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CONFERENCE ABSTRACTS AND REPORTS
Year : 2022 | Volume
: 8
| Issue : 4 | Page : 221-320
Conference proceedings: Fourth annual women in medicine summit: An evolution of empowerment 2022
Marah N Kays1, Michelle Fernando2, Mysa Abdelrahman3, Deborah D Rupert4, Parul Barry5, Shikha Jain6
1 Kansas City University, Kansas City, MO, USA
2 University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
3 St. George's University of Medicine, Grenada
4 Medical Scientist Training Program, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
5 Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
6 Division of Hematology and Oncology, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
Correspondence Address:
Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None
CheckDOI: 10.4103/2455-5568.365559
Opening Statements
Women In Medicine® (WIM), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, hosted its annual Summit for the fourth consecutive year, an event where women in medicine and their allies come together. The focus of this summit is to identify barriers women in medicine face and create action plans that can be executed at both the local and national level to address and combat gender inequity in medicine. The summit this year was held in-person (with a virtual option) and took place over two days with a seminar style pre-conference taking place for medical students the day prior.
The Women in Medicine Summit this year hosted over 350 medical professionals, with 50 states, and 74 countries being represented. The eight committees were composed of members from 28 different institutions and organizations and 40 faculty speakers from diverse professions led 25 breakout sessions. On social media, the event garnered 67.89 impressions on Twitter with 9,898 engagements, 11,262 Tweets, which averages out to an average of 309 Tweets per hour.
As in the previous years, the Abstracts and Research Committee, led by Dr. Parul Barry, called for abstract submissions with a focus on gender equity from the following research categories: COVID-19, Social/Behavioral Health, Gender Specific Medicine, Global Health, Case Reports, Clinical, and Basic Sciences. Inspirational and Perspective pieces were also considered. The Abstracts and Research Committee then scored the submissions and selected abstracts for poster and abstract presentations at the WIM Summit, all accepted abstracts are published within this document. The Abstracts and Research Committee then selected abstract award winners from the poster and abstract presentations based on the criteria of innovation, approach, future potential, and impact on the field.
Abstracts and Research Committee Members: This year the committee was led by Chair Dr. Parul Barry of the University of Pittsburgh and Student Lead Ms. Mysa Abdelrahman of St. George's University. 2022 Committee Members were Dr. Neelum Aggarwal of Rush Medical College, Ms. Johanna Balas, Ms. Shiva Barforoshi of Chicago Medical School, Dr. Christine Bestvina of the University of Chicago, Dr. Rakhee Bhayani of Washington University in St. Louis, Ms. Christina Brown of Rush Medical College, Ms. Michelle Fernando-Kammalage, Dr. Tiffany Leung of Maastricht University in the Netherlands, Dr. Yun Rose Li of Eisenhower Medical Center, Dr. Susan Pories of Mount Auburn Hospital, Dr. Lekshmi Santhosh of the University of California San Francisco, Dr. Vidya Sundareshan of Southern Illinois University, Dr. Ashley Vavra of Northwestern Medicine, and Dr. Anna Volerman of the University of Chicago.
The 2022 WIMS Abstract Awards were presented to the following individuals:
Oral Abstract Award Winner:
Ms. Lucki Word for her talk entitled Gender Differences in Parental Leave Usage at a Major United States Urban Institute
Poster Abstract Award Winner:
Ms. Claire Schenken for her poster entitled The Future (of ABMS Member Boards) Is Female
Awards Committee: The committee was led by Dr. Charu Gupta of the Northshore Hospital system and Associated LeadDr. Julie Oyler of the University of Chicago. 2022 Committee Members wereDr. Oluwatoyin M. Adeyemi of Rush Medical College, Dr. Rosalinda Alvarado of Rush Medical College, Dr. Karen Ho of Northwestern University, Dr. Priya Kumthekar of Northwestern University, Dr. Monika Pitzele of Sinai Health System, Dr. Asha N. Shenoi of the University of Kentucky, Dr. Tina Sundaram of Rush University, and Dr. Akshra Verma of Southern Illinois University.
The #IStandWithHer Awards were presented to the following individuals:
#He/Xe/They ForShe Award Winner:
Dr. Garrett S. Booth, Associate Professor of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Honorable mentions in this category were noted for:
Dr. Sachin H. Jain, President & CEO, SCAN Group and Health Plan, Adjunct Professor of Medicine, Stanford University, Senior Associate Dean for Undergraduate Medical Education
#SheForShe Award Winners:
Dr. Sumita B. Khatri, Director, Asthma Center, Professor and Vice Chair, Respiratory Institute, Cleveland Clinic
Honorable mentions in this category were noted for:
Dr. Susan Thompson Hingle, Professor of Medicine, Associate Dean for Human and Organizational Potential, Director of Professional Develop, Department of Medicine SIU School of Medicine
#Trailblazer Award Winners:
Dr. Ariana L. Gianakos, Orthopedic Surgeon, Massachusetts General Hospital
Honorable mentions in this category were noted for:
Dr. Regan A. Steigmann, Director of the Digital Health Track, Rocky Vista University
#Resilience Award Winners:
Dr. Chwen-Yuen Angie Chen, Clinical Associate Professor and Medical Director, Stanford University
Honorable mentions in this category were noted for:
Dr. Romy Jill Block-Posner, Division Chief of Endocrinology and Metabolism at NorthShore University Health Systems
List of Conference Related Graphics and Exhibits
Exhibit 1: Student Pre-Conference Keynote
Exhibit 2: Best Practices for Conference Twitter Engagement
Exhibit 3: Management of Microaggressions
Exhibit 4: Reproductive Life Planning
Exhibit 5: Welcome and Keynote, Who do you think you are?
