Barbara Bates

Barbara Bates, MD, MA (1928 – December 18, 2002) was an American physician, author and historian. She authored a leading medical textbook on physical examination. Bates was on the faculty at several U.S. medical schools, and she was on both the medical and nursing school faculties at the University of Pennsylvania. She helped to develop the role of the nurse practitioner in American healthcare and she wrote a thorough account on the history of tuberculosis in Pennsylvania.

Biography

Education and early life Bates attended Smith College as an undergraduate and earned a medical degree at Cornell University. She also completed a medical residency at Cornell.

Bates became known for contributions beyond direct patient care and teaching. Her first book, A Guide to Physical Examination and History Taking, was written in 1974 and published in eleven languages. In her obituary, The New York Times described the book as "the leading text in its field." Bates received the Smith College Medal from her alma mater in 1980. Her second book, Bargaining for Life: A Social History of Tuberculosis, 1876-1938, won the Lavinia L. Dock Award from the American Association for the History of Nursing in 1993.

Later life Bates died of Alzheimer's disease in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, in 2002. Dr. Bates was survived by longtime companion Dr. Joan Lynaugh.

Works

Books

Articles