September represents so many beautiful things – the cool breeze is cutting through the Texas heat, football season is starting, the kids are back at school and we’re catching a groove in our routine, the fall holidays are around the corner, and most importantly, it’s the American Medical Association’s Women in Medicine Month!
When I reflect on what Women in Medicine Month means to me, I am filled with gratitude to the women physicians who have come before me to make this career path a possibility for myself and my colleagues. They broke down barriers, exceeded expectations, and relentlessly followed their intuition to make lasting changes to the field. As an organization, TAFP has been shaped and strengthened by the leadership of women physicians over the years. This fall TAFP will install Lindsay Botsford, MD, MBA, as president, and our two most recent board chairs were Emily Briggs, MD, MPH, and Mary Nguyen, MD. TAFP also has a long history of inspiring female leaders, like Nancy Dickey, MD; Sheri Talley, MD; Leah Raye Mabry, MD; Erica Swegler, MD; Linda Siy, MD, and others. It’s a privilege to be part of an organization that continues to have strong leadership representation from women physicians across the state.
The beauty of being a woman in medicine is being able to utilize our unique life experiences to shape our approach to practice and advocacy efforts in the face of adversity. In addition to formal medical training, I have been able to experience the field of medicine as a pregnant patient, a mother to children, and a daughter to aging parents. With these additional lenses through which to view our field, I’ve come to understand the intricacies and challenges of my role as a caregiver. I’ve learned that being vulnerable, asking for help, and taking care of myself are essential to being a resilient female physician.
The importance of support systems that women physicians have created for themselves as doctors, individuals, family members, colleagues, influencers, policymakers, faculty, entrepreneurs, leaders, and beyond has also become clear to me. We have an inherent drive to work collectively toward a goal and lift one another up through mentorship, sponsorship, and camaraderie. As a result, women physicians have been changing the landscape of medicine, now accounting for more than one third of active physicians. Women are entering the field at increasing rates and are rising to the challenge of strengthening their presence in some of the largest specialties.
I invite you to join me in celebrating Women in Medicine Month by continuing to dream of our next steps in pioneering our profession, building up our presence as leaders in our field, advocating for physician friendly health care policy, and bolstering one another to continue providing compassionate care for our patients, community members, and loved ones. After you’ve reflected on what your bold dreams are, put them into action. This may take the form of joining or creating an initiative with TAFP, AAFP, within your practice, or within your community. Share what you’re doing with friends, colleagues, and, most importantly, young females who have expressed interest in our profession. Bring them into your inner circle, answer their questions, share your passions with them, and show them how much of an incredible impact you have on those around you, in whatever chapter of life you find yourself. There is plenty of work to be done and I know that we are well equipped to succeed in continuing to pave the way for future generations. What better time than September to make these dreams into reality?
Jessica Nu Glick, DO, is employed as a direct primary care physician at First Primary Care in Houston, Texas. She has special interests in obesity medicine, process improvement initiatives, and promoting physician well-being.