Exhibit 6: Your Dream Career on Your Terms
Exhibit 7: Leading an Ongoing Crisis: Transitioning from Crisis Mode to Leading in It
Exhibit 8: Negotiating for Yourself
Exhibit 9: Getting Men on Board
Exhibit 10: Chaos, COVID, and Connection: Leveraging Media to Convey Reliable Medical Content
Exhibit 11: Me, Myself, and I…Hate Updating my C.V. Reclaiming the Professional Document
Exhibit 12: Creating Your Own WIM Group
Exhibit 13: Closing Address Day 1: Building Power and Solidarity for Social Justice
Exhibit 14: Nocturnists Dinner
Exhibit 15: Welcome and Keynote for Day 2
Exhibit 16: Physicians as Community Organizers: Allyship and Social Capital at Work
Exhibit 17: Mentor, Coach, Lead to Peak Performance
Exhibit 18: Spilling the Tea and All About “Resiliency”
Exhibit 19: Navigating the Whisper Network: Safeguarding your Reputation, Overcoming Labels, and Controlling the Narrative
Exhibit 20: Using Social Media for Good: Tweetopoiesis
Exhibit 21: Closing Address for Day 2
Pre-conference:
The student pre-conference this year was a collaboration between the non-profit IGNITE and Women in Medicine. Dr. Shikha Jain, board-certified hematology and oncology physician, founder and chair of the Women in Medicine Summit and Dr. Molly Kraus, Vice Chair Committee for Women in Anesthesia, American Society of Anesthesiologists and board-certified anesthesiologist at Mayo Clinic Arizona, opened the day by welcoming the medical students and introducing IGNITE. Dr. Vineet Arora then gave the keynote address “The Dean's List: Life Lessons from my Journey” in which she described her path in medicine and her current position as the Dean for Medical Education at the University of Chicago [Exhibit 1].
Tricia Rae Pendergrast, medical student at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and co-founder of GetMePPEChicago and Dr. Jessie Allan, pediatric hospitalist for Palo Alto Medical Foundation and Adjunct Clinical Associate Professor at Stanford University School of Medicine, led a session on “Best Practices for Conference Twitter Engagement” to help prepare attendees for the WIM Summit the following day [Exhibit 2]. They provided tips and tricks for building a professional brand on Twitter.
The breakout sessions for the student pre-conference included a session titled “Management of Microaggressions” was led by Dr. Molly Kraus and a session on how to find mentorship and sponsorship was led by Dr. Shikha Jain and Dr. Neelum Aggarwal, cognitive neurologist, clinical trialist, and researcher in the field of population health and aging [Exhibit 3]. A session on reproductive planning led by Dr. Ariela Marshall, Director of the Women's Hemostasis and Thrombosis Program, Associate Program Director of the Non-Malignant Hematology, Hematology/Oncology Fellowship Program, and Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and Dr. Julia Files, board certified Internal Medicine physician and Professor of Medicine in the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science [Exhibit 4]. Dr. Eve Bloomgarden, board-certified endocrinologist at NorthShore University Health System, Director of Thyroid Care and the Director of Endocrine Innovation and Education for the Division of Endocrinology at NorthShore led a session on advocacy.
Day 1: SEPTEMBER 16, 2022
Session 1:
Dr. Shikha Jain welcomed everyone to the fourth annual Women in Medicine Summit. Dr. Jain discussed women in medicine who are “getting things done” while acknowledging the continued systemic barriers and gender inequities these women encounter daily. She went on to discuss her “Top 10 Tips to Advance Yourself” and guiding advice for the WIM Summit, such as being introspective, networking, and balance [Exhibit 5].
Dr. Kimberly Manning, Associate Vice Chair of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for the Department of Medicine at Emory University School of Medicine gave the keynote address titled “Who do you think you are?” She outlined the importance of humanizing emotions, the power of gratitude, and the importance of introspection. She encouraged everyone to take an inventory of their strengths and to determine their own individual mission.
Dr. Arghavan Salles, national leader in diversity, equity, and inclusion, spoke on achieving your dream career on your own terms [Exhibit 6]. She discussed her background and the challenges she faced throughout her journey in medicine from marginalization and discrimination to her detour away from medicine. Dr. Salles then discussed what she wished she had done differently including placing more emphasis on knowing herself, living by her values, and being human first. She encouraged everyone to find a place within medicine that values each individual and avoid those spaces that do not.
Dr. Matifadza Hlatshwayo-Davis, Director of Health for the City of St. Louis, spoke about leading in an ongoing crisis presenting takeaways from the COVID-19 pandemic and the Monkeypox outbreak [Exhibit 7]. She opened by discussing health equity and the importance of funding public health efforts to implement change in policies and systems to combat inequity. Additionally, she explained how minoritized communities are disproportionately affected by health crises (as evidenced by the Monkeypox outbreak). She recommended five characteristics required to be an effective leader during and after a crisis: having a vision, transparency, relationship management, emotional intelligence, and taking care of yourself.
Session 2:
Dr. Tanya Menon, Professor at the Ohio State University's Fisher College of Business, led a talk titled “Negotiating for Yourself” [Exhibit 8]. Dr. Menon started her talk with a case study on influence in which she highlighted how former President Lyndon Johnson protected civil rights protestors by harnessing likeability, open ended questions, and relatability. She recommends physicians take into consideration shared interpersonal connections when negotiating, think about how they display power implicitly and explicitly, and understand what the counterparty wants when attempting to meet a mutual goal.
Dr. David Smith, Associate Professor at the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School, and Dr. Brad Johnson, Professor of Psychology in the Department of Leadership, Ethics, and Law at the United States Naval Academy, and a Clinical Faculty Associate in the Graduate School of Education at Johns Hopkins University, led a session on “Getting Men on Board” [Exhibit 9]. They began their talk discussing motivations for men to be involved with gender equity, an example being personal connections; men who learn about injustices to women around them are more motivated to advocate for them. Another being business, more diversity often means better performance for the team as a whole, and also morality, as it's the right thing to do. They discussed how women have been advocating for gender equity for a long time yet male engagement remains minimal. Drs. Smith and Johnson believe men stay on the sidelines due to anxiety, implicit bias, and perceived “riskiness” in the post-Me Too era. They presented tips for men for allyship including holding yourself accountable, sharpening gender intelligence, watching for assumptions, and developing situational awareness.
Breakout Session 1:
The first breakout session for the day included seven different sessions for attendees to select from. Communication Styles: Why they Matter and How to Improve Yours was led by Stacy Wood, founder of Through the Woods Consulting. She talked about how understanding your own communication style can allow you to communicate more effectively. She recommends attendees be mindful and flexible with their communication styles.
The second breakout session titled Entrepreneur and Medicine, was led by Dr. Nneka Chineme Unachukwu, pediatrician, and founder and CEO of Ivy League Pediatrics. Dr. Nneka Unachukwu opened her session by stating all physicians are entrepreneurs and no one is “just a doctor.” She told the story of her journey to starting Entre MD with the mission of “helping doctors learn how to build optimal businesses allowing them to live life and practice medicine on our terms.” Dr. Nneka Unachukwu encouraged attendees to know who they are, know their assets, know their opportunities, and create a statement of who they are professionally.
Dr. Diane Shannon, co-author of Preventing Physician Burnout: Curing the Chaos and Returning Joy to the Practice of Medicine and certified life coach led the third breakout session titled “Gaslighting vs. Imposter Syndrome: How to Know, What to Do”. Dr. Shannon opened by discussing how imposter syndrome is not a pathological syndrome and how to replace negative feelings with positive ones. She stated that self-doubt comes from r within you, imposter syndrome, or externally from being told one is inferior, i.e. gaslighting. She stated the importance of distinguishing the source of self-doubt by looking at your environment and influences. Dr. Shannon recommended empowerment strategies such as, aiming for mastery not perfection, keeping a journal, seeking support and validation, enlisting peers, allies, and mentors, being intentional with self-care, advocating for diversity, equity, and inclusion training, and holding leaders accountable. She emphasized the most important step being to overwrite negative thoughts by listing automatic negative thoughts and creating new thoughts based on strengths.
The fourth breakout session was a mentor-mentee session. The mentors were Dr. Laura Zimmerman, Dr. Andrea Pappalardo, Dr. Laura Desveaux, Dr. Jessi Gold, Dr. Joanna Bisgrove, Dr. Julie Oyler, Dr. Kelly Cawcutt, and Dr. Anita Raghavan. Mentees included medical students and early career physicians.
The fifth breakout session was led by Dr. Emily Silverman, creator and host and Dr. Alison Block, Executive Producer of The Nocturnists. They began their session with the question- “Why isn't medicine the way I expected it to be?” They then described how the podcast The Nocturnists was created to provide a forum for stories happening in medicine right now and revive passion in healthcare. Drs. Silverman and Block believe storytelling has the capacity to change the narrative for patients and for providers. They gave 10 tips for storytelling including putting yourself in the story, showing vulnerability, finding an arc of change, showing not telling, varying tone and pacing, adding humor, cutting content, finding strong opening and closing lines, knowing the central question, and knowing the audience.
The sixth breakout session was titled “Resiliency Workshop Using the Emory University CBCT Techniques”, given by Dr. Hansa Bhargava, Chief Medical Officer for Medscape Education. Dr. Bhargava opened by discussing physician burnout and the need for systematic solutions. She then introduced Cognitively Based Compassion Training (CBCT) which has the goal of increasing resilience and compassion toward others within 8 sessions. The three main strategies of CBCT include bringing ourselves from a hyperstimulated system to between the zone of resilience, prioritizing yourself, and prioritizing compassion for others.
The seventh and final breakout session was titled “Leveraging Media to Convey Reliable Medical Content” and was given by Dr. Lipi Roy, internal medicine physician and host of the YouTube series Health, Humor, and Harmony [Exhibit 10]. Dr. Roy opened by discussing the COVID-19 pandemic and the importance of public health messaging during this time. She discussed how science and storytelling can build trust while combating misinformation; emphasizing that trust and credibility are at the heart of doctor-patient relationships. Dr. Roy also discussed why women's voices in particular matter, and how the media can be used to promote public health. She used her own experiences with the media to discuss the positives (personal and professional exposure, brand development, opportunity to share knowledge and expertise) and the negatives (time consuming, online harassment, and health repercussions). She ended her talk by discussing the importance of self-care through mindfulness practices, doing what you enjoy, and asking for help.
Breakout Session 2:
Alice Chen, MD, Adjunct Assistant Clinical Professor at the David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California Los Angeles and Senior Advisor to Made to Save, a national grassroots public education and outreach campaign to get COVID-19 vaccines to vulnerable communities led a breakout session on Advocacy in Medicine, structured as a question and answer session. Questions came from the audience, such as how to approach vaccine hesitancy in marginalized communities, how to gauge risk in advocacy work, and how to balance advocacy, career, and life without guilt. Dr. Chen acknowledged the risk involved in advocacy. In answering a question about how to bridge the gap between being a part of an institution and being involved in community work, Dr. Chen emphasized the importance of serving as an ally and acting as a bridge between identifying community needs and advocating for those needs at faculty meetings. Lastly, Dr. Chen spotlighted the importance of avoiding burnout and setting boundaries. She encouraged the audience to remember that other people are doing the work alongside you, and that self care is necessary to keep the movement going.
Dr. Avital O'Glasser, a hospitalist specializing in perioperative medicine and Associate Professor of Medicine at Oregon Health & Science University led the breakout session, “Me, Myself, & I…Hate Updating My CV: Reclaiming the Professional Document.” Her talk emphasized reimagining the curriculum vitae (CV) and by including experiences traditionally seen as less relevant [Exhibit 11]. Dr. O'Glasser addressed the gender inequities associated with the number of citations and publications as primary or senior authors found traditionally on the CV, therefore Dr. O'Glasser advocated for including digital scholarship on one's CV, including: social media metrics, podcasts, blogs, OpEds, and media appearances. She also suggested advocacy efforts, retail or hospitality work, and other experiences that may seem irrelevant should be incorporated. She highlighted that these experiences held important qualities that are often overlooked in the traditional CV. She encouraged attendees to be allies by writing letters of recommendation for each other, normalizing gaps in the CV without explanation, expanding the definition of scholarship, and emphasizing quality over quantity.
Breakout Session 3:
Neelum Aggarwal, MD, cognitive neurologist, clinical trialist, and researcher in the field of population health and aging led the breakout session, “Caregiving Impact'' which discussed the reality of caregiving in light of a national worker shortage and quickly aging population. She defined caregiving as “the physical, emotional, and financial support of another person who is unable to care for themselves”. She outlined how caregivers suffer a 63% higher mortality rate from the strain with increased rates of depression. Specifically, caregivers for people with Alzheimer's Disease (AD) are estimated to on average spend 60 hours a week providing care. Dr. Aggarwal emphasized the importance as caregiver, to avoid neglecting one's needs and to provide for oneself physically, emotionally, socially, and spiritually.
Dr. Julie Oyler, Associate Professor and Associate Program Director at the University of Chicago Internal Medicine Residency Program, Dr. Vidhya Prakash, Associate Dean of Clinical Affairs and Population Health and Chief Medical Officer at Southern Illinois University of Medicine, and Dr. Rakhee Bhayani, associate professor of medicine at Washington University School of Medicine led a breakout session on “Creating Your Own Women in Medicine Group” structured as a group activity addressing the following questions: What are the needs for women at your organization? What are the barriers to these needs and to creating a Women in Medicine Group at your organization? Who will be allies in this discussion? What would be the proposed structure of your Women in Medicine Group? What are some strategies for creating a Women in Medicine Group? [Exhibit 12] Dr. Bhayani emphasized identifying the potential group's mission and goals, engaging speakers, creating infrastructure and a strategic plan within committees, promoting the group intentionally, and forging collaborations. Dr. Bhayani also encouraged engaging male allies and implementing longitudinal programming. Dr. Julie Oyler discussed her experience as Chair of the University of Chicago, Department of Medicine Women's Committee (DOMWC). The DOMWC was founded in 1999 and focused on fellows, residents, and faculty. Dr. Vidhya Prakash talked about starting and leading the Alliance for Women in Medicine and Science (AWIMS) at Southern Illinois University. The session concluded with the discussion of how women in medicine groups have power in numbers and the potential to successfully advocate for women and create change.
Dr. Kelly Cawcutt, Associate Professor of Medicine at University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha and critical care medicine and infectious disease physician, led a breakout session that discussed “Social Media and Healthcare.” She urged healthcare providers to become more present on social media to help battle misinformation and disinformation as well as amplify underrepresented voices. Dr. Cawcutt outlined advantages to utilizing social media including joining international groups, professional collaborations, and advocating for patients. Using professional social media is a valuable way to amplify and disseminate health information from trusted sources straight to patients.
Session 3:
Dr. Aletha Maybank, Chief Health Equity Officer and Senior Vice President, American Medical Association, led the Closing Keynote Session titled, “Building Power and Solidarity for Social Justice: Have Courage to be Yourself, Fully and Authentically” [Exhibit 13]. Dr. Maybank started her session by discussing how gender equity is ingrained within the fight for social and racial justice. In order to evolve as a society we must understand inequities of the past and develop strategies to rectify them. She then went on to describe how historically medicine itself has not been inclusive to all groups, but through valuing diversity, recognizing differences between people, acknowledging that these differences are assets, and striving for diverse representation a critical step towards equity can be taken.
Day 1 of programming concluded with a poster walk of accepted poster presentations, book signings with featured authors, and an evening event presented by the Nocturnists [Exhibit 14]. Medical storytellers from across the country gave powerful narratives of their experiences as women in medicine.
DAY 2: SEPTEMBER 17, 2022
Session 4
Dr. Shikha Jain welcomed everyone back to the WIM Summit. She described barriers faced by women in medicine, specifically, implicit bias, microaggressions, imposter syndrome, Twitter harrassment, and the “whisper network”. She then gave strategies on how to address microaggressions, such as, asking clarifying questions, sharing data, utilizing bystander intervention, and finding allies [Exhibit 15]. Dr. Jain also highlighted the amount of invisible work women in medicine undertake, and the need to re-structure models of compensation, and evaluation of work completed within the healthcare system.
Dr. Marina Del Rios, Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine at the Carver College of Medicine of the University of Iowa and Adjunct Professor of Emergency Medicine at the College of Medicine at the University of Illinois at Chicago, then led a session titled “Physicians as Community Organizers” [Exhibit 16]. Dr. Del Rios began her talk by outlining how physicians, by nature of their profession, are already community organizers. She used the COVID-19 pandemic as an example in which a health crisis exacerbated inequities and demonstrated the broken nature of health systems. Dr. Del Rios went on to explain that in order to create an impact in our community, we must be able to understand the struggles of that community, and how that environment affects overall health.
