The Vellore Christian Medical College (CMC) Foundation continued its 75th Anniversary celebration through the 4th virtual lecture titled “Forged by Flame – The Challenge of Being a Woman in Medicine in India in the Mid-20th Century”. We were honored to have guest presenter Sujata Srinivasan, Senior Health Reporter, Connecticut Public Radio.
Sujata shared her story and experience that connected her to the culture of compassion at Christian Medical College and Hospital in Vellore. She highlighted the fact that compassion goes beyond sympathy and empathy, emphasizing this was CMC Founder, Dr. Ida Sophia Scudder’s legacy in shaping the next generation of physicians. In this inspiring lecture, Sujata spoke about her upcoming book, Forged by Flame, which examines the life and times of Dr. Rachel Chacko. Dr. Chacko was one of the first female graduates from CMC, and akin to Dr. Ida Scudder, embraced medicine as her “calling”. Sujata shared that Dr. Chacko had many challenges but received God’s empowerment through prayer, faith, and her inner circle of friends and family. In Dr. Chacko’s own words, “My experiences bear a close parallel to the description in Paslm 42:6 of the Hermon experiences, the valley experiences, and the ups and downs of life denoted by a small hill called Mizar.”
This event was moderated by John Riehl, President of Vellore CMC Foundation. who wrote the introduction and foreword to the book Forged by Flame.