Day 80: Anandi Gopal Joshi, Women’s Medical College, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
📌APIA Every Day (80) - Anandi Gopal Joshi was the first Indian woman to become a doctor, earning her degree at the Women’s Medical College of Pennsylvania (WMCP) in Philadelphia. Established in 1850, the WMCP provided women from diverse backgrounds educational opportunities in the medical field. Joshi, along with Keiko Okami and Sabat Islambouli, were the earliest licensed female physicians in their respective countries: India, Japan, and Syria. Moreover, Joshi's enrollment at WMCP defied norms both in India, where educating women was discouraged, and in the United States, where women's education was still limited.
Born on March 31, 1865, in Maharashtra, India, Joshi's early life was marked by tragedy with the loss of her child due to limited medical care, resulting in her interest in medicine. Her husband, Gopalrao Joshi, encouraged her educational journey by teaching her various subjects and facilitating her studies in Calcutta to avoid familial interference. Motivated by a desire to address the lack of medical services available to women, Joshi journeyed to America to pursue medical education at WMCP. Graduating at the age of 19 on March 11, 1886, she was praised by prominent figures like Kesari editor Lokmanya Tilak and Queen Victoria, who extended congratulations and financial support.
Upon her return to India in 1886, she was appointed as a physician at the Albert Edward Hospital in Kolhapur. However, her career was tragically cut short by tuberculosis, and she passed away at the age of 21 on February 26, 1887. Islambouli and Okami also encountered obstacles in their professional journeys, with Islambouli's career fading into obscurity and Okami facing gender discrimination. Despite their challenges, their legacy remains significant, especially as women now outnumber men in medical schools worldwide.
Anandi's life inspired numerous works, including the first biography by Caroline Wells Healey Dall in 1888, a Hindi serial titled "Anandi Gopal," and a Marathi novel by Shrikrishna Janardan Joshi. She is commemorated through various honors, including the Anandibai Joshi Award for Medicine and a crater on Venus named after her.
The WMCP, now Drexel University College of Medicine, is commemorated by a historical plaque at 6th and Arch streets in Center City. The plaque acknowledges the institution's role as a training ground for numerous practitioners, including international medical missionaries. Joshi's narrative is also featured in the South Asian history tours organized by the South Asian American Digital Archive (SAADA), providing insights into the intersection of gender, education, and medicine in the 19th century. The experiences of Anandi Gopal Joshi, Keiko Okami, and Sabat Islambouli offer insights to approaching adjacent place-based historic preservation practices.
LEARN MORE:
WHYY PBS: Coming soon: Audio walking tour of Philly’s South Asian history, set to new music
The Indian Express: Who is Anandi Gopal Joshi?
Drexel: The life of Dr. Anandabai Joshee: A kinswoman of the Pundita Ramabai
Drexel: Drexel University College of Medicine History
The Quint: Why is a Crater on Venus Named After India’s Dr Anandibai Joshi?
Huffpost: Meet The Three Female Medical Students Who Destroyed Gender Norms A Century Ago
Google Doodles: Anandi Gopal Joshi’s 153rd Birthday
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