6th Annual Women Leaders in Medicine Awards and Reception

"Do you know a female physician who is changing the world?
Nomination Submission Deadline: October 1, 2012 (5pm ET)

The Women Leaders in Medicine (WLIM) awards were created by AMSA in 2007 to recognize women physicians and educators who are changing the face of medicine through their lives, their professions, or their teaching. These women deserve recognition for their accomplishments and dedication to fostering tomorrow’s women leaders in medicine.

We are currently accepting nominations for the 2013 WLIM awards. All medical and premedical students are encouraged to fill out the simple online form and tell us about an inspiring woman who has influenced the student's medical career. They could be professors that you’ve had or they could be women who you have never met but have impacted your careers through their amazing work.

The recipients will be invited to attend the AMSA Annual Convention in March 2013 to receive their award at a special reception. Many of our past awardees have considered their Women Leaders in Medicine award a truly meaningful honor because it comes directly from the voices of students. At AMSA, we hope to give back some recognition to these amazing women in addition to generating awareness about the importance of fostering leadership in medicine that promotes healthy change and equality in care and professional opportunity for all physicians-in-training.

This year will be an extra special reception as it will coincide with the International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations (IFMSA) 62nd General Assembly in Washington DC. In honor of this momentous gathering, special attention will be paid to nominees who have had an impact on the global stage. We hope you will join us at AMSA's Annual Convention for the Annual Women Leaders in Medicine reception as we announce this year’s recipients!"

http://www.amsa.org/AMSA/Homepage/Events/Convention/WLIM.aspx

Full circle

Pesach is over.  How did that happen?  I blinked (and cried) and the week flew by.  Clinical duties, studying, break ups, and the rest of life very much got in the way of observing the holiday with true kavaneh this year.  Instead of "next year in Jerusalem", this year I'm saying "next year with more kavenah and ruach."

This weekend I'm presenting at an activist reproductive rights conference. This annual conference is where I got my start.  This is the place where I decided I wanted to be a doctor and an abortion provider and where I learned to be an activist and advocate for the whole complex plethora of women's health issues.  It is somewhat surreal being back here, surrounded by old familiar faces and young bright-eyed budding activists, coming full circle with my roots.  It is also re-energizing.  I'm filling my senses with everything reproductive health related.  Currently I'm fixated on unpacking an amazing workshop I went to this afternoon on "pink boys": how to break down gender binaries in education, how to parent non-conforming children, the importance of media literacy, and so much more.  Hopefully, if I successfully process all that I learned in those 2 hours, I'll be able to post more about. 

In the meantime I'm going to do a few psych questions and then crash for the night.   Life as a medical student: studying trumps all, even when I'm away at a conference, even when I'm reliving my good ol' college days.

5th Annual Women Leaders in Medicine Awards and Reception

(taken from http://www.amsa.org/AMSA/Homepage/Events/Convention/WLIM.aspx, which is also where the application can be found.)

The submission deadline for nominations is Sept. 9, 2011 at 11:59 pm ET. 

Thank you for your interest!

The Women Leaders in Medicine awards were created by AMSA in 2007 to recognize women physicians and educators who serve as role models, teachers, highly accomplished professionals, and sources of inspiration for women and men who are currently in their medical training. These women deserve recognition for their accomplishments and dedication to fostering tomorrow’s women leaders in medicine.

We are currently accepting nominations for this year's WLIM awards. Medical and premedical students are encouraged to fill out our simple online form and tell us about an inspiring woman who has influenced the student's medical career.

Between four and six women are selected and invited to attend the AMSA National Convention in March to receive their award at a special reception. Many of our past awardees have considered their Women Leaders in Medicine award a truly meaningful honor because it comes directly from the voices of students. At AMSA, we hope to give back some recognition to these amazing women in addition to generating awareness about the importance of fostering leadership in medicine that promotes healthy change and equality in care and professional opportunity for women and men.

This year will be an extra special reception as we celebrate the fifth year of this inspiring event. We hope you will join us at AMSA's Annual Convention for the Annual Women Leaders in Medicine reception as we announce this year’s recipients!

