Telangana doctor becomes India's first transgender person to complete a PG degree
Hyderabad: Dr Koyyala Ruth John Paul from Telangana has achieved a historic milestone by becoming India’s first transgender doctor to complete a postgraduate medical course. She has completed her Doctor of Medicine (MD) in Emergency Medicine at ESIC Medical College and Hospital in Hyderabad.
Dr Ruth is currently working as a Medical Officer at Osmania General Hospital (OGH) in the Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) centre that deals with HIV/AIDS.
“I am feeling very happy. It is a matter of pride for me and my community. It is a great achievement in my life. There were times when I did not even have food. I struggled to survive and looked for jobs,” she told The Hindu.
The youngest of three siblings, Dr Ruth belongs to Khammam district and grew up in a family with limited financial resources. She lost her father at the age of eight and was brought up by her mother. After completing her schooling and intermediate education in her home district, she cleared the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) and pursued undergraduate medical studies.
During her medical education, she came out as a transgender woman, following which her family reportedly rejected her. She remained separated from them for nearly six years, facing financial uncertainty and struggling to support herself.
According to reports, Dr Ruth faced rejection by 15 hospitals in Hyderabad after she completed her MBBS from Malla Reddy Institute of Medical Sciences. After overcoming all the odds, Dr Ruth completed her MBBS in 2018. In 2021, she had to rely on part-time work at Mitr Clinic (now Sabrang Clinic), which is India’s first transgender clinic. She was employed there for around two years, and she started preparing for postgraduate medical entrance examinations.
Despite these difficulties, Dr Ruth John Paul remained determined to become a doctor. Her challenges continued during postgraduate medical counselling, where the absence of clear admission procedures for transgender candidates created obstacles to pursuing further medical education.
According to IANS, Dr Kaloji Narayana Rao University of Health Sciences (KNRUHS), which regulates admissions in medical colleges in Telangana, informed her that her MBBS certificates and identities as per government documents were mismatched. Though she submitted the transgender ID certificate given by the Telangana government and other documents, the authorities were not convinced. The legal battle lasted nearly two years, with an interim order from the High Court eventually allowing her to proceed with admission. In 2023, she secured a postgraduate seat in Emergency Medicine at ESIC Medical College and Hospital in Sanathnagar.
After finishing her postgraduate studies, Dr Paul aims to put her medical expertise to use for those in need, with a special focus on transgender persons needing emergency and critical care. “I want to serve everyone, especially transgender people who face critical medical emergencies. I want to provide care without discrimination based on gender identity or sexuality,” she added.
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