Session 5
Laurie Baedke, MHA, FACHE, FACMPE, Assistant Dean, Business & Leadership Education. Instructor at Creighton University gave a talk on mentorship, coaching, and leading [Exhibit 17]. She started by outlining the similarities and differences between a mentor, sponsor, and a coach. Dr. Baedke then explained how people require all three on the path to leadership and can lead to self-awareness, growth, performance, engagement, purpose, and well-being. The main barriers to mentorship and coaching are time, training, and resources. She also discussed mentorship etiquette and how to curate your circle to fulfill all of the different roles required for success.
Dr. Jessi Gold, Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at Washington University in St Louis' School of Medicine and Dr. Jamie Coleman, trauma and acute care surgeon at Denver Health and Associate Professor of Surgery at the University of Colorado School of Medicine in Denver, held a session titled “Spilling the Tea and All About Resiliency”, in which they discussed the realities of resiliency and the need for systemic change [Exhibit 18]. They described the frequent messaging that physicians are not resilient enough and gave strategies for overcoming this through power statements, setting boundaries, and learning to say no.
Breakout Session 4:
Mark Hertling, Lieutenant General, DBA led a breakout session titled “Adapting Leadership to Periods of Crisis.” He opened with a discussion on the characteristics of a successful leader. He explained how the military leadership manual goes by three words: Be, Know, Do. “Be” is what kind of person you are; “know” is your knowledge base; and “do” is how you go about getting things accomplished. Hertling went on to describe that the most important thing when in a leadership role during a crisis is to communicate– reinstate what you are trying to achieve and keep members updated. Assign people direct tasks and responsibilities and hold them accountable. He ended with, “Never let a good crisis go to waste,”– an encouragement to take action and try to make a change that benefits not only your team and yourself, but also your profession.
Dr. Jessi Gold, Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at Washington University in St Louis School of Medicine, led a session titled, “How are you, Really?: Debriefing the Past Few Years and Thriving in the Next Ones.” She opened by describing the impact of COVID-19 on mental health including the increased levels of acute stress, depressive symptoms, anxiety, moderate insomnia, and feelings of isolation and loneliness. She also touched on the gender disparities within those data. Specifically, women in medicine were found to have higher levels of depressive symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Gold recommends utilizing self-check-ins to help individuals prioritize wellbeing. She encouraged the audience to share stories and narratives with others to help normalize mental health.
Laurie K. Baedke, MHA, FACHE, FACMPE, Director of Healthcare Leadership Programs, Program Director, Executive MBA in Healthcare Management, Assistant Dean, Physician Leadership Education, Creighton University, led a session titled, “Leveling Up in Leadership: Navigating Your Career Ascent.” She opened by discussing the transition from individual contributor to influential leader, stressing the importance of an emotionally intelligent leader. Baedka explained that women are often over mentored and under sponsored. She closed by giving seven tips for “leveling up” as a leader: clarify your brand, think outside of your own performance, ensure your leader is seeing you and acknowledging your accomplishments, telegraph your pass (tell people where you want to go and what you want to achieve), curate your circle of supporters, have a margin to restore yourself, and clarify your purpose.
Dr. Pamela Kunz, Associate Professor of Medicine in the Division of Oncology at Yale School of Medicine and Director of the Center for Gastrointestinal Cancers at Yale Cancer Center and Smilow Cancer Hospital led a breakout session titled, “Navigating the Whisper Network: Safeguarding Your Reputation, Overcoming Labels, and Controlling the Narrative” [Exhibit 19]. The “whisper network” is the informal communications network through which rumors and accusations are spread, and is often used as a form of gender harassment in the workplace. Breakout session attendees were asked to answer a live survey; with 50% of session attendees of those answering they had been a previous target of the whisper network. Dr. Kunz talked about her own experiences as a target of the whisper network and how she experienced microaggressions, misogynistic harassment, and retaliation from her colleagues. She then discussed how she was able to control the narrative surrounding her by being authentic to herself and her team's vision, overcoming labels, and defining a strong sense of self with the help of an executive coach.
Dr. Krishna Jain, Clinical Professor of Surgery at Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine. Dr. Jain opened by explaining the two ways through which one can gain autonomy: clinical and financial. He then explained the various practice models available to physicians such as private practice (solo or group), hospital, academic institution employment, Veterans Affairs, and concierge based employment. He went on to describe the pros and cons associated with those practice models. Dr. Jain discussed barriers to autonomy which include insurance companies and chief financial officers and chief executive officers. His solutions for these barriers include starting your own practice, joining a private practice, starting a revenue generating ancillary service, understanding reimbursement, and building bridges with administrators.
Dr. Arianna Gianakos, Foot and Ankle Orthopedic Surgery Fellow at New York University in NYC, led a session on the organization, SpeakUpOrtho. She opened the session by introducing herself and her path through medicine. Dr. Gianakos was one of the founders of SpeakUpOrtho in 2021, an organization tasked with encouraging individuals “to speak up about harassment, bullying, abuse, marginalization, and underrepresentation in orthopaedic surgery.” Upon its creation, SpeakUpOrtho had >375 submitted stories within the first two months that described instances of bullying, harassment, sexual harassment, discrimination, and retaliation. Dr. Gianakos went on to define terms such as microaggression, bullying, discrimination, harassment, sexual harassment, and allyship. She also described the bystander effect and how it acts as a barrier to helping those experiencing abuse including, diffusion of responsibility, evaluation apprehension, pluralistic ignorance, normative influence, and cause of misfortune. She encouraged attendees to be an “upstander”, or someone who recognizes inequity or wrongdoing and speaks up to help and protect others.
