Women in Medicine: “An Awesome Responsibility”

WIM_Month

September is Women in Medicine Month, which showcases the accomplishments of women physicians and highlights organized medicine’s advocacy related to women physicians and the health issues female patients face. 

The Texas Medical Association has taken steps to recognize the important work of women physicians in Texas and to help them tackle the unique challenges they encounter. 

As part of that effort, TMA in May created a Women in Medicine section, which held its first organizational meeting at the Fall Conference on Saturday. 

The Women in Medicine Section will help develop official policy, programming, and services to ensure that women are well-represented within TMA. 

Texas Medicine asked several physicians who attended the section’s inaugural meeting what it means to be a woman in medicine in 2019. Below are their answers.


WIM_Month_Rebello

To me this is a wonderful time in medicine for women. There are many, many opportunities, and I am committed to the growth and development of women leading medicine.

– Elizabeth Rebello, MD, anesthesiology, Houston


WIM_Month_Teng

For me as an OB/Gyn, it’s my job to take care of women, so I have multiple responsibilities in terms of not only patient care and advocating for my patients.

– Rebecca Teng, MD, OB/Gyn, Round Rock


WIM_Month_Soni

It’s a privilege actually. I think the community is coming together to serve the needs of female physicians, and I’m very excited about that. Though women comprise the rank-and-file physicians in many organizations, I think there is a lack of representation in the corporate boardroom.

– Ruhi Singh Soni, MD, ophthalmology, Houston


WIM_Month_Fuller

It’s individualized yet multifaceted: We represent our patients, we represent families, we represent other women in medicine, and it’s an awesome responsibility.

– Deborah Fuller, MD, OB/Gyn, Dallas


WIM_Month_Mehta

My vision would be women would be equal partners in the business of medicine, which we are not right now. We are lagging behind in leadership roles in academic centers, also for organized medicine associations, also the hospitals or pharmaceutical companies, or research. Women are not in leadership for several reasons, but if we can come together, and make a goal that we want to make that as a priority, I think we can come together to do it. And we are going to need help from all the women and all the men to make it happen.

– Sejal Mehta, MD, psychiatry; Plano

Last Updated On

September 16, 2019

Originally Published On

September 16, 2019

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