Pamela Epps

Born in 1927, Pamela’s path to medicine was marked by quiet courage. While a student at Edinburgh, she gave birth to a child and was forced to keep it a secret from the school. It was an act of endurance in a time when single motherhood could derail a woman’s future. She persevered with her studies and graduated, going on to build a very successful career as a doctor.

 

In 1965, despite opposition, she successfully established her own GP practice on the south side of Edinburgh, an area marked by high levels of poverty, drug dependency and social challenge. She is believed to be the first female doctor to win an appeal to the Scottish Medical Committee to establish her own practice. She was a lifeline for her patients – serving not just as a doctor, but as a confidante, counsellor and advocate for those in her community.

 

 

Quote from Pamela in a BMJ article: