National Women Physicians Day: Top stories marking accomplishments of women in medicine

Key takeaways:

• Women have continued achieving prestigious positions in the medical community.
• Women physicians are speaking up about their challenges in the workforce.

Founded in 2017 by the National Day Calendar and the Physician Moms Group, National Women Physicians Day is a time where the medical community can honor the path that female doctors have paved through history.

Feb. 3 was chosen as National Women Physicians Day to honor the birth of Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell, the first woman to receive a medical degree in the United States in 1849. Her actions spurred a movement where women were able to begin entering the medical field, making their mark as equals.

Today, we not only celebrate the hard work that women have done to get here but also acknowledge the improvements that still need to be made for women in the medical workplace.

Healio Dermatology has gathered the top stories from across specialties to honor women physicians, highlighting their achievements and continuing battles.

Philadelphia-based dermatologist to lead AAD as 2025 president

Healio published the news that Susan C. Taylor, MD, FAAD was named the sixth woman and first dermatologist of African American descent to be president of the American Academy of Dermatology as of April 10, 2023. Taylor will be installed as president-elect in March 2024 and will begin her tenure in March 2025. Read more.

Women in leadership address barriers, balance, mentorship

Healio covered a story highlighting a critical point in history — for the first time ever, the presidents of the leading national and international pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine organizations are currently all women. To honor this fact, Healio interviewed a panel of women physicians who spoke about their barriers to leadership, work-life balance struggles and mentorship experiences. Read more.

Career-related pressures influence childbearing decisions among women physicians

This story discusses the unique challenges that women physicians face as they try to balance their career aspirations and dreams of motherhood. According to the article, many women physicians reported that career-related pressures have influenced pregnancy timing, affected their fertility and resulted in career trajectory changes to accommodate family building and parenthood. Read more.

Expert confronts challenges of U.S. health care system through ‘lens of women physicians’

According to this article, one of the major challenges of the U.S. health care system is that it formed during a time when not many women were a part of the workforce. As a result, the system has made it difficult for women to succeed in medicine. Read more.

Senate confirms Monica M. Bertagnolli, MD, as NIH director

On Nov. 7, 2023, the Senate confirmed Monica M. Bertagnolli, MD, FACS, FASCO, as director of the NIH, making her the second women ever to hold the position. “Dr. Bertagnolli’s experience in all aspects of medical research, clinical care and commitment to advancing science, as well as her own experience as a patient, make her the ideal leader for NIH and we know that she will accomplish remarkable things during this exciting time in science,” Clifford A. Hudis, MD, FACP, FASCO, CEO of ASCO, said in a society-issued statement. Read more.

Reference

NATIONAL WOMEN PHYSICIANS DAY - February 3. https://www.nationaldaycalendar.com/national-day/national-women-physicians-day-february-3. Accessed Jan. 31, 2024.