Why the first British surgeon to perfom a sucessfull c-section disguised as a man

It is remarkable that Barry was able to maintain the disguise for 56 years without anyone suspecting that “he” was actually “she.”
One Edward Bradford, who met Barry in 1832 in Jamaica, noted that he had a more feminine appearance in a letter.

Well, in the 1800s, the British society never believed any woman could pass a medical school examination and become a respected doctor.
in addition to that, Barry was from a poor home. So, the only way a woman could be a doctor was to enroll in medical school under the disguise of a man.

The British considered idea of sending a woman to medical school was radical. Margaret (her real name) got a deal to school as a young man with the name James Barry after her uncle died.
the deal was given by William Godwill: author of "Vindication of the Rights of Women" to help treat Venezuela William's friend who unfortunately died before Barry's graduation.