Frances Helen Prideaux

Frances Helen Prideaux MB BS (1858 – 29 November 1885) was a physician and "one of the most distinguished students" of the London School of Medicine for Women. Her academic and professional success caused changes in the stance of influential people who had been opposed to women in medicine.

Early life Prideaux was educated at Queen's College, London, as well as receiving private tuition.

Career In 1877, Prideaux was signatory to a letter addressed to the Chancellor and Senate of the University of London expressing thanks for steps taken and urging more to be done to grant medical degrees to women. One year later, she passed the General Examination for Women (equivalent to matriculation) from the university. She won the gold medal and an exhibition from the University of London for being first in the class in anatomy.

Prideaux worked as a demonstrator of physiology and anatomy at the London School of Medicine for Women. She worked at Bethlem Hospital and the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Hospital.

In 1885, Prideaux applied for a job as house surgeon at the Paddington Green Children's Hospital. Applications were open to women and men candidates. When Prideaux was selected for the job in November 1885, she became the first woman to be appointed to a London hospital who had been chosen over male applicants.

Prideaux's death was publicly mourned. Her death was reported in the British Medical Journal, Sir William Gull was an early and notable contributor to the fund. Gull had been against the idea of women becoming doctors, but described Prideaux's achievements as "vindicat[ing] the right of women to take the highest position in a difficult and intellectual profession."

In 2004, an oil painting of Prideaux from 1886 was recorded as being held at the Royal Free Hospital.