Beyond the ER

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MHC Instills Passion for Community Service in Dr. Miriam Aschkenasy '94

Miriam Aschkenasy is a doctor who makes a difference. A specialist in emergency medicine at Boston Medical Center, a nonprofit teaching hospital offering accessible, locally based care, she says, "I love my job. When you work at a place where people have a mission to help others, it makes everyone feel happy."

Aschkenasy's passion does not end with her day job. She has traveled to Ethiopia three times, teaching local healthcare providers how to treat burns, broken bones, infections, and other illnesses, often under difficult conditions. She is now helping to evaluate and improve emergency medical services in rural India.

As a biochemistry major, Aschkenasy appreciated the emphasis on collaborative work: "You do take away from that the ability to lead and to listen." Her grounding in biochemistry was so thorough that she tutored her fellow first-year medical students in it.

The commitment to making the world a better place is part of the Mount Holyoke culture. "You walk out of Mount Holyoke with a very social-minded approach to the world," she says. "We gravitated towards jobs involving helping other people."