The flip side

Since last posting I've moved apartments, progressed to a 3rd year medical student, and gained a year on my age. I surpassed Step 1 and now am just praying that I passed as I patiently wait for my score. I've also passively watched as state governments have chipped away more and more on abortion access. It seems that as I get closer to my role of a comprehensive reproductive health care provider, reproductive health care becomes more and more restricted.

This week [after passover ends] I'll be in 2 different states: flying to one state for a national leadership retreat and then to another to present a poster of my summer research. When I return, next Tuesday, I begin my clinical rotations!!! So I have until next Tuesday to learn how to keep my [very] liberal views to myself as I gain on the job training from superiors...

Here is a little secret: we're all going to die

I don't think that by stating this inevitable fact I'm bringing on the grim reaper or evil eye, but just in case: poo poo poo. I don't mean to be morbid. I also don't mean that we're all going to die NOW. What I mean is quiet simple: sooner or later, each in our own time, our lives will end in death. After all, did we not learn anything from Disney's "The Lion King" about the circle of life?

My week in London was surrounded by Jews and learning. I was at a 6 day conference with over 2200 people and >400 sessions to choose from. It was kind of like summer camp for grown-ups, expect on steroids. We woke up early to pray and learn, kept our noses in text all day, and then chatted, sung, and danced late into the night.

Many of the sessions I attended related to medical ethics. I went to one on Talmudic tips for breast feeding (one should breast feed up until age 2, tsniout is not an issue), another on sexuality outside of marriage (the realization that humans are inherently sexual), another on what the torah has to say on resource allocation in socialist health care (we are obligated to save lives), another on whose life are you obligated to save (2 people, 1 water bottle...), etc...

However, the sessions on halakhic organ donation, on brain death vs. heart death, and on assisted dying are the ones I feel compelled to talk about here. The common theme in these sessions, and something that I see often in medical school, is that our culture is afraid of death. We're afraid to think about it and talk about; as if doing so will make it happen to us. Doctors seem to be the worst at this: often scared to admit that we can't save all our patients from their inevitable death. However, this fear isn't helping anyone. It means that rumors and superstition are allowed to spread rampant, loved ones are left to make choices without guidance, and that end of life care is much more invasive and costly than is necessary.

I believe this all can be changed with a few simple steps. I urge you to consider doing 1 or all of the following:
1) Think about becoming an organ donor. Get the truth on Judaism and organ donation. We don't want to think about dying young or about someone taking out parts of us; but remember that saving a life is the BIGGEST mitzvah one could do. Also, that livers have been donated from people in their 90s! Signing up to be a donor doesn't mean your destined to become one; if this were the case, there wouldn't be an organ shortage.
2) Talk to your family and friends. Let them know how you feel about end of life care and about what you decisions you hope they would make for you. Have these conversations often and under the auspice that our choices will evolve as our lives evolve. By having these conversations, you'll save your loved lots of grief and confusion; allowing them to know their living out your will.
3) Create a living will. Assign a medical power of aterny/health proxy. Use the legal framework in your favor to know that your wishes will be upheld in the event that you are unable to make the decisions yourself.

Words of Choice

“What is a good and RATIONAL reason to have a baby?"

This question was posed to us at a really wonderful “Words of Choice” workshop, which I had the opportunity to attend at this weekend’s conference. The workshop was facilitated by Joan; a well spoken, spunky, experienced, and passionate activist who shared insightful wisdom. With her blessing, I’d like to pass on a brief cliff-notes version of some of the thoughts and practical ideas that were presented. Please note that my writing cannot actually give this workshop justice.

The follow-up to the above question: It is pretty difficult to determine rational reasons to have babies. So, why do we expect such reasons from those choosing to not be pregnant?

General advice we were given about responding to anti-abortion rhetoric:

-Take a deep breath and then speak on the out-breath; this will lower your voice, giving you more authority. It will also help to keep you calm.

-Give a fact and move on

-Briefly state personal opinion

-Offer a generalized statement to recognize the complex philosophy

-Agree to disagree

Drum roll for my favorite piece of advice….

