gender barriers to provide medical care in Harlem and help advance early cancer detection in the United States.

Dr. May Edward Chinn was born on April 15, 1896, in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. Her father was born into slavery in Virginia, and her mother was part Native American from the Chickahominy tribe. When May was very young, her family moved to New York City so she could grow up and go to school there.

As a girl, May loved music and wanted to be a musician. She went to Columbia University Teachers College in 1917 with plans to study music. She even played piano for famous people like singer Paul Robeson. But something changed her life. In college, she wrote a paper for a science class that impressed one of her teachers. This teacher encouraged her to study science instead of just music. May decided to become a doctor.

In 1921, May earned her bachelor’s degree from Columbia. Soon after, she worked hard to enter medical school at the University and Bellevue Hospital Medical College in New York. Many people did not think a Black woman should be a doctor in those days. But May did not give up. In 1926, she became the first African American woman to graduate from that medical school. This was a big accomplishment.

After she finished medical school, Dr. Chinn wanted to learn more by working at a hospital. However, many hospitals would not let Black doctors work there because of discrimination. Still, Harlem Hospital gave her a chance. She became the first African American woman to complete an internship there. She also became the first woman of any race to ride with the Harlem Hospital ambulance crew on emergency calls.

Even though she was a qualified doctor, many hospitals still did not allow her to treat patients inside their buildings. Because of this, Dr. Chinn opened her own medical office in Harlem in 1928. She worked in her office and visited patients in their homes. Sometimes, she even performed minor procedures in those homes. She took great care of people who could not get help at other hospitals.

Dr. Chinn became especially interested in finding diseases early, especially cancer. She saw many patients who were very sick because their diseases were not found soon enough. To learn more, she studied the newest ways to detect cancer. She worked with other doctors to learn about important tests, including the Pap smear test, which helps find cervical cancer early.

In 1944, Dr. Chinn began working at the Strang Cancer Clinic in New York. She stayed there for almost 30 years, teaching other doctors and helping patients get early cancer screenings. She also taught people about using their family medical history to understand cancer risk.

Dr. Chinn was not only a doctor, she was also a civil rights supporter. She believed everyone should have fair access to health care. In 1954, she became a member of the New York Academy of Sciences. In 1980, Columbia University awarded her an honorary doctorate for her lifetime of work in medicine.

Dr. May Edward Chinn continued to care for patients and work in medicine until she was very old. She passed away on December 1, 1980, at the age of 84. Many people remember her as a pioneer who fought for equality in medicine and helped improve health care for people who needed it most.

References:
National Library of Medicine. Changing the Face of Medicine: May Edward Chinn. U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2015. https://cfmedicine.nlm.nih.gov/physicians/biography_61.html.
“Biography – May Edward Chinn.” National Library of Medicine Exhibition. U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health. https://www.nlm.nih.gov/exhibition/changing-the-face-of-medicine/physicians/biography_may_chinn.html.
Unsung Pioneer – NYU. NYU Alumni Magazine, Fall 2021-Winter 2022. https://www.nyu.edu/about/news-publications/publications/alumni-magazine/fall-2021-winter-2022/features2/Chinn.html.
National Library of Medicine. “Dr. May Edward Chinn, Medical Doctor, Researcher & Musician.” Association for Women in Science. https://awis.org/historical-women/dr-may-edward-chinn/

Keywords:
Science, Civil Rights, Courage, Perseverance, Achievement, Selflessness, Face Prejudice, Make a Difference, STEAM