It’s Women’s History Month. Will Future Generations Celebrate YOU?



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March 28, 2013

Women’s History Month Boasts Many Influential Women Physicians—And YOU are One of Them!

Can you name 50 women who have shaped and re-shaped the healthcare workplace? How about just one woman who won a Nobel Prize in Medicine? Not as easy as one might think. Why? Because women in the professions, especially women physicians, are terrible at self-promoting and even worse at promoting each other!

It doesn’t have to be that way. What are our barriers, our challenges? First, we have to overcome societal expectations of the way we “ought” to behave. It’s not lady like to toot your own horn. As Facebook CEO Sheryl Sandberg points out, we need to let go of the “tiara” syndrome and stop waiting for others to see how wonderful we are.

Overcoming internalized insecurities that we are just not as good as the guys is the second challenge. We are our own worst enemies as we try to live up to impossible standards. Self-help is not the only help. We can and must seek out women we know have what it takes and get them into positions where they can do the job.

We owe it to ourselves and each other to get the word out about what and how we are doing. It ain’t bad, but it could be a whole lot better. Our parity in numbers is not equal to our parity in power. When we no longer have to look back and see only 50 role models in more than a 120 years of women in medicine, then we know that women’s history month will be just that. History.

— Linda Brodsky & the WMDR Team


Women Physicians Speak Out About Life’s Stressors The results of our February poll are in! Learn just what’s stressing out your peers and colleagues the most….
Defining the Work Habits, Attitudes and Experiences of Women in Medicine Women MD Resources, in conjunction with the American Medical Women’s Association, is leading the way in research about the way women work.
Is It Time to Start at a Lean-In MD Movement? If you’ve been following the news this month, you know that Facebook’s Sheryl Sandberg has been reigniting the conversation about women in the workplace. But what does “leaning in” mean to women physicians?
The Five Miracles of Dr. Carol Warfield’s $7 Million Settlement in Her Gender Bias Case $7 million is a lot of money, so the fact that that amount isn’t the most important news coming out of this case is telling….

Quote of the Month

The status quo does not have to be accepted as the “normal.” It is just what it is, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Think of ways you can change your workplace and your work schedule so you can be more productive, more satisfied, and a happier physician. Then you have taken the first step to your ideal life and career.

Our Monthly Poll
This month:
Would you live away from your family for a year or more for the sake of your career?

Take our monthly poll.

Just how important is empathy in patient care? The below articles explore the topic.

Hojat, M, Gonnella, JS, Mangione, S. Empathy in Medical Students as Related to Academic Performance, Clinical Competance and Gender. Medical Education 36 (2002) 522-527.

Mercer, SW, Reynolds, WJ. Empathy and Quality of Care. British Journal of General Practice 52 (2002) S9-13.


Pre-Med What does it take, and do you have it? Learn what it takes to make getting in the easy part.	Medical Student What does success look like for you? And how do you get there?	Trainee Internship, residency…Limbo. But you can shape the road ahead.	Practicing Physician Whether you’re a rookie or a seasoned professional, learn how to have the career you want.