Chinese-born Kahn (born Kang Cheng) was one of the first Asians to earn a degree at U-M. Childhood friend Mary Stone, 1896, (born Shi Meiyu) was the other. They were among the first Chinese women to become Western-trained physicians. They returned to China to open a small hospital for women and children and later opened other hospitals. Kahn also helped women join the workforce in China.