Elizabeth Margaret Forbes (March 25, 1917 – September 20, 1999) was a Canadian radiologist.[1][2] Forbes was the Chief of Radiology at Toronto's Women's College Hospital (WCH) from 1955 to 1975.[1][3] She is remembered for co-authoring “one of the first Canadian papers on mammography” with WCH's Henrietta Banting.[4]
Dr. Elizabeth Margaret Forbes | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 25, 1917 Blenheim, Ontario, Canada |
| Died | September 20, 1999 |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Education | Canada Business College (1935), Western University (M.D., 1942) |
| Occupation | Radiologist |
| Years active | 1942-1975 |
| Employer(s) | Women’s College Hospital, University of Toronto, St. Joseph’s Hospital, Victoria Hospital |
Early life and education edit
Elizabeth Margaret Forbes was born on March 25, 1917, in Blenheim, Ontario.[1] In 1934 she attended Canada Business College for one year.[1] After graduation she undertook secretarial and general office work for one year.[1] After deciding to pursue medicine, Forbes enrolled in Western University’s medical school and graduated with an MD in 1942.[1] She originally specialized in family medicine and completed a Junior Rotating Internship at St. Joseph's Hospital in Hamilton, Ontario.[1] Following that, she joined the staff of Victoria Hospital and St. Joseph's Hospital, London, Ontario, from 1943 to 1951.[1]
After deciding to further specialize in radiology, Forbes pursued a residency in radiology at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio in 1952.[1][5] Shortly thereafter, she become a resident in radiology at the Strong Memorial Hospital in New York from 1953 to 1954.[1] She became certified in Diagnostic Radiology from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.[1] That same year she was named a diplomate in Diagnostic Radiology of the American Board of Radiology.[1]
Career edit
Forbes joined the staff of Women's College Hospital as the Chief of Radiology in 1955.[1] She began her career in radiology as one of the few female radiologists in Canada. According to a 1964 article in Canadian Doctor, in the early 1960s only 17 women were qualified radiologists in Canada.[6] During her time at Women's College Hospital she co-authored a study, with Dr. Henrietta Banting, on the use of mammography as a diagnostic tool.[7][8] Under her leadership, the WCH became the first hospital in Ontario to use mammography to detect breast cancer.[9] In 1966 she was appointed as an associate professor in the University of Toronto's Faculty of Medicine.[1]
During her career she was a member of several associations, including: the Canadian Medical Association, the Canadian Association of Radiologists, the American College of Radiology, the Radiological Society of North America, and the Toronto Radiological Society.[1] In 1974 she was awarded a fellowship from the American College of Radiology, becoming the first Canadian women to do so.[1][5]
Retirement edit
Forbes retired as the Chief of Radiology of Women's College Hospital on January 8, 1975.[3] She died on September 20, 1999.[2]
External links edit
The Miss Margaret Robins Archives of Women's College Hospital
- [1] Archived 2021-02-07 at the Wayback Machine
Department of Medical Imaging Fonds in the Archives of Women's College Hospital
References edit
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p "Curriculum Vitae: Elizabeth Margaret Forbes". Archives of Women's College Hospital. November 15, 1974.
- ^ a b "Forbes, Margaret Elizabeth (Beth)". Toronto Star. September 27, 1999.
- ^ a b "Letter from E.L. Lansdown to Dr. E Forbes". Archives of Women's College Hospital. February 3, 1975.
- ^ "Memorial Trust Fund for Henrietta Banting". Canadian Family Physician. 23 (143): 31. February 1977.
- ^ a b Women and Medicine in Toronto Since 1883. A Who's Who. 1987. pp. 28–29.
- ^ "One Woman's Choice". Canadian Doctor. March 1964.
- ^ Forbes, Elizabeth; Banting, Henrietta (1967). "An Assessment of Mammography". Journal of the Canadian Association of Radiologists. 18 (4): 478–9. PMID 6080026.
- ^ Popa, Denisa. "Henrietta, the Other Dr. Banting: Early Mammography Research at Toronto's Women's College Hospital (1967)". Canadian Science and Technology Historical Association.
- ^ Shorter, Edward (2013-01-01). Partnership for Excellence: Medicine at the University of Toronto and Academic Hospitals. University of Toronto Press. p. 576. ISBN 978-1-4426-4595-0.