In my college admission essays, I wrote about my shortcomings as a high school athlete and student in pursuit of one day becoming a doctor. In my medical school personal statement, I again wrote about many failures I experienced as a collegiate athlete, still in pursuit of medical education. Today, as a newly dubbed “Student Doctor” after officially passing the USMLE Step 1 board exam, I again feel compelled to rehash the most devastating, embarrassing, humbling, I- might-just-quit-this-dang-thing moments of my life. Why, after an objectively exciting achievement, would I choose to remember t ..read more

Here at sheMD, we believe in the importance of practicing Evidence-Based Medicine. We believe the same principles apply to discussing Gender and Medical Education. Therefore, we are bringing you an entire Journal Club series! Our series will focus on foundational and new literature within the gender and medicine space.   Today, we will be discussing the article entitled, The Impact of COVID-19 on the Gender Distribution of Emergency Medicine Journal Authors.  ,,https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0735675721005404?via%3Dihub Why is this article important?  E ..read more

Hi friends, I’m Dorothy. I’m currently a PGY1 in obstetrics and gynecology, and I’m here to share with you a little bit about what intern life is like! I’m about four months into my first year of residency and I think I’m starting to get used to the flow of things. To start things off, I wanted to share what a typical day for me as an OB/GYN intern looks like. In my program, as interns get to do half of our rotations in OB or GYN and the other half in “outside rotations”. This means we get the opportunity to rotate in other specialties, including IM, ICU, ER, general surgery, and NICU. The re ..read more

Wondering if you can be a doctor and have a family? Or how you can manage being a parent AND a physician? We are bringing you stories of female physicians that prove you CAN do it! Dr. Sriraman joins us on the blog to discuss "mommy guilt" and how our children REALLY see us, as incredible Moms in Medicine. Flashback, 2004. I introduce myself to a female neighbor who I had never met and we started chatting. At this point, I had 2 kids in diapers (2 ½ and 9 months old) and had recently started my first job after completing fellowship. I was working 3 days/week in a pediatric clinic in an urban ..read more

Trying to figure out what kind of doctor you should become? Wondering what specialty you should choose? Then SheMD's Why Specialty Series is perfect for you! We're bringing you female physicians sharing WHY they chose their specialty. Want to know more about endocrine? Some memories stick with you for a lifetime, and despite the years, the feelings come rushing back when you relive them again in your mind. I will never forget the disappointment I felt at the age of four as I sat in my grandmother’s living room after she handed me my birthday present. I greedily tore off the wrapping paper, ex ..read more

The views expressed are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the United States Navy, Department of Defense, or the US Government. When I accepted my commission into the United States Navy as a first year medical student, I was focused on the good I could do for others. I was excited to use my medical education and clinical skills to care for those who protect and defend the freedoms of the United States. What did not realize, was how much the practice of military medicine would, in turn, give to me as a physician. When surrounded by other medical students ..read more

,“You have to be careful in the cath lab, don’t want to be pregnant and have to be pulled out.” Words of advice from a mentor when expressing my desire to go into cardiology. “I just assumed you wouldn’t be having children with your career path.” Discussion with my family regarding my plans for the future. ,“You’ll match cardiology because you’re female and pretty.” Encouragement from a peer. It is well known and documented that there is a sex discrepancy in cardiology, with women accounting for only 21% of general cardiovascular fellows in training (2). There remains a question as to why. Is ..read more

This post contains affiliate links. SheMD will make a commission at no extra cost to you should you click the link and make a purchase. Read ,our disclosure for more info. It doesn’t matter how many times I prepared myself for the moment. It doesn’t matter that I told all my friends and family to understand that there is a real possibility I might not receive the email that we were all hoping for. There was still a part of me, probably bigger than I realized at the time, that thought this would never happen to me. And then it did. I can’t find the words to describe what I felt when I opened m ..read more

Originally posted at EMDocs.net with direct link to page here. Sitting down to write this, I cursed myself for volunteering in the first place. Yes, I am a woman, yes I am a feminist, yes I am a physician, yes I am in academic leadership for a well-known emergency department… The yes’s are many, but what do I have to say that is so meaningful or useful that people would want to publish it? I write today because I wanted to share some of my perspectives on how to 1) be happy as a woman in EM and 2) how to “make it” as a woman in EM. I know that I have achieved #1.  I am definitely a work ..read more

Starting medical school can be such a big transition in students' lives. It brings along many changes and emotions, and it can be overwhelming! Student Doctor Tanya Thomas joins the blog today to share her best tips on what she wishes she knew when she began medical school! This post contains affiliate links. SheMD will make a commission at no extra cost to you should you click the link and make a purchase. Read ,our disclosure for more info. As I start my 4th year of med school and look back on this incredible journey, there are a few things I wish I did differently, and others I’m so glad I ..read more