Conference celebrates women in medicine and leadership
Women from four states travelled to EVMS last weekend for the American Medical Women’s Association (AMWA) Mid-Atlantic Conference.
Students spent the day discussing topics for the continued growth of women in leadership and medicine.
“There are many aspects of being a healthcare worker, specifically a female healthcare worker, that are not taught in the classroom or clinical rotations,” says Kelly McDermott, MD Class of 2020 and AMWA Region 3 Director. “Pay gap, gender bias, sexual harassment and discrimination are still present in most fields, and they are ever-present in medicine.” By starting the conversation early, Ms. McDermott hopes to educate men and women and start finding practical ways to tackle these issues.
Keynote speaker Natasha Sriraman, MD, MPH, Associate Professor of Pediatrics and a co-author of The Chronicles of Women in White Coats, spoke about the challenges female physicians face, including discrimination, breaking through the glass ceiling and mom guilt.
Break-out sessions included topics on finances, responding to microagressions and leadership in academic medicine.
At the end of the day, attendees spent time creating gift bags for women seeking help at local YWCA women’s shelters.