Learning about Dr. Helen Octavia Dickens
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Dr. Helen Octavia Dickens (1909–2001) was an African American physician, surgeon, and advocate for women's health. She was born in Dayton, Ohio, where she overcame racial and gender barriers to be involved in medicine.
Early Life and Education
Dr. Dickens was born on February 21, 1909, in Dayton, Ohio, to Charles Warren Dickens and Daisy Jane Dickens. Her father, a former slave, valued education and encouraged his children to pursue academic excellence. Helen graduated from Roosevelt High School and attended Crane Junior College in Chicago, Illinois. She then earned her M.D. from the University of Illinois College of Medicine in 1934, where she was the only African American woman in her graduating class.
Medical Career
After completing her internship and residency at Provident Hospital in Chicago, Dr. Dickens moved to Philadelphia. There, she collaborated with Dr. Virginia Alexander at the Aspiranto Health Home, providing obstetric and gynecological care to underserved communities. In 1945, she became the director of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Mercy Douglass Hospital. By 1950, she was the first African American woman admitted as a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. Later, she joined the University of Pennsylvania, where she served as an associate dean and significantly increased minority enrollment in the medical school.
Oral Histories and Interviews
While direct transcripts of Dr. Helen Octavia Dickens's interviews or speeches are not readily available online, several reputable sources provide detailed accounts of her life and words:
Encyclopedia.com
An article on Encyclopedia.com offers insights into Dr. Dickens's educational journey and early medical practice, incorporating her own reflections. For instance, she described her time at Crane Junior College:
"I sat in the front seat. If other students wanted a good seat they had to sit beside me. If they didn’t, it was not my concern because I could clearly see the professor and the blackboard as I was right up there."
Regarding her initial medical practice in Philadelphia, she recounted:
"When I started to practice I delivered babies at home. Sometimes there were difficulties delivering babies in the patients’ homes."
National Library of Medicine
The National Library of Medicine's "Changing the Face of Medicine" exhibit features a biography of Dr. Dickens, highlighting her challenges and achievements. It notes her strategy during medical school to handle racial discrimination:
"She would sit at the front of the class in medical school so that she would not be bothered by the racist comments and gestures made by her classmates."
Additionally, the exhibit includes a video about Dr. Dickens's career, accompanied by a transcript. While not her own words, it provides a comprehensive overview of her contributions to medicine.
BBC Article
A BBC article discusses Dr. Dickens's efforts to promote the Pap smear among Black women in Philadelphia. It describes her innovative approach:
"A gynaecologist named Helen Octavia Dickens was driving around Philadelphia in an American Cancer Society van, giving black women free Pap smears."
While these sources do not provide full transcripts of Dr. Dickens's speeches or interviews, they offer valuable excerpts and narratives that capture her voice and experiences.
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