Saturday, March 8, 2008

International Women's Day

 Updated 3/2017-- photos and all links removed as many no longer active.

Today is International Women's Day (IWD). It is the global day meant to connect all women around the world and inspire us to achieve our full potential. This is my wish for all women on this day and every day whatever field or dream they wish to pursue.
Reuters News has a very nice slide show on "Being a Woman". It only begins to touch the surface, but it is worth checking out.

Margaret Allen, MD was born 1948. "She entered the University of California, San Diego Medical School knowing she liked learning how things work, liked to fix problems and liked to work with her hands. A career in cardiothoracic surgery seemed a natural for her, an assumption later born out in 1985 when, working at Stanford University as a resident with famed cardiac pioneer Dr. Norman Shumway, she became the first female surgeon in the United States to transplant a heart."

MORE INSPIRATION
Women Physicians 1850s-1970s; Drexel University College of Medicine Archives & Special Collections
Women in Medicine; University of Virginia Health System
Women in Surgery: Past, Present, and Future; Dixie Mills MD (PDF file)




8 comments:

Bruce said...

Richly deserved! I am honored to work with so many outstanding women in my own specialty.

Are things improving for women in surgery? The playing field is nowhere near level. Like the saying goes, "Ginger Rogers did everything Fred Astaire did, except backwards and in high heels." Still holds.

I am particularly proud of my medical school classmate, Julie Freischlag, MD, who is the William Stewart Halsted Professor and Chair of Surgery at Johns Hopkins. What a dynamo! She is a great human being, a gifted leader, and talented surgeon.

Here's to "Suture for a Living" and women in surgery everywhere!

rlbates said...

Thank you Dr. Campbell.

make mine trauma said...

I had no idea it was "International Women's Day"! Good thing I got to assist on a sigmoid resection in honor of the day.
I have a great respect for female surgeons. So much so, that I am intimidated by them and feel like a bumbling idiot with two left hands when I assist them!

Happy International Women's Day to you, Dr. Bates.

jmb said...

Happy IWD R, it seems that you were lucky enough to fulfill your full potential careerwise. I'm sure it wasn't easy as surgery was not the usual route for women physicians.

rlbates said...

Make Mine, glad you had a good case. I'd be honored to have you assist me.

rlbates said...

Thanks, JMB, but I am just an ordinary surgeon. Humbled by women like Dr Allen.

Indrani said...

Wish you a very Happy IWD! You are doing a great job!

rlbates said...

Thank you, Indrani.