Background

Women in medicine and science often face unique challenges with personal, professional and cultural norms when planning, executing and advancing in their career. Nearly half of medical and biological sciences doctoral students in the US are female; however, only 37 percent advance to faculty and only 13 percent advance to become full professors.

A number of issues are reported to contribute to this attrition. There is a higher probability that women will, at some point, be engaged in family planning or have familial care commitments — parents, kids, siblings — that will contribute to unconventional career progression. Women are at a higher risk to have their authority challenged, are exposed to unconscious gender bias and suffer from burn-out or imposter syndrome.

Research demonstrates that advocacy, mentoring, networking, development of leadership skills and general support improves recruitment, retention, advancement and career satisfaction. Women in Medicine and Science (WIMS) at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix are committed to establishing a foundation to provide these opportunities for the greater Phoenix area. 

References:  

• Salaries and Pay Equity Discussed at CSW Presentation.
• The Women in Medicine and Health Science Program: An Innovative Initiative to Support Female Faculty at the University of California Davis School of Medicine.
• Women in Academic Medicine – Progress and Challenges.
• I Wish Someone Had Told Me About the Challenges of Being a Woman in Medicine.
• Women in Academic Medicine: Challenges and Issues.

Vision

The University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix is committed to inclusive excellence, and the vision of the Women in Medicine and Science group is to create a supportive and instructive network to promote an equitable environment and greater career satisfaction for women faculty in academic medicine. 

Mission

To promote advancement, leadership and success for women faculty in all roles within academic medicine and science.

Strategies

Advocacy:

• Promote institutional and affiliate awareness of opportunities for women faculty through education and research dissemination.
• Foster openness (or stimulate discussions) on diversity-related issues.
• Support recruitment and retention of diverse women faculty.
• Advocate for women faculty in leadership roles.
• Advocate for women faculty advancement and promotion
• Instigate dialogue to improve metrics for women with unconventional career progression.

Mentoring:

• Invest in leadership skill training for women faculty members.
• Establish resources that inform and promote women faculty to engagement in relevant local, regional and national symposia and organization.
• Provide access to minority faculty in leadership positions.  

Networking:

• Create networking opportunities and facilitate connections across the College of Medicine and our clinical partners throughout the valley for women in academic medicine and science.

Training and Development:

• Sponsor activities that support targeted skills needed for professional development.
• Promote the development of long-term, mutually beneficial relationships and cultivate new opportunities for collaboration through a supportive exchange of ideas and resources.

WIMS at the UA College of Medicine – Phoenix actively collaborates with Women in Academic Medicine (WAM) at the College of Medicine – Tucson. To learn more about their group, visit the official WAM webpage or the WAM Twitter account.