Alumni in Medicine: Sonia Ananthakrishnan, M.D. ’93

• Endocrinologist, Boston Medical Center
• Assistant Professor and Director of Student Education, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine
• M.D. Northwestern University School of Medicine
• B.A. Northwestern University

Describe your responsibilities and day-to-day work.
As an Endocrinologist and Internal Medicine physician, I take care of patients at Boston Medical Center, including Internal Medicine inpatients admitted to the hospital wards, and patients with hormone-related disorders, both in the hospital and in the clinic. A large part of my work is in the realm of medical student education, and I lead a medical school course, or “clerkship” for students learning skills on the Internal Medicine wards.

What is the most rewarding part of your work?
In my clinical work, the best part is forming relationships with my patients and educating them on individualized ways to promote their overall health and wellness. I work with patients who have chronic conditions and get to know my patients over years, even decades. I have the privilege of working with them through life events like weddings, births, and deaths that can impact health, both positively and negatively. In the education realm, I love sharing in the enthusiasm and energy as students just entering this  career start to work directly with patients and understand how to approach specific diseases with each individual patient in mind, beyond just what textbooks tell us.

How did your passion for medicine/health care begin and were there any specific experiences that had an impact on you?
Actually, it was at MFS that I first saw and started understanding the intersection of education and medicine. My MFS Senior Project involved working at a local wound care and rehabilitation facility, and I still recall my final project presentation to my class – I  really enjoyed sharing my experiences and what I had learned with my peers. You always learn something more in depth when you have to explain it to others.

How has your Moorestown Friends education served you in your career and life?
First, I have the greatest friends from MFS… still to this day. We are all quite self-reflective individuals, and I like to think that a big part of that is based on experiences we had at MFS, including Meeting for Worship. I am also very thankful for the great World Languages curriculum at MFS. I started learning how to speak in Spanish in the seventh grade and get to use that skill at work.

Do you have any additional MFS stories or memories you would like to share that were influential in your life?
I have to take a moment and remember Dr. Sandy Heath (see page 46). He made European history fun and interesting. And while I had a bunch of great college advisors at MFS, I remember great advice Dr. Heath gave me, especially when I was  considering his alma mater. Ultimately college took me in a different direction, but I still recall feeling lucky to have him in my corner during that process at MFS.

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