Jennie Kidd Trout

Jennie Kidd Trout (born Gowanlock; April 21, 1841 – November 10, 1921) was the first woman in Canada to become a licensed medical doctor, on March 11, 1875. Trout was the only woman in Canada licensed to practice medicine until July 1880, when Emily Stowe completed the official qualifications.

Biography Born in Wooden Mills, Kelso, Scotland, Jennie (whose name is variously spelled 'Jenny') moved with her parents to Canada in 1847, settling near Stratford, Ontario. Trout had taken a course in teaching after graduation, and had taught until her marriage to Edward Trout. She married Trout in 1865 and thereafter moved to Toronto, where Edward ran a newspaper.

Motivated by her own chronic illnesses, she decided on a medical career, passing her matriculation exam in 1871 and studying medicine at the University of Toronto. Trout and Emily Jennings Stowe were together the first women admitted to the Toronto School of Medicine, by special arrangement. Stowe, however, refused to sit her exams in protest of the school's demeaning treatment of the two women. Trout later transferred to the Woman's Medical College of Pennsylvania, where she earned her M.D. on March 11, 1875 and became the first licensed female physician in Canada.

Trout then opened the Therapeutic and Electrical Institute in Toronto, which specialized in treatments for women involving "galvanic baths or electricity." For six years, she also ran a free dispensary for the poor at the same location. The Institute was quite successful, later opening branches in Brantford and Hamilton, Ontario. Her family travelled extensively between Florida and Ontario, and later moved to Los Angeles, California, where she died in 1921.

The school operated as an independent medical college associated with the University of Toronto, and its admission policies allowed women to attend lectures under special arrangements. Another woman physician, Emily Stowe, also attended lectures during this period.

Despite the hostility, Trout performed well academically and completed the qualifying course.

Trout was designated a National Historic Person by the Government of Canada in 1995, recognizing her role in overcoming barriers to women's participation in medical education and practice in the nineteenth century.

On 21 April 2018, Google marked the 177th anniversary of Trout's birth with a Google Doodle displayed on its homepage in Canada and several other countries.

Her contributions to medicine were further recognized in 2025 when she was inducted into the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame, which honours individuals who have made major contributions to health sciences and medical practice in Canada.

Trout's achievements have also been highlighted by professional and historical organizations concerned with the history of women in medicine, including educational initiatives by the Ontario Medical Association.