As the year ends, I’d like to take a moment to thank everyone on the AWAM Executive Committee and FWIM Committee for their dedication and commitment to our gender equity efforts within the Department.
The Department of Medicine successfully developed and implemented a new transparent, equitable process for nominating candidates for the AAMC Early & Mid-Career Women Faculty Development Seminar tuition award sponsored by the Office of Faculty Promotion & Career Development and the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
Dr. Patricia Litkowski, Assistant Professor of Medicine was awarded tuition support to attend the Early Career Seminar. She shared this about her experience, “I gained practical tools to navigate my professional journey. I left the seminar feeling inspired, more knowledgeable, and with new connections that I think will be helpful as I advance in my career.”
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In early December, three faculty from the Department of Medicine were awarded tuition support and attended the Mid-Career Seminar: Dr. Leslie Gewin, Associate Professor of Medicine, Dr. Anuja Java, Associate Professor of Medicine, and Dr. Nishath Qadar, Associate Professor of Medicine. Dr. Gewin reflects, “The AAMC Mid-Career Women Faculty Leadership Development Seminar was a wonderful opportunity to network with other women at similar career stages, to reflect on my leadership journey, and to learn from women leaders in academic medicine.”
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AWAM welcomed Dr. Dani Zipkin, Professor of Medicine at Duke University, for a three-day visit to learn about the initiatives, programming, and efforts to advance equity across the medical campus. Dr. Zipkin met with leaders across the various departments and school levels during her visit. AWAM, IDEAS, and MEDA jointly hosted Dr. Zipkin for an engaging presentation on “Promotion for Women and Faculty of Color in Academic Medicine: Through the Equity Lens”. The presentation led to a lot of thoughtful discussion by participants. Dr. Zipkin’s visit allowed us to learn about the efforts currently underway at Duke University and promote collaborative efforts between our institutions in the future.
The AWAM and FWIM committees have been productive in scholarly efforts over the past several months. Dr. Maria Baggstrom, Professor of Medicine, presented a poster entitled AWAM: Advancing Women in Academic Medicine at the Daniella Zipkin session that we co-authored. We highlighted the various initiatives we have implemented to help promote equity and advancement of our women faculty in the Department of Medicine.
A second poster presented at the AAMC Learn Serve Lead GWIMS poster session highlighted the FWIM Trainee Leadership Development Program led by Dr. Gayathri Krishnan, Assistant Professor of Medicine.
Dr. Emily Podany, Fellow in the Oncology Program, Dr. Namrata Patel, Assistant Professor of Medicine & Pediatrics, and I co-authored an article entitled, Parenting in Medicine: Navigating Your Way to Work-Life Integration in the Society of General Internal Medicine Forum.
AWAM Leadership Empowerment and Development Award
Nominations are open for the AWAM Leadership Empowerment and Development Award recognizing faculty who support and promote the career advancement of women in the Department of Medicine at WashU Medicine. The deadline is January 13, 2025.
Forum for Women in Medicine (FWIM)
Dr. Namrata Patel continues to create programming for skill-building such as the recent session on overcoming imposter phenomenon with Dr. Leslie Gewin, Associate Professor of Medicine. There have been some community-building events through the DOM Moms and Caregivers subcommittee, including a family day at De Mun Park which included fun for the whole family. Lastly, the FWIM Trainee Leadership Development Program is almost halfway through its 8-month program. Under the leadership of Dr. Gayathri Krishnan, it continues to provide longitudinal leadership development for the trainees in the Department of Medicine.
Upcoming Event
Strategies for Success: Embracing Transitions & Unconventional Pathways
Registration is now open for the 4th Annual Women in Medicine & Science Seminar on April 3, 2025, from 1-5 pm.
