There were days when Dr. Koyyala Ruth John Paul struggled to find food. Estranged from her family after coming out as a transgender woman, she spent years trying to make ends meet, searching for jobs while refusing to give up on her dream of becoming a doctor. When the path to postgraduate medical education was blocked by the absence of clear admission procedures for transgender candidates, she turned to the courts.
Dr. She has become the first transgender person in India to complete a postgraduate medical course. “I am feeling very happy. It is a matter of pride for me and my community. With the assistance of transgender rights activist Vyjayanti Vasanta Mogli, she approached the Telangana High Court seeking relief. The legal proceedings continued for nearly two years. An interim order from the High Court eventually enabled her to proceed with admission. Working in a clinical environment brought its own challenges. As an emergency medicine trainee, she had to interact with patients during some of their most vulnerable moments, while also navigating the prejudices that transgender people can face. She recalled how some people were initially 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.
On Saturday (October 10, 2026) her perseverance culminated in a milestone. Ruth John Paul cleared all subjects in the recently announced MD/MS examination results, completing her postgraduate degree in Emergency Medicine at the ESIC Medical College and Hospital in Sanathnagar, Hyderabad, where she studied during the 2023-26 academic session. In 2023, she secured a seat in Emergency Medicine at ESIC Medical College and Hospital in Sanathnagar.
It is a great achievement in my life,” she said. People who were initially apprehensive have now become comfortable with me,” she said.
