Women in Medicine and Science Leadership Conference recap
By Rebekah Bernard, MD
On Friday, April 4, physicians from across the state met in Jacksonville for the University of Florida College of Medicine-Jacksonville’s Women in Medicine and Science (WIMS) Leadership Conference. Co-sponsored by the FMA, the conference was organized and planned by UF Associate Dean for Faculty and Engagement Madeline Joseph, MD, along with WIMS Executive Committee Chair Tracy Ashby, DO, and Vice Chair Rachel Carpenter, MD.
Focusing on the theme “Getting Unstuck – Crafting Your Journey to Work-Life Excellence,” the conference was packed with outstanding speakers, breakout sessions, and networking opportunities. After introductory remarks by Dr. Joseph, FMA President Lisa Cosgrove, MD, shared the importance of community for women in medicine.
“The conference theme is spot on because our professional and personal lives are always in motion,” said Dr. Cosgrove. “As someone who raised three sons during my career as a practicing pediatrician, I can honestly say that one of the most important things you can do to meet those challenges is to remain in community with other physicians.” Dr. Cosgrove pointed out that organized medicine is an important source of connection, as well as mentorship and inspiration from women in medical leadership.
Dr. Cosgrove mentioned the advances that she has seen for women in medicine during her career. “I'm a third-generation physician who worked as a nurse at Miami Children's Hospital before going to medical school,” she said. “When I started practicing medicine in 1984, women made up about 16 percent of the country's physician workforce compared to 38 percent today.” She noted that women now represent more than 54 percent of medical students in the United States. “To put that in perspective, there were two women in my father's medical school class at the University of Arkansas.”
Connecting to your ‘why’
American Academy of Pediatrics President Susan Kressly, MD, followed Dr. Cosgrove’s remarks with an inspiring talk that included advice on getting “unstuck” in today’s maze-like healthcare environment.
“You need to get high enough to look down and see where the exits are for your personal and career trajectory,” she said. Dr. Kressly added that while we may not have control over our circumstances, we can control our thoughts and decisions.
“You can reframe how you think about things,” she said. “You can reframe your message when you're trying to influence change in your organization or your personal life. You can decide how much you're going to let others and other external forces personally impact you and put guardrails around how much it's going to impact you.”
When it comes to practicing and leading during uncertain times, Dr. Kressly said that it’s critical to stay grounded and connected to your “why.”
“Know yourself; be honest with yourself,” she said. “Just like different plants need certain environments and nutrients to keep growing, I can be like a cactus, running on almost anything to survive – but if I’m planted in the wrong climate, I’m not going to thrive.”
Self-awareness is critical, including understanding what you need to feel fulfilled. “Make sure that you’re getting a daily dose of something that fills your cup,” said Dr. Kressly, who noted that being a voice for children and instilling hope in trainees keeps her motivated. “There is nothing more satisfying as a leader than mentoring yourself out of a job,” she said.
Most importantly, Dr. Kressly urged physicians to keep fighting for patients.
“Every opportunity that physicians don’t show up (for) is a lost chance to influence what happens for our patients,” she said. “You are planting seeds for the future. Every day you show up is a better day for patients.”
Fertility, mindfulness, and ‘appreciative inquiry’
Following Dr. Kressly was a panel discussion on family planning and reproductive care conversations for physicians. Reproductive endocrinologist and fertility specialist Samuel Brown, MD, discussed the importance of having early talks about fertility preservation and cutting-edge treatments, and Karen Whalen, PharmD, provided an overview of fertility medications. Melissa Parsons-Tucker, MD, shared her story of fertility treatments and her research showing that women who are physicians face a far higher rate of infertility than the general population. She emphasized the importance of talking with each other about our struggles and seeking psychological support.
Dr. Cosgrove discussed her experiences with fertility, pregnancy loss, and raising children as a working physician. I also shared my own story of fertility challenges and ultimate decision not to have children. Research shows that 15-20% of women in the physician workforce are child-free.
Psychiatrist Rachel Carpenter, MD, led an “Introduction to Mindful Eating” session before lunch, and afternoon sessions began with speaker Rania Sanford, EdD, executive director of the Stanford Physician Leadership Certificate Program. She shared the technique of “appreciative inquiry” to bring out the best in team members – an approach that involves questioning assumptions, applying observation brainstorming, and experimentation to diagnose and solve problems. Attendees had the opportunity to practice appreciative inquiry during breakout sessions.
Other breakout sessions included a mindfulness workshop led by members of the UF-Jacksonville psychiatry department (Rachel Carpenter, MD, Kitty Leung, MD, and Amal Bhullar, MD) and a session on artificial intelligence, “Pixels to Possibilities: Enhancing Medical Education with AI Image Generation,” led by Colleen Kalynych, EdD, and Jessica O'Leary, PhD.
The conference concluded with closing remarks from Dr. Joseph and a cocktail hour for networking. Participants shared many positive comments about feeling energized and motivated from the sessions as well as spending time with other women in medicine. The FMA looks forward to working with UF-Jacksonville in support of next year’s WIMS conference, and we hope that you will consider attending this fantastic event!
FMA Board of Governors member Rebekah Bernard, MD, is a family physician, author, and physician wellness expert with a practice, Gulf Coast Direct Primary Care, in Fort Myers. Dr. Bernard is also chair of the FMA Women’s Physician Committee. She is the author of four books, including “Imposter Doctors: Patients at Risk,” and has written frequently for Medical Economics and KevinMD.