Dr. Disha Spath, board certified Internal Medicine Physician for Dartmouth Hitchcock Putnam Physician, and founder and CEO of The Frugal Physician, led a session on the “Foundations of Investing.” Dr. Spath discussed how as of 2020, specialists make $346k on average and primary care providers, $243k. Many physicians make less than $1 million and may have accrued interest on their loans to equal that amount. Physicians are typically 10 years behind by the time they start investing because of the length of training. She then described the four key tenants to understanding how to become a frugal physician including, protection (via insurance, estate planning and emergency funds), investment opportunities, slashing debt, and growth. Dr. Spath then outlined how investing in stocks, colloquially, may seem to have its own risks, however, there are different types of stock opportunities including stocks, bonds, mutual funds, index funds, and exchange traded funds. She recommends setting up retirement accounts as a method for improving tax efficiency.
Breakout Session 5:
Jessica Himstedt, PhD, MS, MBA, Faculty Lead and Content Manager at Lake Forest Graduate School of Management led a breakout session titled, “Accelerating Your Path to Leadership.” Dr. Himstedt opened by discussing leadership, contrasting it to management, and the various behaviors associated with each. Dr. Himstedt built a foundation of understanding in which management creates routine and momentum, whereas leadership is supportive and guiding. She emphasized the importance of understanding that in fact both leadership and management must be implemented in order to be effective in a team and understanding this delicate balance can help us navigate our workplace environments and create opportunities of growth.
Laura Desveaux, PhD, PT, Scientific Lead at Trillium Health Partner's Institute for Better Health and Founder and Executive director of Women Who Lead, led a breakout session titled, “Building the Blueprint: Achieving Success through Non-Traditional Career Paths.” Her talk opened by defining objectives including reframing your mindset from following a blueprint for career success to creating the blueprint yourself, identifying elements of your career capsule, developing goals in line with specific career motivations. Her recommendations included identifying what drives you, taking a professional inventory regarding what you love to do, what you are good at, and what you want to stop, and prioritizing enjoyment over efficiency.
Amy Oxentenko, MD, FACP, FACG, AGAF, Professor of Medicine and Chair of Medicine for Mayo Clinic in Arizona and Vice Chair of Mayo Clinic's Clinical Practice Committee across the Mayo Clinic sites, led a breakout session titled, “Making Tough Choices in Career Advancement: Choosing the Path Less Traveled.” Dr. Oxentenko described her own career pivots and the lessons she learned from each. She has found that people tend to stay on a certain career path or leadership role because it feels “good” to be an expert in a certain area, but this path can actually be prohibitive to career advancement. Dr. Oxentenko recommends focusing on transferable skills, creating milestones as goals rather than titles, encouraging small experiments, pacing yourself within your career, and learning how to say “no.”
Dr. Julia A. Files, board certified in internal medicine and Professor of Medicine in the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science led a breakout session titled, “Navigating a Path to Academic Promotion.” Dr. Files explained how academic rank is dependent upon the promotion process of each individual university or college and is not consistent across institutions. She believes the process of appointment and promotion should be criteria-based, transparent, consistent, and open to all. She described the general academic ranks including instructor, assistant professor, associate professor, and full professor. Dr. Files described the landmark study of Jena et al. in JAMA 2015, “Sex differences in Academic Rank in US Medical Schools in 2014” which showed that men were more likely than women to be full professors after adjusting for age, specialty, years since residency, and research productivity. She described how women in medicine can begin to pursue academic advancement through assessing their skills, clarifying their interest, and exploring mentorship.
Angela Cristine Weyand, MD, faculty at the University of Michigan, led a breakout session on Using Social Media for Good [Exhibit 20]. Dr. Weyand gave discrete examples of social media being used for advocacy work. Dr. Weyand then described her experiences on Twitter as “Shematologist, MD” emphasizing her work in education, advocacy, and fundraising. She outlined what as women in medicine we can do on social media and how to apply what you are passionate about to enact change.
Session 6:
Dr. Rebekah Gee and Dr. Kavita Patel gave the closing session titled “Majority Rules: A Real Conversation” [Exhibit 21]. Dr. Rebekah Gee is an Obstetrician and Gynecologist and President and Founder of Nest Health. Dr. Kavita Patel was previously a Director of Policy for The White House under President Obama and Deputy Staff Directory to the late Senator Edward Kennedy. She is currently a primary care physician in Washington DC. They opened their session by outlining data regarding gender inequities such as gaps in pay, tenure, and promotion. Dr. Gee and Dr. Patel then discussed solutions such as how friendships can help individuals develop both personally and professionally. They encouraged attendees to find a diverse group of women with whom to share goals and mutually promote, amplify, and lift each other.
Dr. Shikha Jain ended the fourth annual Women in Medicine Summit by thanking attendees and providing key take-aways from the summit including being introspective, finding balance, and networking. The fifth annual Women in Medicine Summit will be held September 22-23, 2023.
Inspirational Perspective Number 6
Deconstructing the “Angry Black Women” Trope: An Examination of How Racism Perpetuates Inequity in Medicine
Abiba Salahou
Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine, Royal Oak, MI, USA
For Black women living in America, social disadvantage and racism are embedded within our medical care and silence has become our closest companion. If we dare to speak up against the injustices that are perpetrated against us, society is quick to dismiss our pain and label us as “angry.” The infamous “Angry Black Woman” trope has served as a way for America to mask the suffering experienced by Black women. When we cry out in distress after witnessing the murders of our sons, brothers, fathers, and husbands we are told that we are “too angry.” When we try to tell our doctors that something is not right with our bodies and beg them to take a deeper look, we are labeled as “difficult, non-compliant patients.” The type of patients who give some doctors a headache and make them want to rush out of the exam room as quickly as they arrived. In the face of adversity, Black women are expected to swallow their pain and remain submissive. If one were to peer into our stomachs, one would find the seeds of our swallowed traumas growing into magnificent gardens of shame; a visceral reminder of our mistreatment, permanently etched into our bodies. What started off as seeds slowly morphed into poor health outcomes, instability, depression, and healthcare inequality.
