Yeran
Bao '97 |
Yeran Bao '97
Yeran Bao, a fourth-year medical student at University of California
at Los Angeles School of Medicine, graduated summa cum laude
from Mount Holyoke with a major in biochemistry. She has this
to say about her Mount Holyoke experience: "When I started
medical school, I was surprised to find out that a substantial
number of my classmates from large universities didn't even
have an adviser! The individual attention and mentoring I got
from MHC faculty and the Center for Career Development staff
was unparalleled. MHC offers an educational experience on the
scale of a large research university, but with the personal
attention and mentoring that only a small liberal arts college
can provide." While at MHC, Yeran completed internships
at the American Heart Association (Summer Research Fellowship),
the Asian Pacific Health Care Venture, the National Institutes
of Health (Biomedical Research Fellowship), and the West Los
Angeles Veterans Medical Center. Says Yeran, "MHC has
a great reputation among the nation's top biomedical science
programs looking for interns. Coming from MHC is a definite
advantage when applying for internships."
| 
Elizabeth
Onyemelukwe Garner '89
|
Elizabeth Onyemelukwe Garner '89
Mount Holyoke students are known for their ability to juggle
multiple interests. Elizabeth Onyemelukwe Garner '89, for
example, pursued a double major in biology and music, singing
in the Chamber Singers, accompanying the Concert Choir
and Glee Club on piano, and directing an a cappella group
while also completing her premed courses. She went on to
Harvard Medical School.
| 
Heidi
Beck Schwarz '79 and
Lisa Beck '81
|
Heidi Beck Schwarz '79 and
Lisa Beck '81
Heidi Beck Schwarz is a neurologist and adjunct professor
of neurology at the University of Rochester. Lisa Beck, her
sister, is assistant professor of medicine and dermatology
at Johns Hopkins Medical Institution and director of dermatology
at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center. As established professionals,
they offer seasoned perspectives not just on MHC but on the
health professions in general.
A passionate advocate of Mount Holyoke, Heidi says, "There's
no better undergraduate experience in the sciences."
Lisa concurs: "Mount Holyoke really teaches independent
thinking. You learn how to take facts, review them critically,
develop a hypothesis, and test it. These are critical skills
for surviving med school and most of life's challenges."
As someone who works with medical students and residents,
Lisa has this advice for future M.D.s: "Med schools are
looking for people who stand out in some way. Traditional
measures, like GPA and MCAT scores, are very important. But
schools also want to know: Have you overcome some adversity?
Have you demonstrated a passion for something? Does your life
reveal your ability to make a difference?"
Lisa also wants would-be physicians to realize that "an
M.D. is a hugely flexible degree, and it's not just about
patient care and teaching. You could work for a pharmaceutical
company. You could go into public health, medical economics,
or work for a health care policy institute. You could teach.
You could get a job in the media reporting on medical advances.
(I spoke on the Today Show about allergies.) You could
be hired by a mutual fund company to consult on biotechnology
stocks. There are so many avenues of opportunity with the
M.D. degree and some of them offer greater flexibility in
work schedules than a clinical practitioner has."
Heidi believes that much of her ability to identify and voice
her convictions came from her Mount Holyoke experience. "To
this day, I'm grateful to Mount Holyoke for teaching me, ‘You
are of value and you have valuable priorities that you shouldn't
compromise.' This is especially important considering the
state of health care today and the challenges women face in
balancing their commitments to self, family, and work. If
I can get one woman to go to Mount Holyoke," Heidi says,
"I'll know I've done something really good for her life."
The counter is
5,232 |
