Only at WMDR: Meet Jane Doe*, MD, Trailblazer in Creating the “New” Normal in the Healthcare Workplace



	CREATE CLARITY.BUILD CONFIDENCE. TAKE CONTROL.

July 24, 2013

Only at WMDR: Meet Jane Doe*, MD, Trailblazer in Creating the “New” Normal in the Healthcare Workplace

Myth busting is a favorite pastime at WMDR. One myth that’s on our radar? The belief, held by too many women, that we have to “do it” the way it’s always been done because that’s the only way we will be fully accepted into the highly hierarchical and rigidly defined career trajectory of becoming a doctor. But women physicians are breaking the mold and busting this myth every day. Their stories have a lot to teach us all.

Take Jane Doe, MD. Dr. Doe, a highly trained, well-respected physician, is on a mid-career medical sabbatical. Before she went on sabbatical, she taught, was a full partner and had a good income and a full life. But something wasn’t exactly right for her future in medicine. So she decided to “go off the track” and re-train in a related area for one year, mid-life and in the middle of a successful career.

Jane Doe is a real person. For the sake of her patients, her new institution, her family, colleagues and friends, she is sharing her experiences behind a curtain. Introduced at WMDR in mid-June, Dr. Doe confronts the life of a trainee (again) from the unique perspective of having been on the “other side”.

Jane Doe is creating a “new” normal, showing that any one of us can define and create a career path when we want to because we want to. Dr. Doe writes every week a WMDR blog about her experiences, her feelings, and her observations. Join her journey and let it be a guide as to how you can imagine your own.

— Linda Brodsky & the WMDR Team
*Not her real name. (But you already guessed that.)

	Quote of the Month		Our Monthly Poll
	“Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.”		This month: Would you ever go “off the track” of your current career path as a physician? Take our monthly poll.
	—Ralph Waldo Emerson

	WMDR Poll Has Surprising Response!
	Last month’s poll asked the question: Do you believe you have a gender wage gap in your current position?		Only 33% responded “yes”. While this might sound like good news, it runs counter to the research conducted in the area. So why the disconnect? May be sample size. May be our readership. Or it just may be that things are getting better for women who are part of the WMDR team. And if you are reading this, you are one of them.




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	Planning on Switching Jobs? First Do Your Homework Because negotiations begin a lot earlier than you might think…

	The Historical Role of Women in the Creation and Growth of the Children’s Hospital of Buffalo, Part 1 The story of the women behind one of the nation’s foremost children’s hospitals.

	Women’s Medical Organizations More Relevant Now Than Ever The president of AMWA shares her vision for the future of women in medicine.

Upcoming Deadlines for Women Physicians

The American Medical Women’s Association has had such a fantastic response to the new member drive that it has extended its first year introductory membership fee of $98 until August 15. Do not miss out! And if you join through WMDR, let AMWA know! www.amwa-doc.org

American College of Surgeons women in surgery committee is seeking applicants for the Mentorship for Women Surgeons in Transition to Practice Program.Deadline August 1. Direct questions to Connie Bura at cbura@facs.org.

Association of Women Surgeons: The AWS Kim Ephgrave Visiting Professor Program has issued a call for a medical institution to host its 2013–2014 program, honoring the memory of Dr. Ephgrave (1956–2012), AWS president from 2000 to 2001.

The 2013–2014 Visiting Professors are Betsy Tuttle-Newhall, MD, FACS, professor of surgery, Saint Louis University, MO; and Carmen C. Solorzano, MD, FACS, professor of surgery, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN. Medical centers host the AWS visiting professor at breakfast, luncheon, and/or dinner meetings and arrange for clinical experiences. The host institution supports a two day visit. Host site applications, which must be completed by the chair of the department of surgery, are due from institutions by August 10. Obtain a host site application for the Visiting Professor Program. For more information, contact Info@WomenSurgeons.org.

Headlines for Women in Medicine

July is the month when we update our free resources section adding articles published about women in medicine in the past 6 months. Both selections address the issues of how to access the best and brightest into all segments of the healthcare workforce by overcoming stereotypes.

Burgess, DJ, van Ryn, JA, Carnes, M. “Does Stereotype Threat Affect Women in Academic Medicine?” Academic Medicine 87:4 (2012) 506-512

Dageforde, LA, Kibbe, M, Jackson, GP. “Recruiting Women to Vascular Surgery and Other Surgical Specialties.” J of Vasc Surg 57:1 (2013) 262-7