Air Force Medical Service Recognizes National Women Physician Day Published Feb. 2, 2017 By Col. Leslie Knight and Peter Holstein Air Force Surgeon General Public Affairs FALLS CHURCH, Va. -- February 3rd is National Women Physician Day, marking the 195th birthday of Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell, the first woman to receive a medical degree in the United States. The Air Force recognizes the contributions Dr. Blackwell made to the Air Force Medical Service and the entire field of medicine, as well as the contributions of countless other female doctors who followed in her footsteps. “I am always grateful to women who came before me in my field,” said Col. (Dr.) Leslie A. Knight, Commander of the 779th Medical Group at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland. “I am in awe of the early female pioneers in medicine like Elizabeth Blackwell. I don’t know how they did it.” Knight has been a family physician in the Air Force since getting her medical degree from the Uniformed Services University in 1994. “I took a roundabout path to becoming a doctor, but it probably started as a child,” said Knight. “I knew I liked people, and I knew I liked blood and guts from helping my father dress deer that he hunted. I also loved my Biology and Anatomy classes in school. My interest in medicine probably grew from that.” In 1847, when Dr. Blackwell graduated from Geneva Medical College in New York, she stood alone as a woman in her profession. Today, Knight pointed out that nearly half of medical students are female, a sign of how far women have come in the field. She did note that there are still areas for women to grow in medicine, and emphasized the benefits of having more female doctors. “Having more female doctors is a great opportunity. We have a different skill set and perspective than many of our male colleagues,” said Knight. “I think women often have a different communications style than men. I view my interactions with patients as a collaboration to help find the care that’s best for them.” Knight, who earned a Bronze Star as the Expeditionary Medical Operations Squadron Commander at Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan in 2010, also touched on the value of having women in leadership roles in Air Force Medicine. “The Air Force offers great leadership opportunities. If you see something is broken, you can volunteer to fix it.” “You get to take care of people and patients as a leader, and improve their working and practicing environments,” said Knight. “My first mentor in the Air Force was a woman, and she pushed me. Having more women in leadership roles encourages and supports other women early in their career.” Society and the medical profession have come a long way since Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell’s time, but Knight recognized there are still areas to improve. “There are times when I’ve been the only woman at the table, or even the only female colonel on the base,” the colonel said. “At the same time, I don’t think of myself as a ‘woman physician.’ My core identity is ‘physician’ and my primary focus is always my patients.” USAF. (U.S. Air Force Graphic by Rosario "Charo" Gutierrez) Photo Details / Download Hi-Res USAF. (U.S. Air Force Graphic by Rosario "Charo" Gutierrez)