New opportunities for African Americans arose, and along with her brothers and sisters, Mary Brown sought a professional career.
She graduated from Normal department of the university; then, following in the footsteps of her older brother John Mifflin Jr, Brown attended Medical college from 1894 to 1898.
[9][6] In an "unprecedented" move at the time for women of color, Brown continued on to post-graduate medical education, traveling to Scotland to complete courses at the University of Edinburgh in 1899 and 1900.
[10] She devoted over 25 years of her life in service to the Black community of Washington D.C.[1] At the time, an advanced degree earned teachers higher pay.
[note 1]) During World War I, in February 1918, Brown received a commission to join the Red Cross in France.
[27][28] She was in contact with leading women's organizations of the day, including AMWA and NAWSA, which lobbied for Brown's wartime commission in 1918.