Vimla Sood (1922 – 1 August 2021) was the first woman to become a dentist in India. She graduated from the University of the Punjab in 1944.
Education[edit]
Sood was the only woman out of 30 students in her class at the DeMontmorency College of Dentistry in Lahore.[1] She graduated University of the Punjab in 1944.[1][2] Her family were all doctors, and encouraged her to become a dentist. She moved to New York for an internship and travelled America, completing a master's degree in Pediatric Dentistry in 1955 at the University of Minnesota.[3] After partition, Sood moved to Chandigarh.[3]
Career and later life[edit]
Sood worked in Wellingdon Hospital (now Ram Manohar Lohia), where she used to visit villages in a mobile van.[3] She later joined Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research.[3]
In November 2016 she arranged a White Coat Ceremony for dental college students swearing their professional oath.[4]
Sood died on 1 August 2021, at the age of 99.[5]
Recognition and awards[edit]
Sood was recognised by the Indian Dental Association as senior respected faculty; she was honored by IDA Chandigarh on Teachers Day, 5 September 2020.[6] She was also recognised as the first female dentist in India by faculty of Dr. Harvansh Singh Judge Institute of Dental Sciences & Hospital and her life was celebrated with a video[7] at the event.[3][1]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c "India's Ist woman dentist shares journey". Tribune India. Retrieved 6 March 2018.
- ^ "1st Lady Dentist of the country to hand over White Coats to BDS/MDS 1st Year students at PU". Cityairnews. 21 November 2016.
- ^ a b c d e "Nostalgic 90s: When India's 1st woman dentist visited alma mater". Hindustan Times. 23 November 2016. Retrieved 6 March 2018.
- ^ "1st Lady Dentist of the country to hand over White Coats to BDS/MDS 1st Year students at PU | City Air News". cityairnews.com. Retrieved 6 March 2018.
- ^ "100 years old first female dentist of Undivided India passed away". Royal Patiala. August 2021. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
- ^ "Indian Dental Association is... - IDA Chandigarh State Branch". www.facebook.com.
- ^ "Dr Vimla Sood - India's First Lady Dentist" – via www.youtube.com.