In 1950, she received her Doctor of Medicine, her fourth and final degree.

Her acceptance letter was addressed to Mr. Oldham. Kelsey later joked that had her name been Elizabeth or Mary Jane, her career might have ended there. Fortunately, it didn’t. She earned her doctorate in pharmacology and accepted Chicago’s invitation to stay as faculty, where she undertook pioneering research on drugs and fetal safety. In 1950, she earned an MD, her fourth and final degree. By the time she joined the FDA, Frances Kelsey was one of the most educated, experienced scientists around.