Episode 101 SheMD

“SheMD” with our hosts Andy Little, DO; Drew Kalnow, DO; Tanner Gronowski, DO; and John Casey, DO, and our guests Alexandra Mannix, MD and Melissa Parsons, MD.

 

Post by Patricia Capone, OMS III

Why SheMD? Where did you come up with the idea?

After meeting in residency Lexie and Melissa realized they both had a passion for gender equality. They started a women’s group at their program and individually started blogging. After a while, they decided to join forces in order to reach a larger audience. Their main goal initially was to bring the conversation to women in medical education; particularly pre-med students, medical students, and residents. At the time, there seemed to be more information geared towards female attending EM physicians focusing on what it’s like to be a faculty member or a mom and an EM physician.

Work-life integration for women in medicine:

• As life changes, you learn to adjust to those changes and new demands
• To-do lists and schedules can be a huge help
• Don’t listen when people tell you that you can only pursue certain specialties or careers if you plan to have a family.
• You create the life that you want
• You can have everything you want. You just can’t do it all at the same time.
• You’re going to have to ask for help. You have to have a partner that’s a real partner.
• COVID has disproportionally impacted women’s work-life integration.
  • Studies are showing:
    • The number of female first author publications that have come out since covid has dropped 19%
    • A disproportionate amount of childcare has fallen on women
    • COVID has exaggerated the gender-pay gap for physicians

How male physicians are playing into the problem and how they can help?

• Be a part of the conversation!
• Be aware of resources like SheMD that bring awareness to problems like the gender pay gap and the gender leadership gap
• Read the literature in order to be able to have an academic discussion about it
• Reinforcing to patients that your female colleagues are physicians when patients are mistaking them for someone other than a doctor
• Using gender-neutral language
• Sponsor your female colleagues by:
  • Nominating them for awards
  • Offering them opportunities for growth
  • Being more cognizant of who is on your personal cabinet/board of directors and being more intentional about adding them in.

Why should someone follow SheMD?

• They have a “Why {Specialty}” series where women from different specialties explain their experience with being a woman in their field.
• They have lots of medical education information like preparing for interviews and making your match list.
• Their social media pages and the Journal Club tab on their website has lots of relevant and current literature particularly as it pertains to gender equality

 

Listen to Episode 101 SheMD

 

About Our Guests:

Dr. Alexandra “Lexie” Mannix is an Assistant Program Director of Emergency Medicine and Assistant Clerkship Director and Univserity of Florida – Jacksonville, as well as Medical Director of the UF Center for Simulation and Safety Research. She is also co-creator and Editor-In-Chief of sheMD.org.

Dr. Melissa Parsons is an Assistant Program Director of Emergency Medicine and Assistant Professor at University of Florida – Jacksonville. She is also co-creator and Editor-In-Chief of sheMD.org.

 

Looking For More?

More from SheMD: Follow them on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and check out their blog site at www.sheMD.org.

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As the OFFICIAL podcast of the ACOEP, be sure to check out the ACOEP by visiting aceop.org to learn more and to sign up for one of their many CME offerings.

 

References:

1. www.sheMD.org
2. https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2017/11/lifting-women-physicians-makes-us-better.html
3. https://www.physiciansweekly.com/how-to-empower-more-women-physicians/