Dr. Anandibai Joshee was the first woman of Indian origin to earn a medical degree. To accomplish such a feat was not without its challenges, however. From leaving her loved ones behind to attend medical school in the United States to balancing her education and personal health issues, Dr. Joshee overcame many hurdles to become the first female Indian doctor. While her achievements were extraordinary, not many know about Dr. Joshee’s seminal position as an Indian woman physician. Through HNRS 306: Exploring Drexel’s Collections taught by Dr. Lloyd Ackert, I aimed to explore the life of Dr. Joshee to help develop an intimate understanding of who she was as a student, physician, and overall individual. As a graduate of the Woman’s Medical College of Pennsylvania (WMCP), a predecessor institution to what is now known as the Drexel University College of Medicine (DUCOM), I utilized archival materials from the Drexel Legacy Center such as letters, photographs, and advertisements to gain a composite view of Dr. Joshee before, during, and after her medical schooling. I seek to reveal how Dr. Josheeserved to be a remarkable figure in proving it was not only possible but necessary for people of diverse backgrounds to be medical providers. Moreover, I want to showcase the value of historical archives in allowing the stories of groundbreaking, but often ignored, individuals like that of Dr. Joshee to be known and shared.
