Vista • Spring 2011 • Volume 16 • Number 1

Destination M.D.

Dr. Joanna Bradshaw Schatz '03

Medical School: Yale School of Medicine, Class of 2010

Current Position: Pediatric resident, Hasbro Children’s Hospital Providence, Rhode Island

MHC Major: Neuroscience

Life-changing Decision: Transferring to Mount Holyoke after two years at another selective liberal arts college. It was the single most important step towards achieving my goals.

Defining MHC Moment: Enrolling in Professor Sheila Browne’s organic chemistry class

After MHC: I worked in clinical research for two years at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute before moving on to medical school.

Getting into Yale: Everyone who applies to medical school has good grades and good test scores, but having diverse life experiences enables one to really show that they are more than numbers and test scores. Mount Holyoke and a liberal arts education allows you to build yourself into a whole individual and not just the same set of numbers that every applicant boasts. From my participation in crew to the amazing women that surrounded me, my entire Mount Holyoke experience shaped me.

Preparing for Health Professions at MHC

“Medical schools value applicants from liberal arts colleges,” notes Dean of Pre-Health Programs David Gardner, who works closely with health professions programs throughout the U.S. “They are looking for candidates with diverse backgrounds, clinical exposure, and a demonstrated commitment to helping others—in addition to excellent academic qualifications.”

In other words, MHC offers the ideal environment for aspiring physicians, surgeons, dentists, pharmacists, veterinarians, and medical researchers. “The quality of our graduates, together with the reputation MHC has built for helping them prepare in all of these aspects, has translated into exceptional success rates for admission to some of the best programs in the country,” said Gardner.

A sample of recent MHC graduates currently pursuing studies or careers in medicine and other areas of health include:

• Ninani Emang Kombo ’02 Yale University Medical School
• Melani Cheers ’02 Washington University School of Medicine
• Elizabeth Fenstermacher ’04 Washington University School of Medicine
• Jennifer Rodriguez ’04 Cornell University Weill College of Medicine
• Gretchen Snoeyenbos ’04 Emory University School of Medicine 
• Melissa Hector ’06 Duke University School of Medicine (M.D./Ph.D. program)   
• Melanie Hnot ’06 University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine 
• Stephanie Bodnar ’07 University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine
• Sondra Jasienowski FP’07 Yale University Physician Associate Program 
• Katherine Colpitts ’08 Tufts University School of Medicine
• Min-Ji Kim ’08 Boston University School of Dental Medicine
• Yunnan Jiang ’09 Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine

Mount Holyoke College • Vista