Supporting Women in Rheumatology

Women face different challenges than men, notes Dr. Ott. “Many women are mothers and wives trying to function as physicians, and no one teaches us how to do that,” she says.

Practical Advice

Dr. Melton

Other sessions during the annual meeting helped members better navigate the practical side of their careers, such as financial planning. Gwenesta Melton, MD, AWIR’s vice president and co-chair of advocacy, highlighted a new session offered this year on finances to help all providers, from those just completing a fellowship to those in the later years of their careers, understand appropriate wealth growth strategies. “This session was very popular with everyone,” she says. “We really don’t get enough about financial planning in medical school or residency.”

The meeting also provided sessions on practice development, including how to negotiate contracts that are geared toward providers and not just practice managers. Dr. Melton pointed to a session this year that framed this discussion in the context of the pandemic, describing what litigation related to COVID-19 may look like. “This was very helpful in helping us think about how to negotiate some things we might see coming forth with the pandemic,” she says.

Describing the meeting as the intersection of rheumatology, education, advocacy and empowerment, Joseph Cantrell, JD, the ACR’s senior manager of state affairs, emphasized how vital the AWIR’s mission is to the full rheumatology community. “I cannot help but come away from the meeting feeling energized for the work ahead and excited about the future of rheumatology,” he says.

Lennie McDaniel, the ACR’s director of congressional affairs, also described the meeting as “super energetic” and lauded the AWIR’s commitment to advocacy. “It was great to spend time with AWIR’s advocacy consultants, and it was clear that they intersected with most of the ACR’s priorities while also highlighting policies related to women in the workforce,” she says.

Mary Beth Nierengarten is a freelance medical journalist based in Minneapolis.

References

1. Battafarano DF, Ditmyer M, Bolster MB, et al. 2015 American College of Rheumatology Workforce Study: Supply and Demand Projections of Adult Rheumatology Workforce, 2015–2030. Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken). 2018 Apr;70(4):617–626.
2. Jorge A, Bolster M, Blumenthal DM, et al. The Association Between Physician Gender and Career Advancement Among Academic Rheumatologists in the United States. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2021 Jan;73(1):168–172.