Day 14: 20 Years of AWA
One week away from the 20th Annual Academy of Women Achievers Celebration! Highlighting the amazing work of Dr. Purnima Sangal AWA ’09 today.
Dr. Purnima Sangal AWA ’09 is an Obstetrician and Gynecologist who has worked tirelessly to promote health and wellness in India and the US. She has delivered more than 8,000 babies in different parts of the world, and is the first surgeon to perform Robotic-assisted, minimally-invasive surgery in the Merrimack Valley.
Growing up in rural India, Purnima’s first schooling was in a village under a tree. She excelled academically, eventually moving to the U.S. to further her career in medicine.
“My move to the US was accidental to say the least. During my final year of medical school, at the suggestion of a family friend studying at the University of Pennsylvania, I applied for an externship/observership at UPenn. To my surprise, I was accepted. I was assigned to a three month general surgery rotation. I arrived with $23 in my pocket in 1979 and the rest as they say is history.”