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Women Surgeons Committee (WSC)

As many are aware, medical school graduates have been balanced between the sexes for the past 20 years but women remain an underrepresented minority in the surgical specialties. While women comprise between 5-21% of our respective subspecialties, residency demographics suggest an increasing number of women entering these fields.

Due to reduced rates of promoting women to leadership roles, this rising generation of women suffer from a paucity of senior women surgical leaders to provide the guidance, sponsorship and mentorship required for success in academic medicine. In addition, female surgeons also face many unique challenges that would benefit from enhanced opportunities for networking, mentoring, and career development.

To help support women in their careers, we have established a Women Surgeons Committee, inclusive of the departments of Surgery, Neurosurgery, Ophthalmology and Orthopedics. This committee will promote women and diversity, recognize their unique role as surgeons and mothers, establish cross-specialty mentorship opportunities, and create a community for backing and promotion. 

 

BSD Women's Committee

The University of Chicago basic sciences division announces the formation of a BSD wide women’s committee with representation from all divisions and departments. Our hope is that the women’s surgeons committee can work hand-in-hand with the newly formed BSD women’s committee in collaboration for gender equity and inclusion, advocacy, mentorship and networking, and career development. Introducing the BSD women’s committee!

Co-chairs:
Laura Douglass (Obstetrics and Gynocology)
Sara Wallace (Orthopedic Surgery and Rehabilitation Medicine)
Alexis Warren (Ophthalmology and Visual Science)

From left to right:
Julie Oyler (Medicine)
Sally Horne-Badovinac (Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology)
Ellen Choi (Anesthesia and Critical Care)
Deborah Nelson (Pharmacological and Physiological Sciences)
Carrie Fitzpatrick (Pathology)
Doriane Miller (Medicine)
Anna Volerman (Medicine)
Daniela Del Gaudio (Human Genetics)
Kimberley McGee (OFA)
Marion Henry (Surgery)
Laura Douglass (Obstetrics and Gynocology)
Sara Wallace (Orthopedic Surgery and Rehabilitation Medicine)

Not pictured:
Victoria Price (Organismal Biology and Anatomy)
Kate Burrows (Public Health Sciences)
Allison Law (Family Medicine)
Margaret Kay-Stacey (Neurology)
Alexis Warren (Ophthalmology and Visual Science)
Wendy Darlington (Pediatrics)
Aftab Zehra (Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience)
Carina Yang (Radiology)
Christina Roman (DEI Liaison)
Kathy Jones (OFA)

Women Surgeons Executive Committee

Past Chairs

Opportunities to become a board member are available! Please reach out to swallace2@bsd.uchicago.edu.

Advocacy: Advocating for support for the needs specific to women surgeons (increased burnout among female surgeons, lactation rooms, pump slots in clinic, daycare and emergency backup childcare support, etc). There will also be the opportunity to work with the Medicine and Pediatric Women's committees to have a broader reach and voice.

dana

Dana Suskind, MD

Professor of Surgery and Pediatrics

Newsletter and Website: Publish and update twice a year highlighting the accomplishments of women surgeons and work of the committee.  

shubeck

Sarah Shubeck, MD

Assistant Professor of General Surgery

Nominations:  Identify and promote nominations of qualified women for leadership roles, awards, and career opportunities (within the University, locally, and nationally).  Develop and track metrics to assure participation by women in Departmental activities.

sara

Sara S. Wallace, MD

Assistant Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation Medicine

Research:  Perform research on the potential gaps identified and initiatives to help assess their efficacy and contribute to the broader knowledge on women's initiatives within medicine.

MCH

Marion Henry, MD

Professor of Pediatric Surgery

Medical Student:  Serve as the outreach mechanism for female Pritzker students interested in surgical careers, provide information, mentors and career guidance.  Assist with social media outreach.

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Allison Ostdiek, DVM, PhD, DACLAM

Director of Large Animal Clinical Services, Assistant Professor of Surgery

Membership:  Tracks female faculty and trainees, annual poll to assess health and wellbeing of female faculty and trainees.  

Dr. Alexis Warren

Alexis Warren, MD

Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology, Vice Chair of DEI, Well Being Director

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Kyra Nicholson, MD

General Surgery Resident PGY-2R

 
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Connect with WSC!

Instagram: @ucmcwomensurgeons 

Twitter: @UCMCWomenSurg

One of the things we’d love to start doing is to join in on an initiative of the Association of Women Surgeons (AWS) Instagram account - #womenoperatingwednesday

Every Wednesday the AWS account features a photo of an all-female or majority-female team at work in the operating room, clinics, or trauma bay.

Next time you find yourself operating with some of your fellow female surgeons, snap a pic (HIPAA compliant please!) and send to Lea Hoefer (Instagram) and/or Ann Polcari (Twitter) to be featured as our next #womenoperatingwednesday. Feel free to send us any other news, publications, photos, or accomplishments you would like us to feature on the social media pages as well.