Against the Odds

The women who battled prejudice and indifference to become doctors

In 2025, the year Otago Medical School celebrates 150 years, 50 per cent of graduates are women. Back in 1891, by contrast, when Emily Siedeberg, who would go on to become the school’s first woman graduate, applied for entrance it was not at all clear that it would be granted.

This book traces the paths of the women who, between the 1890s and 1967, battled indifference and chauvinism — and later many of the other challenges that faced women in the professions — to become New Zealand’s first women doctors.

To look inside, click here.

‘This book reverberates with the bravery and tireless work ethic of extraordinary women in the face of absurd levels of prejudice and misogyny.’ — Kete Books

‘This is much more than just a book about women doctors – these stories and times make vidid reading for anybody interested in New zealand and its people over the years – both female and male.’ — Terry Toner, Dusty Shelves

‘Magnificent oral history’ — Steve Braunias, ReadingRoom