User:IsobelG989/sandbox

 Career 

Prior to 1943, Victoria Coffey worked as a clinical clerk at hospitals in both Meath and Coombe. Most of Victoria's professional life and career was devoted to working in St. James's Hospital (originally known as St. Kevin's Hospital) in Dublin. During her time in this hospital she became Medical Officer in 1943. With her experience in obstetrics and children's diseases, she achieved a diploma in children's health, the Doctorate of Public Health (DPH). Doctor Coffey became one of the first female paediatricians in Ireland. Coffey had strong leadership qualities along with her drive to work hard which enabled her to work in multiple departments within the hospital including being in sole charge of the Maternity Department as well as the Sick Infants Ward, and The Children's Hospital. Victoria Coffey was extremely devoted to her profession. In 1947, her hard work and dedication was paid a "glowing" tribute to by the Comissioner. With her driven work ethic and strong personality, she triumphed over an extremely unpromising professional environment, working extremely long hours despite being paid very little. She became the most respected Irish paediatrician making her very popular among other members of her profession. Although, she is given little recognition (outside the number of people in the same line of work as her) for her efforts and accomplishments. Coffey went on to face a great challenge, with many additional duties in a maternity home for unmarried mothers and their children, resulting in an enormous workload. In 1954, she wrote a paper to The Royal Academy of Medicine Ireland on the study of infants born with congenital disease, metabolic disorders in new-borns and the effects of maternal viral infections on the new born. Coffey was a very early investigator, one of the first Irish doctors, in the study of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. She visited 174 different institutions in the state over a period of six months. During this time, she examined over 86,000 births in an effort to determine the cause of defects. This research was vital in relation to the effects of the thalidomide drug on women and their children. During her career, from 1955 to 1957, Victoria Coffey was the President of Biological Association (RCSI) and later became a lecturer in Teratology at Trinity College in 1961. Victoria Coffey had many publications, and her successful career allowed her to become a founder member of the Irish and American Paediatric Society in 1968, which she later became president of in 1974 as well as the President of Graduates' Association from 1968 to 1969, in the RCSI. In the year 1979, she became part of the Fellowship of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland and was elected honorary Fellow of American College. In 1981, Coffey became Founder member of the Faculty of Paediatricians.

Following Victoria Coffey's retirement, she still maintained her private researching well into her 80's, and remained director of research for the established Foundation for the Prevention of Childhood Handicap up until shortly before the time of her death.

 References   External Links 

Dr Victoria Coffey. (1999). Retrieved from https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/dr-victoria-coffey-1.214913

Dr. Victoria Coffey | Accenture. Retrieved from https://www.accenture.com/ie-en/women-on-walls-victoria-coffey

Hayes, C. (2018). Brunswick Street Archives - RCSI women. Retrieved from https://digitalheritagecollections.rcsi.ie/rcsiwomen/category/places/ireland/dublin/108-brunswick-street/

Pollack, S. (2018). The female trailblazers of Irish medicine. Retrieved from https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/health-family/the-female-trailblazers-of-irish-medicine-1.3405003