Hyderabad's Dr Ruth John Paul completes MD in Emergency Medicine at ESIC college

Dr Koyyala Ruth John Paul of Hyderabad has completed her postgraduate degree in Emergency Medicine. The Hindu reports that she is the first transgender person in India to finish a postgraduate medical course. According to the publication, she cleared all subjects in the MD/MS examination results, reported on 10 October 2026.

She studied at ESIC Medical College and Hospital in Sanathnagar, Hyderabad, during the 2023–26 academic session. "I am feeling very happy. It is a matter of pride for me and my community. It is a great achievement in my life," she told The Hindu.

The road to a postgraduate seat

Dr Ruth John Paul comes from Khammam district and is the youngest of three siblings. Her father died when she was eight, and her mother raised the family with limited means. She finished schooling and intermediate education in her home district, cleared the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) and began undergraduate medical studies.

According to The Hindu, she came out as a transgender woman during her undergraduate years. Her family rejected her, and she remained separated from them for nearly six years. She describes a period of financial insecurity. "There were times when I did not even have food. I struggled to survive and looked for jobs," she said.

In 2021 she took up part-time work at Mitr Clinic, now Sabrang Clinic, which the newspaper describes as India's first transgender clinic. She stayed there for around two years while preparing for postgraduate entrance examinations.

Counselling, the High Court and admission

Passing the entrance examination did not settle matters. Dr Ruth John Paul told The Hindu that postgraduate counselling had no clear protocols for transgender candidates. With help from transgender rights activist Vyjayanti Vasanta Mogli, she approached the Telangana High Court. The proceedings ran for nearly two years, and an interim order eventually allowed her to proceed with admission. In 2023 she secured a seat in Emergency Medicine at ESIC Medical College and Hospital.

She says the stigma did not end with admission. As an emergency medicine trainee, she worked with patients at difficult moments, and some people were at first hesitant or uncomfortable around her. "Initially, some people were scared and did not know how to respond. But when I interacted with patients and treated them with care, they began to appreciate me," she said, adding that people who were apprehensive have now become comfortable with her.

What comes next

Dr Ruth John Paul says she wants to use her training to help people in need, especially transgender people facing emergencies and critical illness. "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 said.

Written by the TDi Newsdesk from the reporting listed above; we link to every source and do not reproduce it. Reporting a doctor’s achievement is not a recommendation or an endorsement of their treatment. Spotted an error? Tell us and we will correct it on this page with a dated note. Read our newsroom standards.