I was in the midst of studying for my course in Endocrinology when I learned about the tragic passing of Dr. Chaniece Wallace, a 4th year pediatric resident who died from postpartum complications on October 22, 2020. Dr. Wallace's death was another salient reminder of the detrimental effects of racial discrimination within our healthcare system. As I concluded my textbook passage on Addison's Disease, glancing once more over the homogenous images of Caucasian skin, I could not help but think that my medical education and ability to regurgitate these passages would not save me from experiencing the exact same fate as Dr. Wallace. Eradicating cultural bias in medical education, however, could save millions of Black women during the birthing process.
Society is often quick to mercilessly blame Black women for their poor health outcomes. Adverse events during childbirth and other routine procedures are, “issues of unpreventable outcomes due to comorbidities”, rather than an issue of preventable death due to long standing racism. As a Black female medical student, I often find myself trying to reconcile two juxtaposing identities. I am a third-year medical student who has been afforded the privilege to study medicine amongst a cohort of caring individuals. Despite this privilege, I am still the stereotypical Black woman anxiously sitting in the hospital waiting room with a list of concerns scribbled on the back of an old receipt. Similarly to many other Black women, I still dread the initial encounter that comes with meeting a new doctor for the first time. In preparation for the visit, I spend hours on google sifting through reviews to see if I will be going to a place where my blackness will be welcomed. Somewhere where my concerns will be validated and the physicians won't talk down on me, over me, or about me without ever making full eye contact. In the event that the visit is problematic, I leave feeling devalued and delay subsequent appointments until it is absolutely imperative that I go back. This toxic pattern is why people often joke that “Black people don't like going to the hospital”. It's not the medicine that we are avoiding, but rather, the racism.
While it is disheartening that two years after Dr. Wallace's tragic death, we are still witnessing the same disparity in healthcare for Black women, I believe there is potential for the medical community to engender positive change. In order to adequately address the public health crisis that is racism in America, medical providers must truly listen to the black voice in front of them on the exam table. We must consider the intentional role structural racism has served in ensuring that marginalized populations in America stay marginalized and unable to access their autonomy. Dr. Wallace's story must not be forgotten. Until we recognize systemic racism as a public health issue and consistently work on finding innovative ways to deconstruct the years of institutionalized medical racism, society will continue to be desensitized to the suffering experienced by Black women and in turn muffle their cries for help under the guise of the “Angry Black Women”.
Inspirational Perspective Number 8Humanity - A Glimmer of Hope
Gaayathri Krishnan1,2
1PSG Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India, 2Department of Internal Medicine, AdventHealth, Sebring Florida, USA
Humanity is defined as a state or quality of being human. But the most pressing question of them all is, 'what makes a human-being humane?'
How do we define that in a human being?
Early days of 2020, when the corona virus had just started making its rounds in India; when it was a mere ripple before the massive waves; When all of India was shrouded in fear and alarm, young doctors, who were to be relieved after one of the most intense and overwhelming years of their lives, were asked to stay back and help out in this dire situation.
It was a time when masks, gloves and hand sanitizers, an essential but scarce commodity, were being rationed among health care workers. They went into the battlefield armed with whatever little was known about the virus [a palpable fear of the unknown] but they soldiered on head first with hearts made of steel.
One night, in the ER, an elderly man, known asthmatic, was brought in with a fever that just wouldn't break and severe breathing difficulty. Anxious that he might be refused treatment and a consternation that he might be turned away, he failed to reveal his travel history to Spain, even after constant probing.
When someone is in distress, it is only human that they are looked after and looked after well. And that was what was done.
A day later he divulged information about his recent trip and panic bubbled through the walls of the hospital, all the health care workers within, all of its patients and the countless visitors. Hysteria spread like wildfire, a 'COVID suspect' was in the hospital and who knows where all he had been in the hospital.
The young doctor who attended to him in the ER, tested positive 5 days after exposure. This 23 year old's whole body racked with coughs, she drifted in and out of a dreamless sleep, waking up more tired than when she went to sleep. Delirious with pyrexia, unable to eat combined with the loneliness and absolute fear of the virus, sent her on a downward spiral. COVID can do that to you - push you to the brink, physically, mentally and emotionally.
Minutes seemed like years for the virus eats you up from the inside out. Days went by without physical and human contact.
When she felt she was sinking, a mellifluous sound to her troubled ears, 'It is me, thayamma*, darling. I just came to check in on you.' She yells from inside the closed door, 'It is not safe, amma [mother in native tongue]. Please leave'.
Thayamma, herself, aged and riddled with comorbidities, paid no caution to the girl's warnings. She came every single day, just to stand outside that door and ask how the young girl was doing.
Two long weeks passed, but she continued to visit. When that door finally opened, there she was on the other side with open arms and a crinkled smile, a tattered mask, her only armor. She engulfed the young doctor, embraced her with such love and affection, only a mother could do, comforting her. 'The worst is over, darling. You have made it. You will be fine, nothing will harm you from now on.' She continued to chide her, 'The only reason you contracted the virus is because you don't eat well.'
The young doctor's heart swole and her eyes welled with tears.
