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= Lucy Cradock = Lucy Elizabeth Cradock (18th April 1850 - 1st November 1903) was the first woman working as a qualified Physician in Liverpool. In 1889 Lucy Cradock became the first female member of the Liverpool Medical Institute.

Early Life
Lucy Cradock was born in Widdrington Castle, Northumberland, United Kingdom on the 18th April, 1850. Lucy's father was Reverend L. Cradock who took an appointment in the Madras Presidency soon after Lucy's birth. On his return to the United Kingdom he entered the medical profession taking the M.D. Edin(burgh) at the University of Edinburgh.

Early Education
Lucy was educated at Queen's College London. Queen's was the first institution in Great Britain where women could study for and gain academic qualifications. In 1853 Queen's received a Royal Charter from Queen Victoria which established much of the organisation of the College. The school had a history of women being successful in medicine. Sophia Jex-Blake (who attended the school between 1858-61) was the co-founder of the London School of Medicine for Women.

University Education
Lucy studied medicine at the London School of Medicine for Women. The school had opened in 1874 with 6 female students. At first, the new students relied on sympathetic male doctors to teach them, and it was three years before the school persuaded the (then nearby) Royal Free Hospital to open its wards to the female students. The Royal Free Hospital was the first teaching hospital in Britain to open it's doors to women to gain practical experiences of working as Doctors.

There were barriers for women qualifying as Doctors from the London School of Medicine for Women. They could not graduate as Doctors as no British awarding body would charter or recognise them. Lucy got around this problem by sitting Irish examinations and gaining a LRCPI diploma in 1883. This was a regular route for women wanting to qualify as Doctors in the 1870s and 1880s.

Apprenticeship
After graduating from the London School of Medicine for Women Lucy was the apprentice of Doctor Charles Bagge Plowright. Doctor Plowright was the Medical Officer of Health for the Freebridge Lynn Rural District for over 30 years. He also was a Surgeon to the West Norfolk and Lynn Hospital for many years having trained under Doctor Joseph Lister at the Glasgow Royal Infirmary.