A Class of 2017 Feinberg School of Medicine student, Ankita Pradhan, passed away Sunday, Jan. 25. Pradhan was 24.
Associate Dean of Student Programs and Career Development Sandra M. Sanguino sent an email to the Feinberg community that said, “It is with tremendous sadness that we inform you of the passing of one of our students, Ankita Pradhan, a member of the Class of 2017. We extend our condolences to Ankita’s family and friends – our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with them during this time.”
Feinberg representatives said they had no information on cause of death.
Sanguino encouraged students to reach out to Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), members of the Feinberg Dean’s Office or the Chaplain’s staff.
Correction: An earlier version of this story said Pradhan passed away on Monday. Additionally, a typographical error was changed to reflect that Pradhan passed away on Jan. 25, not Feb. 25. NBN regrets these errors.
A full statement on Ankita's life from her father, Sunil Pradhan:
Ankita Sunil Pradhan was born in Mumbai, India and spent the first 8 years of her life there. Ankita started talking at the ripe old age of 15 months and never stopped thereafter. She was a very happy, healthy, and bubbly child. She was always very good at her studies and was always at the top of her class. As a kid she enjoyed participating in fancy dress shows (perhaps alluding to the roots of her Sriracha costume this past Halloween).
Ankita moved with her family to the US in 1998. Her transition to school here was seamless and she instantly made friends in her class. She participated in various extracurricular activities in middle and high school. She played softball in middle school and was on the high school’s tennis team. Not surprisingly, her favorite club in high school was HOSA (Health Occupations Students of America) and she was extremely involved in it, going on 4 field trips with them in 4 years. She graduated as the valedictorian of her high school and decided to go to the University of Chicago.
Ankita fit right in at U Chicago and developed a set of very close friends. Alper house holds a very special place in her heart. She gravitated towards pursuing her dream of becoming a doctor by becoming a pre-med, and did very well academically. She had always wanted to become a doctor so she could serve people in need. She felt a genuine sense of joy when she saw happiness on other peoples’ faces. She had already warned her family not to expect her to earn a lot of money as a doctor, because she wasn’t in it for the money. Her motto was to be able to solve other peoples’ problems without expecting anything in return.
It is not an understatement to say that one of the happiest moments of Ankita’s life was when she received an offer of admission from Feinberg School of Medicine. Ankita thoroughly enjoyed her time at FSM and developed a set of extremely close friends with whom she studied, partied, commiserated, celebrated, and had long personal chats. Ankita was a very sympathetic, caring, and loving person. She gave her best treatment to everyone whether it was her family, friends, or a stranger. She was extremely disciplined, always making sure to incorporate exercise, healthy food, and a generous dose of family and friends in her life. She was ever the smiling and funny friend, a self-starter, passionate about everything she did in her life, willing to listen and help anyone in need. She was outgoing, charismatic, innovative, creative, and independent. She was unforgettable, and will always live on in our minds and hearts.
Life is not measured by the number of years we live, but by the number of lives that we touch around us. Ankita lived a full life in every sense of the word. She will be sorely missed by everyone whose life she touched. Let us all pray that her soul may rest in peace.