Derry doctor who rose to the highest ranks of the medical world pens book about her inspirational life

A Derry woman who rose to the highest ranks of the medical world has written a book about her inspirational life. Beulah Bewley (nee Knox) was born at Melrose Terrace in the Waterside in 1929. After studying medicine at Trinity College in Dublin, she went on to work in some of London’s leading hospitals. She eventually went on to become President of the Medical Women's Federation on the General Medical Council. In 2000, the mother-of-five was appointed a dame for her services to public health, and in recognition of her leading role in promoting equal opportunities for women. She has now written a book about her life, entitled ‘Beulah Bewley: My Life as a Woman and Doctor’. In the book, Beulah writes about how she ‘did not comply’ with the 1950s notion of being ‘second-class’ because of her gender and strove to reach the heights of her profession. After qualifying at Trinity College Dublin in 1953, the local woman went on to serve on the Royal Society of Medicine's section on Epidemiology and Public Health. Throughout her career she worked at a number of London institutions including the Academic Department of Community Medicine at King's College Hospital Medical School, the Department of Community Medicine at St Thomas's Hospital Medical School and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. In 1982, she served on the Faculty of Public Health Medicine of the Royal College of Physicians of the United Kingdom. She went on to become the President of the Medical Women's Federation on the General Medical Council. Her memoirs outline the extraordinary life she lived and her outstanding achievements, although she modestly says, ‘I don’t think I have been particularly successful but other people assume the reverse’. The book was edited by her daughter, Susan Bewley, a Professor at King’s College London who previously worked for 29 years as a consultant at Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospitals in London. Ahead of her mother’s 87th birthday, Ms Bewley spoke to the Derry News about the extraordinary life her mother led. “She was born at home in Melrose Terrace, Bonds Hill,” she said. “She had a very peculiar childhood education; moving schools constantly in Northern and Southern Ireland during World War II, and followed her husband’s career whilst having five children, including one with Down Syndrome. “Yet nevertheless herself rising to the highest heights of medicine in the UK. “Eventually she was made a senior lecturer and consultant, became Treasurer of the General Medical Council (GMC) and was appointed a Dame for services to women doctors.” Ms Bewley spoke of her mother’s passion from an early age to pursue a career in medicine. “She wanted to be a doctor from the age of five and was inspired by her local GP’s interest in her and her illnesses, going so far as to allow her to accompany him on home visits in his pony and trap during World War II. “Her planned career as a hospital paediatrician was thwarted by emigration, marriage to a psychiatrist, and five children who kept her busy whilst she worked part time in women and children’s health for a decade. “She retrained as an academic particularly focusing on children’s smoking and rose in her second career in Public Health to the top of her profession. “She ended up as Honorary Treasurer of the General Medical Council, the highest rank any woman has achieved there, and was made a Dame of the British Empire for her work for women in medicine.” Ms Bewley chose her mother’s words in an excerpt from the book which she feels demonstrates her indomitable spirit: ‘My successes came despite the first lesson I was brought up with as a woman: we were trained or educated into being second class people – you should look after your husband first, then you should look after your children, and thirdly came your career, if any. ‘But I did not comply.’ ‘Beulah Bewley: My Life as a Woman and Doctor’ is published by Silverwood and is available from silverwoodbooks.co.uk or via amazon.co.uk. Photo shows Ms Bewley with former Irish President Mary Robinson in 2002.