[2]: part 2  Since she was considered too young to attend medical school, she went to Tufts University where she received her master's degree in biology.

She shifted to surgery during her first few years at Harvard Medical School and began clinical studies, and learned operational and surgical techniques.

According to Jefferson, one root of her opposition to abortion was her dedication to the Hippocratic oath, which morally bound her to the preservation of life.

[2] Her interest in abortion issues was triggered when she was asked to sign a petition opposing a resolution proposed by the American Medical Association supporting liberalization of abortion-related laws.

[5][11] She played a key role in all of these organizations by emphasizing the importance of preserving human life from conception to death.

She served on the boards of more than 30 groups opposing abortion, euthanasia, human cloning, and embryonic stem cell research.

[12] In 1975, Jefferson was the first witness for the prosecution in the manslaughter case levied against Kenneth Edelin for his performance of a legal abortion.

In recognition of her efforts in medicine and pursuit of social justice during her life, she has received 28 honorary degrees from universities and colleges.

This led her to shift into the sphere of politics and make a lasting change through pro-life interest groups through the end of her life.

Though at first, she appeared to be a single-issue candidate at the head of the pro-life movement, as her role in politics expanded, she spoke out against a variety of topics including busing, social welfare programs, capital punishment, and the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA).

[13] She held conservative political and social values, opposing the Equal Rights Amendment on the basis that it is unnecessary as the Constitution has no in-built inequity.

[9] She for years called for a constitutional amendment to reverse the 1973 Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade, rejecting the notion that abortion is a private matter between a woman and her physician.