News & Events
Alumnae Panel and Reception
Changing the Face of Medicine: Celebrating America’s Women Physicians
By Shoshana Walter ’07
A panel of Mount Holyoke alumnae returned to the college last month to remind students of something that is sometimes very easy to forget: although women have made great strides in medicine, there is still much progress to be made.
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L to R: Emily LeBrun ’96,
Elizabeth Garner ’89,
and Marion Hunt |
The talk, followed by a reception, featured Elizabeth Garner M.D. ’89 and Emily LeBrun M.D. ’96, who spoke about their experiences in the medical field, as well as Marion Hunt, a graduate of Radcliffe, who spoke about Virginia Apgar ’29, a Mount Holyoke alum and a pioneer in natal care and anesthetics.
The event was sponsored by the Alumnae Association and the Mellon Foundation, one of a series of events organized around the national exhibition “Changing the Face of Medicine: Celebrating America’s Women Physicians,” which traveled to the Mount Holyoke College Library during September. Sponsored by the National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health Office of Research on Women’s Health, with additional support from the American Medical Women’s Association, the exhibition features information about the work and lives of some of the country’s most influential women doctors.
The historical and current experience of women in medicine remains relevant as many Mount Holyoke students move on to medical careers after graduation. “It’s women like Virginia Apgar who paved the way,” said Garner. “But definitely I would say the old boy’s club is still very present and very strong.” That fact hit her even harder once she started medical school, she said. “After four wonderful years at Mount Holyoke, in a warm, comfortable environment here, after being told ‘you can do anything you want,’” I quickly lost a lot of that confidence,” said Garner. “It’s a matter of sticking it out and proving that you do know what you’re talking about as a woman.”
LeBrun said she thinks she does not face as much difficulty as Garner. “For me, as a 6'1" white girl, it hasn’t been an issue for me,” she said, while admitting that at times she feels challenged by others because of her gender. “There have been times, but I just sort of blew it off. I know it’s about my gender but instead of making it about me, I make it about them,” she said. LeBrun acknowledged that it is not the same for everyone. “Just because it doesn’t affect me personally doesn’t mean it doesn’t affect my colleague,” she said.
The “glass ceiling” is still there, Garner believes. “Little by little, the minorities drop off as you go up the ranks,” she said. “I think what concerns women now is being leaders. There are two to three men to every seven to eight women in gynecology, but there are still very few women who are in higher level positions.”
“It’s so lonely up there, I hope that will change,” added Hunt.
Many student attendees were hopeful. “I know gender and race play a factor, but I won’t let it break me. It motivates me to lead the way for other women,” said Ukwori Onuma ’09, who is interested in going into neurosurgery. “I know its going to be a big leap since they’re not a lot of women in the field.” Onuma said she found the panelists helpful. “They presented the situations and challenges we’ll face as doctors in the profession,” she said. “It was very engaging.”
Yunnan Jiang ’09, agreed. “They took the time to come over here and show us [that],” she said. “Being an international student, it’s very important to know what I want to do and that I have to be persistent.”
Hunt shared the same sentiment. “One of Apgar’s colleagues said that she taught ‘activism by example,’” said Hunt. “Apgar was excluded and she never said a word. She was so pragmatic; her response was just to get on with it. It is because of her that the whole field exists.” Hunt’s research on Apgar involved spending a lot of time at the Mount Holyoke College Archives, where Apgar’s personal papers and files are stored.
Jennifer King, head of the archives and special collections, helped organize the event and communicated with Hunt during her research. She said such research is a “powerful experience. Without understanding history, I don’t think you can fully understand the power of what you’re doing.”
For Mount Holyoke students, this might mean recognizing the women that came before them, and the contributions that are left to be made. It also means realizing that the decisions one makes now contribute to the future.
Despite the obstacles, Apgar was determined to succeed, said Hunt. “I feel that presence at Mount Holyoke,” she said. “Holyoke probably had a lot to do with her future career.”