Thayamma, was neither her mother, sister, best friend nor a blood relative, but worked in the ladies hostel, scrubbing toilets and sweeping the floors for many many years. In many ways, thayamma was the reason this young girl pulled through. Her kindness shone through every facet, every wrinkle of her body, every curve of her spine and every bead of sweat she worked up. Warmth and love coursed through her veins and arteries admixed with blood and oxygen.
That, my dear reader, is humanity.
It exists everywhere, in each one of us, although in various degrees and forms.
Humanity is not serving one thousand people.
It is being there for someone when they need it.
It is making someone smile, when they cannot.
It is giving a hug to someone who needs it.
Inspirational Perspective Number 9The Unequal World of Inequality
Gaayathri Krishnan1,2
1PSG Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India, 2Department of Internal Medicine, AdventHealth, Sebring Florida, USA
I see whites, greens, blues and reds.
An assortment before my eyes
A sweet escape
My painful reality daunts
My fist full,
I roll the shapes in my palm,
Its my decision now
To spit or swallow.
”To what extent can you take this?”
I implore.
My mental health strays far away
No longer even that wisp of thread
But I have to,
I have to.
Wake up in the morning and repeat.
For it is my duty.
A lot is said about mental health. Yet what is its real significance? Mental illness affects us all, just in different ways, to different degrees.
Do you see it as a normal concept now? Has it now been overly normalized to the point we no longer visualize it? How do you distinguish a 'sad mood' from depression? In that, too, we differ. A fine line separates the two. A distinction we have to acknowledge.
A young doctor and a strong advocate for mental health, fell into destructive patterns. Hard work must come first, patients must come first, and nobody should say 'you are just a girl' to her. And so she hustled and hustled. Then one day, she couldn't anymore.
She was caught in a vicious cycle, pierced at every turn by its spokes.
There has been a steep in the curve of suicide among medical professionals especially this past year, with the pandemic looming over our heads. As a result, physician wellness has reached a tipping point due to heightened social isolation, a lack of community support, and fewer opportunities to seek counseling, among other issues.
However, why should someone so young and so deeply believes in the importance of mental health become a victim to this unseen, but strongly felt enemy? Our tendency is to overlook the fact that doctors are amazing at doctoring, but terrible at patient-ing. It is often associated with a feeling of privilege and power, and that is often what results in patterns of neglect. It is difficult to accept, although we know that, as with patients, physicians are susceptible to depression and suicide.
Here, we fall into a complex web of inequality. A bridge we are yet to cross completely.
At each stage of our careers, we are faced with complex scenarios but are forced and are guilty of normalizing them as they are part of the profession. A focus on physical stamina and mental toughness very early in medical school, or even earlier in our lives, in preparation for the future, leads to a tolerance for excessive amounts of stress, sleep deprived nights, extended working hours, and a lack of leisure time.
Those in the medical profession face a multitude of stressful factors, including heavy debt, administrative burdens, bureaucratic red tape, and more, as well as the added strain imposed by family obligations and raising children. It is no hidden fact that physicians are tough and tenacious, but when we depend on these characteristics above all others, we can endanger our own well-being and that of our patients and colleagues.
I conclude by requesting us all to check in. To check in on each other - it could be anyone. “The humanity we all share is more important than the mental illnesses we may not” ― Elyn R. Saks. One in four people suffer silently. It could be your boss, your best friend, your colleague or yourself. It is critical to recognize and heed to signs of burnout and despair, both within ourselves and among our coworkers, and to obtain help if we notice anything amiss. The act of seeking help shouldn't be stigmatized, especially in the medical fraternity.
Inspirational Perspective Number 12Supervising Moms
Biana Kotlyar
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Chicago Medical School, North Chicago, USA
As a physician, psychiatrist, and mom, I find myself very protective of my supervisee residents. Still, when those residents are also new moms, my supervision looks a little different. Whenever I supervise residents working with me for a more extended period, we do a wellness check from time to time. Usually, we talk about how they are experiencing their work environment, their interactions with others, and whether they feel supported. I have always struggled with balancing supervision. I want to make sure it doesn't feel like “helicopter supervision” and that the residents know I trust them to work independently. But when my residents are new moms, I have a completely different supervising dilemma. This month, I supervised two residents, a brand-new mom, and a young toddler, on the Consultation-Liaison Service in Psychiatry. This is a hectic service. There is a lot to learn and do. Despite having a full plate at home, they also have an enormous responsibility at work, not to mention the importance of their training. I was in awe of these residents since I had my kids after residency; I could only imagine the amount of stress and responsibility they had on their shoulders. They were juggling their families at home, their fellow residents, and all the group dynamics that come with that; they were studious, efficient, and hardworking.
These resident physicians were overachievers on steroids. Even when no other reasonable resident would do this, they felt compelled to see patients who had barely made it in the waiting room, let alone in the ED, so that fellow residents wouldn't be left with “additional work or things left pending.” One of the residents eventually told me she felt a lot of guilt over going on leave (she barely took 4 weeks) to not delay her graduation too much and having fellow residents take calls more often because she was out. It made me wonder, would being on leave for any other reason cause this much guilt and compensation when at work? What about other residents, many of whom had been only doing what was expected of them, never thinking about their colleague's workload being affected by their pace? I felt compelled to include balance and well-being in our supervision sessions.
The truth is, I should be having these discussions with all my residents. Still, it was of the utmost importance in my supervision with these newly minted moms. The psychiatry residency is four years long, and you become very close with your co-residents. Like any other group, there are unique dynamics that occur. Residents must be thoughtful of their co-residents whenever there is a family emergency, personal injury/illness, or pregnancy/parental leave. It is not precise if the pressure that new parents in residency feel is their own making or other factors. The fact is that when I supported these
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