Speaker: Women physicians should focus on self-promotion, taking risks to advance careers
Similar to preparing for a marathon, women physicians should have a training plan for progressing in their career and know where they want to go and how to get there, according to a presenter at the Women In Medicine Summit.
When beginning a career in medicine, Monica Verduzco-Gutierrez, MD, professor and chair of the department of rehabilitation medicine at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio Long School of Medicine, said it is important for physicians to pace themselves to avoid burn out.
“When you are starting a race, yes, you want to work hard, but that is the number one race mistake that people make is that they start too fast,” Verduzco-Gutierrez said during her presentation. “You have to pace yourself and go in with the right fuel. So, that means if you are going to do a marathon you cannot go in and not plan to drink any water or have any kind of other fueling strategies.”
Women physicians should remember to promote themselves and take risks to advance in their careers, such as applying for positions they may not feel qualified for, according to Verduzco-Gutierrez.
“Have an elevator speech about yourself if you ever meet anyone,” Verduzco-Gutierrez said. “Make your resume a management resume, meaning what did you actually do in each of the positions that you have held?”
She added women physicians should find mentors to help advocate for them.
“It is nice to have people to look up to,” Verduzco-Gutierrez said. “You cannot just go into a training plan and say, ‘Who knows what I am going to do?’”
Verduzco-Gutierrez noted women physicians should also insist on sponsorship beyond mentorship, as well as support other physicians and create opportunities for others throughout their careers. One way physicians can create connections and opportunities with other physicians is through social media, according to Verduzco-Gutierrez.
“As women physicians, we know [disparities in the health care workforce are] happening even worse during the COVID pandemic,” Verduzco-Gutierrez said. “Encourage the same passion and support for other women in your field and the women around you. People need support more than ever at this time.”
Overall, Verduzco-Gutierrez noted it is important for physicians to remind themselves about what brings them passion as well as what drives them to excel and be a leader.
“For me, it’s people,” Verduzco-Gutierrez said. “Not just the patients, but the people that I interact with and the students and the learners. Being the person that they can see just like I had that one person in my whole town who I could see and say that is something I can be.”
Collapse
Verduzco-Gutierrez M. On becoming a chair: A marathon and a sprint. Presented at: Women In Medicine Summit; Sept. 24-25, 2021 (virtual meeting).
Read more about