by Star Ye, MD

Dr. Jori May with Dr. Lisa Willett

The demographic landscape of physicians has changed drastically over the past 50 years, but perhaps certain perceptions haven’t evolved in the same way. Women now account for over one-third of practicing physicians and almost half of students enrolled in medical school. This is significant progress compared to 1966 when only 7% of graduating students were women. With the increasing presence of women in medicine, certain challenges unique to women become more evident.

There are very tangible issues that are often debated including disparities in gender pay and women in leadership roles. There has been increasing focus on these issues over the years. However, there are still issues left unaddressed such as gender-related unconscious biases and macroaggressions, as well as support for new mothers while in training and practice.

These issues inspired Dr. Jori May and Dr. Lisa Willett to take action. Dr. May is currently in her second year of fellowship training at UAB’s Hematology and Oncology program. She is also a beloved former Chief Medical Resident of UAB’s Tinsley Harrison Internal Medicine Residency Program. Dr. May states she simply saw a need for female physicians within the Department of Medicine to come together to navigate the challenges they face.

With the collaborative efforts of Dr. May and Dr. Willet, the Department of Medicine Women in Medicine Series was established in 2017. The Women in Medicine Series provides bi-monthly meetings for women physicians within the department to discuss issues relevant to being a woman in medicine. For example, topics have previously encompassed career planning and contract negotiation which are led by women physicians within the department. Dr. May believes these meetings foster a network of support and mentorship amongst women physicians while also increasing awareness of gender related disparities and challenges in medicine.  

By providing a safe space to discuss and tackle these challenges together, Dr. May notes the experience will ultimately serve as “inspiration” empowering women physicians to advocate for others.

Reference: Khullar, D. (2017). Being a Doctor is hard. It’s harder for women. The New York Times