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Rita Lobato
Rita Lobato was born on June 7, 1866, in São Pedro do Rio Grande, in the state of Rio Grande do Sul. Daughter of Francisco Lobato Lopes and Rita Carolina Velho Lopes, Rita Lobato was the first Brazilian woman to attend a national university and graduate in medicine.
She was awarded her degree on December 10, 1887, at Faculdade de Medicina da Bahia, the first medicine school in Brazil, for a thesis called Parallel between Methods Commended in Cesarean. Daring and ahead of her time, Rita Lobato went through strong criticism for having chosen that theme for her piece of writing, considered then offensive to approach such a shameful and reserved subject.
Ritas nerve certainly brought her a hard way, by means of which she imposed herself as strong and victorious. Not only was she the first lady doctor in Brazil, but the first to get the doctorate, the second lady doctor in Latin America and the first town councilwoman in Rio Grande do Sul.
In order to get her degree she fought against all the restrictions of the time. But thanks to her strong will and determination, it took her four years to graduate on a six-year course. Always supported by her parents, she first enrolled at Faculdade de Medicina do Rio de Janeiro, where her younger brother studied pharmacy. Disturbed by some professors hostility towards her brother, Rita Lobato moved to Salvador, Bahia. Because of this simple reason, Rita ended up finishing college in record time and graduating, after obstinate effort, before both girls from Rio Grande do Sul, her classmates, that studied medicine at the college in Rio de Janeiro.
Her mother, who had died during her youngest childs delivery four years before Ritas graduation, could not witness her daughters great victory. But her father traveled to Bahia with his other kids to support and help her in such a glorious moment. Ritas mothers death especially marked her life and career; just before it happened Rita promised to D. Rita Carolina Velho Lopes that no woman would ever die of a delivery in her hands. Rita always considered D. Rita Carolinas words an example and motivation to her professional choice: My daughter, if you ever become a doctor, be always charitable. An so did Rita Lobato.
Rita Lobato began to sign Rita Lobato Freitas when she married Antonio Maria Amaro de Freitas, in 1889, two years after graduation. He had been her boyfriend since school time, and also lived in Pelotas, where Rita lived with her family. Antonio Maria studied law in Rio de Janeiro and after graduation both returned to Rio Grande do Sul, where they got married and lived from then on. They had just a daughter, Isis. Antonio Maria died in 1926 and Rita Lobato, the first Brazilian lady doctor, in 1954, with almost 90 years, having practised medicine until she was 76 years old.
Publication Dates
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Publication in this collection
17 July 2004 -
Date of issue
2003
