Samuel Claggett Busey was invited to be in the committee but declined, as he knew the majority of the members were opposed to women practicing medicine.

Busey would go on to become the president of the Medical Society of the District of Columbia and he was a supporter of Mary Almera Parsons' application.

J. Ford Thompson encouraged Parsons to appeal to the federal government to amend the charter and allow women to obtain medical licenses.

On January 14, 1875, Parsons petitioned the United States Congress to amend the society's charter, and on March 3, 1875, the bill was approved.

Despite this, the Medical Society refused her membership for the following three years, which prevented her from obtaining consultation privileges, and so denied her equality with male doctors.