Dr. Amanda Barnhart, MD

My roots in the Pioneer Valley go pretty far back. My grandmother grew up in Amherst, and my mother was born in her mother’s childhood home. I didn’t actually discover the area, though, until my sister was in grad school at UMass and I transferred to Smith College. I am one of four girls, and every one of us went to school (of some sort) in the Valley, and we all fell in love with it. When I finished medical school and residency in North Carolina, both at Wake Forest University, the one place I wanted to move back to was Northampton. Unfortunately, there wasn’t an opening at the time. I kept an ear out, however, and it was my good fortune that a position opened at NAP and I was finally able to make my dream a reality.

I have had a circuitous route through life – living in many towns and cities as an adult (although I spent nearly my entire childhood in one town and my mother still lives there), going to medical school later in life, and even trying out different careers. But …when I started my residency in Pediatrics, a field I had loved in medical school, I knew I had found my place. From day one as a pediatrician I felt at home. Seeing your children every day makes my life fun. And when they are sick or in need of care, it is my greatest honor to help them, whether by treating their illness or sharing information and understanding.

I wanted Northampton to be my home not only because I love the arts and the community within this city, but also because I am the single mother of a toddler, Ian, and I wanted him to have the same sort of roots I did. You may see us at the Y, or Look Park, or just wandering around poking sticks in mud puddles. If you do, please say hi – Ian loves to meet new people!