At 40, Janhavi Ajit Rao quit engineering career to study MBBS, now works in the US
Bengaluru: Janhavi Ajit Rao has drawn widespread attention after leaving a successful career as a software engineer at the age of 40 to pursue an MBBS degree. Her inspiring journey went viral on social media after an X user shared her story, praising her courage and determination.
Janhavi completed her Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering (BSEE) from the University of California, San Diego, followed by a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering (MSEE) from the University of California, Santa Barbara.
Before transitioning to medicine, she built an extensive career in the technology sector. After returning to India, she opened her own company and served as Director at Spectranta Systems from 2009 to 2015. She established the Bangalore-based defence and electronics startup in 2009 after a successful career at Wipro.
Earlier, she worked as a Project Manager at Wipro Technologies between November 2005 and March 2009. Her previous roles also included Senior DSP Engineer at MphasiS, DSP Consultant at Aureole Technologies Private Limited, Consultant at Microsoft, and Consultant at PMC-Sierra.
According to the viral post, in 2003, Janhavi was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune disease. During her treatment, she saw how doctors changed patients’ lives. That inspired her to leave engineering behind and dedicate her life to medicine. So, in 2013, she joined M.S. Ramaiah Medical College, Bengaluru, as an MBBS student. After 8 years of hard work, she earned her MBBS degree. Today, at the age of 47, she is pursuing her M.D, currently working as a primary care physician in the United States.
After transitioning to medicine, Janhavi completed her residency in Internal Medicine at Riverside University Health System, where she trained from July 2021 to June 2024. She is currently serving as a Primary Care Physician at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in San Diego, California, a position she has held since September 2024. She has been an inspiration for all those who dare to dream and refuse to let age determine their future.
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