–Instead of holding tension in your back, shoulders & neck during these interactions, do kegels! Improving your sex life totally beats a life of stressed induced back pain.

Specific ideas that were suggested to respond to rhetoric with:

-“Women regret abortions” --> “Any major life decision has the possibility of regret -why should this one be different?”

-“You’re going to hell” --> “I’ll see you there”

-Someone making a threat on you/your family -->“What I am doing is legal, threatening me is not”

-“What if your mother had aborted you?” --> “Then I wouldn’t be standing here dealing with you”

-“Baby killer” --> “I’m proud to offer this service, babies are too important to be an accident”

-“Why is the mother more important?” --> “The mother already exists, and a child needs a strong & ready mother.”

Some other comments:

-"My concern is for the living children in this world who aren't getting their needs met. That’s where I would rather focus my energy.”

-“I didn’t go into this [providing abortions] to become a judge, therefore woman’s well thought out choices are all valid to me”

-“If one believes that the soul is immortal...then for the soul, having an abortion is like missing the bus - the soul will wait around for the right woman to carry it when the time is right.”

-“Human life is too important for there to not be choice present.”

One of the best parts of this workshop, which I can’t sum up here, was the opportunity to think/talk through my own ideology in a safe space. I recognize that my opinions, experiences, and beliefs will develop as I continue on this path to becoming a provider. (They already have shifted a bit over my past year and a half in medical school.) I recognize that in order to allow for this growth and ensure that I don’t burnout, having these safe spaces are so important. Besides being grateful for the overall session, I’m super excited about all the kegels in my future!

Where is the line?

I've been thinking and talking a lot about abortion today. Day dreaming about women's reproductive health isn't totally uncommon for me, but because of the Med Students for Choice national conference I was at this weekend, it is especially on my mind. The conference was such a high. A total reminder of why I was drawn to medicine in the first place, what I hope to accomplish in my career, and that there is a world of like minded peers out there (even if I am separated from the majority of them by the Mason-Dixon line).

I have so much I want to tell you about the conference. I took notes during the workshops which include many ideas for blog posts scribbled in the margins. These posts will (hopefully) come in due time. Once I have finished processing, caught up on sleep, and no longer feel like I am drowning in renal pathology. Okay, okay, maybe I wont wait that long; but I am not yet ready to post about it all tonight.

In the meantime, I received a gchat message from a classmate today. A classmate that is very much a friend. This was the message: "http://www.makearightchoice.com/index.htm
that's an interesting website i found in my research. thought you might want to take a look. "

I can't tell what his intentions were for sharing with this me. Was this in response to my attending the conference? Or did he really just want to bring it to my attention that such websites exist? I am (pretty) sure he didn't mean it to be threatening or an intervention, but regardless of the intentions, it still stung a little. This is someone who I deeply respect, conservative views and all. We dialogue about our opinions, we agree to disagree, and we normally are very respectful of the other's perspective and ideology when interacting. However, intentional or subconscious, I feel that this crosses a line. This plays into my fears about the path that I am on. Regardless of my fear of overt or subtle harassment, I WILL NOT stop being an advocate for abortion and I WILL continue on my path to becoming a provider.

post conference blues

I spent the weekend in a hotel filled with activist medical students. It was insightful, inspiring, and empowering. It also gave me a glimpse of what my future career as a doctor might actually look like. I bonded with classmates, reconnected with old friends, and made new ones. I will be blogging much more about it in the days to come.

The plane landed back home an hour and a half ago, returning me to my reality. I leave these conferences empowered yet also impatient and discouraged. I already miss being around so many like minded peers. I am back in the conservative south and back to the demanding life of medical school. I am also overwhelmed with all that I have to accomplish in the next 2 weeks before winter break, and needing to start my step 1 studying. Most importantly right now is my mph paper that is due at 12pm tomorrow. High-ho, high-ho, it is off to writing I go!

p.s. This weekend also reminded me how happy snow makes me! Yes, I know, this (along with many other things) makes me weird.