Merbai Ardesir Vakil (25 May 1868 – 9 April 1941) was an Indian-Parsi physician and the first Asian woman to graduate from a Scottish university.
Merbai Ardesir Vakil | |
|---|---|
 Graduation picture of Vakil 1897 | |
| Born | 25 May 1868 Bombay (Mumbai) |
| Died | 9 April 1941 (age 72) Bombay (Mumbai) |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Occupation | physician |
| Father | Ardesir Framji Vakil |
Early life
editMerbai Ardesir Vakil was born 25 May 1868 in Bombay (now known as Mumbai), the daughter of Ardesir Framji Vakil, a Parsi solicitor.[1]
She attended Wilson High School, Bombay and then Wilson College, Bombay, graduating in 1888, the first woman to do so.[1][2]
Medical education
editAfter attending Grant Medical College, Bombay, Vakil attended London School of Medicine for Women. In 1893, she moved to Queen Margaret College, Glasgow, graduating 22 July 1897 with the degree of MB ChB the first Asian woman to graduate from a university in Scotland. She then undertook two years of post graduate work in Glasgow.[1][2]
Medical practice
editVakil went on to work at the Cama Hospital for Women and Children, Bombay; the Plague Hospital in Byculla, Bombay; and the Cumoo Jaffer Suleman Dispensary, Kapadoiaas, as well as other hospitals and dispensaries. In March 1941 she moved to Aden, first working for the British government and then entering private practice.[1][2]
Death
editIn poor health, Vakil returned to Bombay in March 1941. She died on 9 April 1941.[1][2]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e Ewan, Elizabeth, ed. (15 October 2018). The new biographical dictionary of Scottish women. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. ISBN 9781474436298. OCLC 1057237368.
- ^ a b c d "University of Glasgow :: Story :: Biography of Merbai Ardesir Vakil". www.universitystory.gla.ac.uk. Retrieved 1 February 2019.