A First: A Second Gentleman
Congratulations, ladies, we will have a Second Gentleman! Now you may ask why I am celebrating this? We will soon be witnessing the inauguration of Vice President Kamala Harris and President Joe Biden. This inauguration is going to be historic and groundbreaking in many ways. We will have a woman of color of Black and […]
Yes, that is Dr. Jill Biden to You
What is it with a woman or person of color with an advanced degree that makes some men see red? A writer from the Wall Street Journal penned an Op-Ed about First Lady-elect Dr. Jill Biden and how she should drop the doctor title from her name. My initial reaction was to sigh and think […]
Maintaining Professional Balance: Balance does not mean equal
How do you maintain balance in your professional life? That is the million-dollar question. The most important thing to understand and accept is that balance does not mean everything is always being handled equally at any one time. This acceptance was eye-opening for me in my journey to achieve and maintain professional balance during my […]
Editor’s Corner: #ThisIsOurShot to End the Pandemic
If 2020 was the year of the coronavirus pandemic, 2021 has got to be the year of vaccinations. The miracle of modern science, generous funding, and expedited research has led to us having possibly three available vaccines to fight against the Covid-19 pandemic. Pfizer/ BioNtech, Moderna, and most recently, AstraZeneca have produced vaccines that are […]
Editor’s Corner: Why Women Doctors Are Outraged at a Popular Scrubs Company
An open letter from our Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Anupuma Verma, to FIGS. Last week we in the medical field were all shaken up by some ads run by FIGS, a company that sells expensive scrubs and medical apparel. They depicted a young female physician in bright pink scrubs holding a book titled “Medical Terminology for Dummies,” […]
I Am the 4% of Black Female Physicians
WE will not be silenced. WE demand justice. I am a black woman; full of determination, passion, unwavering faith, strength and courage. I kneel in solidarity. As it has been repeated time and time again, “It is clear that police brutality against black men and women is a significant public health emergency.“ As a […]
My Fears, Hopes and Dreams as a Black Physician Mom Raising a Black Son
I became a mom to a black son 25 years ago. Four months later I graduated from my family medicine residency carrying him on my hip to receive my diploma. He was born during a time when I was planning for our future and the future of generations to come. I was secure in knowing […]
Racism is a public health concern. Everyone in healthcare needs to take it personally
The killing of George Floyd and other Black people in the U.S. breaks my heart, just like it does yours. I stand with those calling for compassion, reason, and equality across the country. As a doctor, I was taught to protect ALL life. Those young and old, Black and white, male or female. They have […]
We Have Always Been Heroes
Was everyone in med school as young, innocent, and wildly stupid as we were? The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine required superlatives: most, best, fastest… dumbest? Before each test, my friend Frank and I would scroll through our mental Rolodexes of “what are our other options?” (As opposed to being stuck inside with “Clinical […]
Reflections from the Women in White Coats Virtual Conference
Whoa!!!! I can’t believe that we are now on the other side of the Women in White Coats Virtual Conference. We put in so much to make it a success and it was literally beyond anything we could have dreamed of! It was absolutely AMAZING!!!! And you know why? Because we had so many of […]
