The Power of She: From Saint Mary’s to Medicine and Back Again
By BARBARA ALLISON
Mary Morgan Mitchell ’12 never believed the naysayers. If she had, she would never have become the accomplished, generous doctor she is today. For that, she’s grateful for her parents, Vicki and Dr. Patrick Mitchell, and for the College. “Saint Mary's made me who I am today,” Mitchell said. Growing up, she managed dyslexia and learning disabilities. She felt the need to give each teacher a “disclaimer.” Once, a high school teacher questioned her ability to succeed in an advance-track science program that she’d already been accepted into, which she remembers as a “crushing” experience.
That experience receded in her rearview mirror when Mitchell, an Orchard Lake, Michigan native, made the trek to Saint Mary’s in 2008. “My mom and I walked into the Student Center, and from the far depths of the room, we both heard ‘Mary Morgan!’” The sonorous voice belonged to her academic advisor, Ann-Marie Kimmel. “She came running over like she was my best friend. We were destined to be together.” It was Kimmel who reassured Mitchell that she didn’t need to have her career path fully mapped out as a first-year student.
Former provost, interim Saint Mary’s president, and Professor of Biology Nancy Nekvasil also encouraged Mitchell’s growing skills in biology and pre-medical sciences. “She helped us discover who we are. She instilled in us that we could become phenomenal in our chosen career paths. You have the choice to shrink to fit, or stand to expand.” Mitchell said. She chose the latter. She chose belief in herself and her growing capabilities. “It was life-changing coming to Saint Mary’s. Here, I became the best version of myself.”
Because of the affirming experiences and opportunities afforded to her at the College, Mitchell has also become a loyal donor to the Saint Mary’s Fund. “I give back so others can have the same experience that I had,” she said. “Never in a million years would I have thought that I would have made it into a position like this. That is what Saint Mary's did for me.”
Giving to the Saint Mary’s Fund appeals to Mitchell because its funds are unrestricted. “I want to give to where the need is greatest. If a certain area needs resources, I don't want my contribution to be limited.”
Mitchell graduated with her Bachelor of Science in Biology from Saint Mary’s in 2012. She earned her Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree from Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences in 2016, and completed her residency in family practice medicine at McLaren Oakland Hospital, Pontiac, Michigan in 2019. Since 2020, she has served as an associate professor and a fellow in sports medicine at Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine of Virginia Tech University.
I give back so others can have the same experience that I had. Never in a million years would I have thought that I would have made it into a position like this. That is what Saint Mary's did for me.
- Mary Morgan Mitchell '12
In addition to teaching at the medical school, Mitchell is also the primary team physician for Virginia Tech University’s men's soccer and women’s basketball teams, and provides primary care for patients during clinic hours. In 2023—the same year Caitln Clark of the University of Iowa brought women’s basketball to national prominence—Mitchell went to the Final Four with the Division I Hokies, the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Champions. “I was so proud to be part of the story that was being written, of promoting women in athletics, and promoting the power of she,” said an ebullient Mitchell.
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Mitchell experienced the power of strong women at the College as president of the Saint Mary’s-Notre Dame Irish Dance Team, her first leadership role. “Saint Mary's and Notre Dame have a great Irish culture and a great Irish Dance team. I learned a lot about organization, and I met a new group of people.”
Additionally, Mitchell’s role in Irish dance informed her decision to choose a career in osteopathic medicine, which is traditionally holistic and focused on prevention. Initially, she wanted to pursue orthopedic surgery. When she interviewed for orthopedic medicine programs, she was shocked by the number of young people with ACL tears, a knee ligament injury, which can be life-altering injuries for young people, according to Mitchell.
“There's this whole population of young athletes: gymnastics, cheerleading, dance, and I've learned that their injuries are different,” Mitchell said. When she was a competitive dancer, Mitchell remembers her father, an orthopedic surgeon, talking about the complexity of these types of injuries. “That was a huge reason why I wanted to go into primary care-based, non-operative sports medicine.”
Understanding ways to prevent these types of injuries often leads Michell to recommend core work, strength training, or hands-on manipulation in her role as the team physician. It also guides her as she teaches the next generation of sports medicine residents at Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine of Virginia Tech University. “We teach hands-on manipulation, and we teach primary care skills. It's the idea that I have to look at the whole person, and not just the pathology or the injury that they have. This sounds like common sense, which is the way osteopaths approach a patient.”
Mitchell’s recollections of Saint Mary’s include the lifelong friends she made, walks down The Avenue, the beauty of Lake Marian and the Island, and spending many late nights at the library. “The memories replay in my mind like a movie reel,” she said. “These are core memories that I’ll have with me forever.”
When the naysayers again attempted to diminish Mitchell while she was in medical school, she stood in her power with the confidence in herself that she developed at Saint Mary's College. “I can't put into words what Saint Mary's gives a young woman, and how it helps shape her. Here, everyone discovers who they are and what they can give to society.”
May 4, 2026