Jennie Smillie Robertson | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | February 10, 1878 Hensall, Ontario, Canada |
| Died | February 26, 1981 (aged 103) Toronto, Canada |
| Resting place | Mount Pleasant Cemetery |
| Education | Ontario Medical College for Women (merged into University of Toronto) |
| Occupation(s) | Physician and surgeon |
| Employer(s) | Women's Medical College of Pennsylvania, Women's College Hospital |
| Known for | First female surgeon in Canada |
| Spouse |
Alex Robertson
(m. 1948; died 1958) |
Jennie Smillie Robertson (February 10, 1878 – February 26, 1981), known throughout her career as Jennie Smillie, was the first Canadian female surgeon and also performed the country's first major gynecological surgery. Born to farmers, she worked as a teacher to afford tuition for medical school before enrolling at the Ontario Medical College for Women which merged into the University of Toronto medical school during her time there. Due to a lack of options in Toronto, she completed her training in the United States. In 1911, she helped re-found her alma mater as today's Women's College Hospital after no Toronto hospital would let her perform surgery. She died at age 103.