Clara Swain was born in Elmira, NY on July 18, 1834. She was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church and served as a church missionary. Swain is considered the “pioneer woman physician in India” (“Clara Swain” Biographies.net). Clara graduated from the Women’s Medical College of Philadelphia and then her work took her to India. Her credentials as a missionary and medical doctor were key because of the need for proper medical care for women and children. Along with caring for her patients, she also taught native females her medical knowledge (Field). This allowed for underprivileged females to gain a practical trade that would have lasting impacts on India. Swain’s medical and missionary efforts were so widely successful, a hospital