First Woman Doctor of India

Who was the First Woman Doctor of India

Anandi Joshi (also known as Anandibai Gopalrao Joshee, Dr. Anandibai Joshee) was the Indian woman who obtained a degree in Western medicine in the year 1886. She is also famous as the first Hindu woman who set her foot on the American soil. Her birth name was Yamuna.

About (Anandi Joshi)

Anandi Joshi was born on 31st of March in the year 1865 in the Kalyan, Bombay Presidency, British India (District Thane Maharashtra). She was born in the very traditional and rich Brahmin family. She got married in her very early age of 9 to the Gopalrao Joshi due to family pressure. Her husband was a widow and around 20 years senior of her. After her marriage she was renamed by her husband as Anandi from her birth name Yamuna. Her husband was a postal clerk in the Kalyan. Once he was transferred to Alibag and then Calcutta. He was very open minded and helped a lot to her wife in getting further education. She gave birth to a baby boy at her age of 14 however he got died after ten days due to the unavailability of medical care. That moment was very tough to her which inspired her to become a physician.

She got died on 26th of February in the year 1887 at her early age of aged 21 in the Pune, Bombay Presidency, British India.

How Anandi Joshi became the First Indian Woman Doctor

She got lots of inspiration from her husband to continue further education to study medicine however her child death due to the lack of medical care inspired her more to study and become a doctor.

Instead of her illness, she was sent by her husband to America for medical studies. After lot of struggles and efforts she got fund contribution for her medical studies from the Viceroy of India. She went to New York from Calcutta for further studies where she got enrolled in the Women’s Medical College of Pennsylvania by the dean of college, Rachel Bodley.

She got tuberculosis because of her long illness and improper diet during her education however she completed her graduation a day with an MD (specialty of “Obstetrics among the Aryan Hindoos”) on 11th of March in 1886. She was congratulated through messages by the Queen Victoria on her successful gradution. After her study she returned to India where she was appointed as a physician-in-charge of the female ward at local Albert Edward Hospital in the princely state of Kolhapur.

Achievements of Anandi Joshi as a First Indian Woman Doctor

She became a first Indian woman doctor through her lots of struggle and effort. She achieved her place forever in India as a first Indian woman doctor. Institute for Research and Documentation in Social Sciences (Non-governmental organization, Lucknow) has been awarding the “Anandibai Joshi award for Medicine” respecting her early contributions towards the Medical sciences in India.