Anandibai Joshi: All about the first Indian female doctor with a degree in western medicine
Anandibai Joshi, who was the first female physician in India, was the first Indian women to complete her studies in western medicine from United States.
By India Today Web Desk: Anandibai Gopalrao Joshi was the first female Indian physician. She was also the first woman in India to complete her studies in western medicine from the United States. Anandibai has a rich legacy and inspired many women to pursue the field of of medicine in India and in the United States.
Anandibai also became the first woman from Bombay presidency of India to study and graduate with a two-year degree in western medicine from a foreign country.
Anandibai’s inspiration to pursue medicine
Anandibai was born with the name ‘Yamuna’ but was later given the name anandi by her husband Gopalrao Joshi. She was born in a family of landlords and due to parental pressure, she got married at the young age of nine.
Anandibai bore her first child at the age of 14 but due to lack of medical care, the child passed away after ten days. This incident was a turning point in Anandibai’s life and she chose to pursue medicine, with the support of her husband.
Gopalrao, who was a progressive thinker and supported education for women, enrolled her in a missionary school, and later moved to Calcutta with her, where she learnt how to speak Sanskrit and English.
Gopalrao’s support for Anandibai’s education
In the 1800’s, it was very unusual for husbands to focus on their wives’ education. Gopalrao was obsessed with the idea of Anandibai’s education and wanted her to learn medicine and create her own identity in the world.
One day, Gopalrao walked into the kitchen and threw a fit of rage when he saw Anandibai cooking instead of studying. This made her even more focussed on her education.
Gopalrao took the decision of sending Anandibai to America to study medicine in utmost detail with a missionary from Philadelphia named Mrs. Carpenter.
I volunteer myself a women doctor: Anandibai Joshi
Before she went to United States, Anandibai addressed a public hall in 1883, where she expressed her dissapointment for the lack of women doctors in India. She said,”I volunteer myself as one”, in the gathering.
She had also expressed her views on how midwifery was not sufficient in any case of medical emergency and how the instructors who taught women had conservative views.
Anandibai’s journey in America
After her motivating speech in the public gathering, she expressed her views on studying medicine in America. She also stressed the need of female doctors in India and stated that Hindu women can be better doctors for other Hindu women.
Anandibai’s health had started to decline but Gopalrao had urged her to go to America so that she can set an example for other women in the country.
Anandibai was urged to apply to the Women’s Medical College of Pennsylvania but learning about her plan to pursue higher education, the Hindu society of India decided to censure her very strongly.
Anandibai was enrolled in the Women’s Medical College of Pennsylvania and completed her two-year course in medicine at the age of 19. She graduated with an MD in 1886 with the topic of her thesis being ‘Obstetrics among the Aryan Hindoos’.
In her thesis, she covered information form Ayurvedic texts and American textbooks. On her graduation, Queen Victoria sent her a message, expressing her delight.
Confusion between Anandibai Joshi and Kadambini Ganguly
There is a major confusion between Anandibai Joshi and Kadambini Ganguly, with regards to who was the first female doctor of India. Anandibai got her degree in western medicine from Women’s Medical College of Pennsylvania while Kadambini completed her education in India.
Tragically, Anandibai passed away due to tubercolosis at the age of 22, before she got a chance to practice medicine.
Thus, Kadambini Ganguly was the first female doctor to practice medicine while Anandibai Joshi was the first female doctor who got her degree in western medicine from the United States.
Anandibai Joshi’s legacy in the world of medicine
Anandibai passed away due to tubercolosis at the age of 21, on February 26, 1887. Even after her death, several writers and researchers continued to write about her to raise awareness about the importance of educating women in India.
Doordarshan also based a television series on her life and American feminist writer Caroline Wells Healey Dall penned down her biography in 1888.
The Institute of Research and Documentation in Social Sciences (IRDS), Lucknow has been awarding the Anandibai Joshi Award in Medicine in honour of her contributions towards the advancements of medical sciences in India.
Anandibai Gopalrao Joshi has been an inspiration to millions of Indian women who found the motivation of stepping into the field of medicine. She created history by making huge strides so ealry in her life, in a field which required precision and extensive education.
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