Often neglected, but never forgotten, the Physician and
Surgeon’s Almanac for November 27, 2013.
It’s the birthday of Fe del Mundo, M.D., born on this day in 1911 in Intramuros, Manila.
When her older sister died of appendicitis at the age of 11, del Mondo decided that when she grew up she wanted to become a doctor to the poor.
She graduated from the University of the Philippines in 1926, was class valedictorian from medical school in 1933 and placed third among students qualifying for the medical boards that year.
When the President of the Philippines offered her a scholarship to complete her training at any university in the world, the chose to study pediatrics Harvard and in 1936 she was accepted to the Harvard Medical School.
Unknown to Harvard officials they had admitted the first woman and first Asian to their all-male student body. Nine years later, Harvard began to routinely accept female students in 1945.
Del Mundo went on to practice pediatric medicine and became
a leader in public health in her native Philippines, establishing the first
pediatric hospital in the country, writing medical textbooks and she was also a pioneer in the field of infectious disease.
She practiced well into her 90’s, making daily rounds at the
Dr. Fe del Mundo Children’s Medical Center until her death at the age of 99.
Here's a Tagalog song by Justin Morgan...
May date ako
sa Mindanao
Pupunta ako
sa Mindanao
azul na langit
- at ikaw!
Pupunta ako
sa Mindanao!
(I have a date
in Mindanao
I’m going to
Mindanoa
The sky is blue
- and so are you!
I’m going to
Mindanao!)
Never forgotten, indeed.
Posted by: Arne Stokstad | December 13, 2013 at 02:56 PM