ALUMNI STORIES Mary Jane England (’64, Hon.’98)

Medicine runs in Mary Jane England’s blood. Her mother was a nurse, and England graduated from Boston University with her MD in 1964. Her son Thomas graduated from her alma mater in 2014 and her daughter Alexandra graduated from the School of Public Health in 2010.

England’s mother pushed her to become a doctor rather than a nurse. “My mother felt that if I was really interested in medicine, I should become a physician,” England says. “She felt that physicians had more authority and training and because of that, could effect more change.”

Always interested in using her medical training to help women, whom she believed were mistreated by healthcare providers, England—originally a psychiatrist—planned to go into gynecology. Then, “The more I looked into the issues women were grappling with, I found they were mental health issues,” she recalls. “When the mother is depressed, it’s not just impacting her, it’s impacting the whole family. That’s been the theme of my life—really looking at kids and families, and how we can improve services for them.”

In 2009, England chaired the Institute of Medicine’s committee on parental depression.

During her time at the school, England focused on the role of women, who made up less than 10 percent of students enrolled. She valued the support of female mentors, especially in psychiatry, and became involved with the American Medical Women’s Association (AMWA) during medical school. In 2004, the association awarded her the Elizabeth Blackwell medal, which celebrates female physicians who make outstanding contributions to the cause of women in the field. The following year, she was elected president of the AMWA.

England met her husband, Robert England (’64), while in medical school. By her third year of studies, she had her first child and upon completing her residency, she and her husband, also a medical student, had two more. “It was a juggling act,” England remembers. Despite having to balance her course load and hospital responsibilities with raising three young children, England was certain that she was “in the right place and doing the right thing.” learned was the importance of the whole person.”

Her father was a Boston police officer; her daughter Kara is a Massachusetts State Police captain. Her commitment to public service is a key factor in England’s career and has always guided her professionally. In 1979, she became the first commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Social Services. “Starting a brand-new agency is tough,” she admits. She strived to provide families with the tools to stay together. “I felt we needed to support the families with social services, housing, and daycare.” She also brought in a fellow psychiatrist to work in the department, combining social services with mental health support.

Decreasing stigma around mental illness is another priority. She was a member of a steering committee for Advancing Care Together, a four-year program designed to bring mental health services to rural Colorado, and also worked on former first lady Rosalynn Carter’s mental health task force. “We have trouble recognizing that we might have a mental illness,” England says. “It’s easier to say I have a condition, or migraines, or something else, but to say and recognize that we might have a mental illness is just hard.”

From 2001 to 2011, England served as president of Regis College, her alma mater, building graduate programs with a focus on nursing and health sciences.

Medical school taught her to look at patients holistically. “It was more than just medicine,” she says, recalling going to housing projects in Roxbury to deliver healthcare, where she ended up cooking oatmeal and changing diapers for a mother. “In those days, we didn’t have disposable diapers. We had to wash them by hand. So, I kind of showed the patient how to be a mom. I think one of the things we

England’s connection to BU remains strong. She received an honorary degree from BU in 1998 and returned as a professor at the School of Public Health, where she conducted a review of mental health services on the Medical Campus. She is also a member of the Chobanian & Avedisian Dean’s Advisory Board. “Dean Antman is a role model for so many women—and men, too,” she says.

England tells young women in medicine to take up space in the medical field. “Never say no to the opportunity to get involved in things,” she advises. “Your view of the world is very important.” ●