Meredith L. Murphy graduated from Norwood High School in 2006 and earned her Bachelor of Science Degree in Wildlife Ecology from the University of New Hampshire in 2010. She had intended to be a veterinarian from a young age, but after graduating college she decided veterinarian school was not for her. She decided instead to switch to a career in human health care.
In 2010 Ms. Murphy worked as a medical assistant at Newton Wellesley Orthopedics, where she drew inspiration from the surgeons. "I was never grossed out by surgery," she notes. "I was always fascinated by it." A family friend who was an O.R. nurse recommended MassBay's Surgical Technology program, and Ms. Murphy enrolled in January 2012.
Ms. Murphy earned her Certificate in Surgical Technology at MassBay, and passed the national certification exam in January 2013. She accepted a position at the Boston Medical Center, the largest and busiest level 1 trauma center in New England in March 2013. Six weeks after she began working there, on April 15th two bombs exploded at the Boston Marathon.
She had just finished an eight -hour shift just before 3:00 pm, when a co-worker received a text message about the incident. Ms. Murphy immediately changed back into scrubs, and within two minutes, the first patients were being rolled in. Normally needing 30 minutes to prepare an operating room, Ms. Murphy had only minutes to secure blade s, sponges, suction hoses and the other equipment surgeons require. For her outstanding efforts, Ms. Murphy received a Certificate of Appreciation from Kate Walsh, CEO of the Boston Medical Center.
Ms. Murphy credits the MassBay Surgical Technology program for preparing her for that fateful day, and she encourages all MassBay graduates to trust in the training and education they have received. "I feel like I'm doing something really important for people," she says. "I'm making people better and helping to heal them."