Soon she responded to Sophia Jex-Blake's advertisement calling for women to join her in an attempt to qualify as doctors at the University of Edinburgh and so Thorne became one of the Edinburgh Seven (Mary Anderson, Emily Bovell, Matilda Chaplin, Helen Evans, Sophia Jex-Blake, Edith Pechey as well as Thorne). During this time, she won first prize in an anatomy examination. After their attempt to graduate in medicine was blocked, Thorne was one of the women who re-grouped at the London School of Medicine for Women. Her diplomatic temperament meant she was a more acceptable honorary secretary than Jex-Blake whose nomination had threatened to stir up controversy.