"Sir, I want to start a medical school", said Ida. "Come again? You want to start what?" Colonel Bryson woke up from his slumber. "Medical school colonel"; "A medical school for women" replied Ida. Ha, you are joking, ain't you? the colonel just shrugged it off! Do you know what you are asking? Do you know the famous joke on the sheep brains, doctor? the colonel continued. There was this big feast where mutton was served. One guy went to the cook and asked him where are the brains, the sheep's brains. The cook nonchalantly replied, they were all female sheep. They never had any brains. You know this famous Indian joke, don't you doctor, the colonel continued. Women don't study in India doctor Ida. They just don't. Just leave this foolish idea of yours and get going. Colonel Bryson, the in-charge for medical schools in the then Madras Presidency during British India told Dr Ida Scudder, the women who founded the biggest and best medical college in India.
Dr.Ida was not quitting. Colonel, you know the needs of this country. So many women are dying for want of women doctors and please let me start one, cried and begged Ida. Do you at least have the money to start school? oh, the money will come, Ida just shrugged it off. But do you have at least the buildings? We will build them shortly, Ida was persistent. The man was getting irritated. Who will teach Dr.Ida, who will teach? Do you have the teachers? Bryson was angry by now; I can teach colonel, said Ida. Serenity personified!
The frustrated colonel let Ida have the final laugh. Okay, Dr.Ida, you win, I will let you start the medical school, provided you get 3 applicants. Three! I'm sure you won't even get one. But if you have three students, go ahead and start the first medical school in India for women.
Dr Ida Sophia Scudder got 64 applications then. She chose 18 women. The first 18 women medical doctors from India. When the first year of the Madras University exams concluded, the colonel met Dr.Ida again. Promise me you won't quit doctor if all your girls fail. Even the men have found it tough, many of your girls may fail, Bryson told Ida with the typical masculine arrogance. When the results came, only 50% of the men passed, while all of 18 Ida's students passed in first class.
Aunt Ida, for me, is the greatest human to have lived in this country, for she fought against all odds, and the biggest of them all, patriarchy, to give us all health care. What if Aunt Ida had quit against the might of human stupidity that day? I would not have been where I'm now, for my grandmother belonged to the second batch of her students after the medical school became a medical college in 1942. Today more than 50% of medical doctors coming out of India are women. Almost all of the gynaecologists of this country are women. For that day, one woman stood against every nonsense the world threw at her and won, and changed Indian health care forever.
Remembering her on the day 60 years after she died! But for Aunt Ida, we may have still kept our women in the kitchens of the world.
Dr.Ida was not quitting. Colonel, you know the needs of this country. So many women are dying for want of women doctors and please let me start one, cried and begged Ida. Do you at least have the money to start school? oh, the money will come, Ida just shrugged it off. But do you have at least the buildings? We will build them shortly, Ida was persistent. The man was getting irritated. Who will teach Dr.Ida, who will teach? Do you have the teachers? Bryson was angry by now; I can teach colonel, said Ida. Serenity personified!
The frustrated colonel let Ida have the final laugh. Okay, Dr.Ida, you win, I will let you start the medical school, provided you get 3 applicants. Three! I'm sure you won't even get one. But if you have three students, go ahead and start the first medical school in India for women.
Dr Ida Sophia Scudder got 64 applications then. She chose 18 women. The first 18 women medical doctors from India. When the first year of the Madras University exams concluded, the colonel met Dr.Ida again. Promise me you won't quit doctor if all your girls fail. Even the men have found it tough, many of your girls may fail, Bryson told Ida with the typical masculine arrogance. When the results came, only 50% of the men passed, while all of 18 Ida's students passed in first class.
Aunt Ida, for me, is the greatest human to have lived in this country, for she fought against all odds, and the biggest of them all, patriarchy, to give us all health care. What if Aunt Ida had quit against the might of human stupidity that day? I would not have been where I'm now, for my grandmother belonged to the second batch of her students after the medical school became a medical college in 1942. Today more than 50% of medical doctors coming out of India are women. Almost all of the gynaecologists of this country are women. For that day, one woman stood against every nonsense the world threw at her and won, and changed Indian health care forever.
Remembering her on the day 60 years after she died! But for Aunt Ida, we may have still kept our women in the kitchens of the world.
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