Jamini Sen (20 June 1871 – 1932) was an Indian physician and the first female Fellow of the Royal Faculty of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow. She was one of the first women in the

British Raj The British Raj ( ; from Hindustani language, Hindustani , 'reign', 'rule' or 'government') was the colonial rule of the British The Crown, Crown on the Indian subcontinent, * * lasting from 1858 to 1947. * * It is also called Crown rule ...

to enter the medical profession.

Early life and education

Sen was born on 20 June 1871 in

Barisal Barisal ( or ; , ), officially known as Barishal, is a major city that lies on the banks of the Kirtankhola river in south-central Bangladesh. It is the largest city and the administrative headquarter of both Barisal District and Barisal Divi ...

(now in Bangladesh) into a Brahmo family. Her sister Kamini Roy was the first woman honours graduate in

British India The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance in South Asia. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one form or another ...

and a noted feminist. Sen attended Bethune College in

Kolkata Kolkata, also known as Calcutta ( its official name until 2001), is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of West Bengal. It lies on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River, west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary ...

, earning a First Arts (FA) degree in 1890. She later enrolled in the Calcutta Medical College and graduated with a Licentiate of Medicine and Surgery in 1897.

Medical career

After completing her studies, Sen moved to

Nepal Nepal, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mainly situated in the Himalayas, but also includes parts of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China Ch ...

in 1899, where she worked as the physician for the

royal family A royal family is the immediate family of monarchs and sometimes their extended family. The term imperial family appropriately describes the family of an emperor or empress, and the term papal family describes the family of a pope, while th ...

and headed the Kathmandu Zenana Hospital for a decade. In 1911, Sen received a scholarship from the Dufferin Fund to pursue further studies in the United Kingdom. She earned a medical license from the Rotunda Hospital in Dublin and, in 1912, became the first woman to be admitted as a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow. Later in her life Sen further trained in

Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...

and at the London School of Tropical Medicine.

Later life

Upon returning to India, Sen joined the Women's Medical Service, working at Countess of Dufferin Fund funded hospitals in

Agra Agra ( ) is a city on the banks of the Yamuna river in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, about south-east of the national capital Delhi and 330 km west of the state capital Lucknow. With a population of roughly 1.6 million, Agra is the ...

Shimla Shimla, also known as Simla ( the official name until 1972), is the capital and the largest city of the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. In 1864, Shimla was declared the summer capital of British India. After independence, the city ...

, Shikarpur, and Akola. Sen recounted how the numbers of Indian women seeking treatment increased in numbers due to their trust of a familiar person treating them. She later served as the head of the Baldeodas Maternity Home in Kolkata. Sen never married and died in 1932. A portrait of Sen was unveiled by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow in 2024.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sen, Jamini 1871 births 1932 deaths 20th-century Indian medical doctors Bethune College alumni 20th-century Indian women medical doctors Scientists from Barisal Medical doctors from Kolkata