Dr. Rita Lobato Velho
Rita Lobato Velho : Brazilian physician, Google Doodle & Biography of who was the first woman to earn a medical degree in Brazil
Rita Lobato Velho Google Doodle is celebrating Rita Lobato Velho 158th birthday. Dr. Rita Lobato Velho was a Brazilian physician, who is remembered as the first woman to earn a medical degree in Brazil. Dr. Lobato Velho was born on this day in Rio Grande do Sul to a family of ranchers. Google is celebrating Rita Lobato Velho’s 158th birthday with doodle and short biography. Let’s know more about who was Rita Lobato Velho.
Rita Lobato Velho Lopes was a Brazilian feminist politician. Dr. Lobato Velho was born on June 9, 1866 in Rio Grande do Sul to a family of ranchers. the daughter of Rita Carolina Velho Lopes and Francisco Lobato Lopes, is considered the first woman to graduate and practice medicine in Brazil. With a specialization in obstetrics, she is also the second doctor to achieve academic success in the area in the entire South American continent.
She was a gifted student from an early age and made it her life’s mission to become a doctor.
She spent a few years in Rio de Janeiro before moving to Salvador. There she attended the Federal University of Bahia, where faculty and colleagues welcomed her with open arms. Dr. Lobato Velho completed the six-year degree in just four and graduated on December 10, 1887 — becoming the first Brazilian woman to graduate in medicine.
With a focus on obstetrics, she began offering her services to women of all social classes. She often provided both consultations and medicine at no cost, and became well known for her generosity in the community. Beyond medicine, Dr. Lobato Velho was also a passionate suffragist. She became involved with several feminist movements like the inclusion of female voters in the Electoral Code of 1932.
Happy 158th birthday, Dr. Rita Lobato Velho!
