A note from the YPS chair
September 2024
From YPS Chair Sam Mathis, MD, MPH
Women in Medicine Month
September is recognized as Women in Medicine Month. One of the first physicians I learned about in medical school was Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell, the first American female physician. Admitted to Geneva College as a practical joke, Dr. Blackwell attended classes, faced significant discrimination, and eventually graduated top of her medical school class in 1849. Almost 30 years later, in 1876, Dr. Sarah Hackett Stevenson became the first woman to join the American Medical Association. It took 122 years following Dr. Stevenson before Dr. Nancy Dickey became the first female president of the AMA in 1998. Today, over half of the AMA’s Board of Trustees are women, and we are stronger because of it.
The YPS has itself benefitted from many amazing women physician leaders. Currently, we have four amazing physicians who serve the YPS. Dr. Jordan Warchol, our immediate past chair, Dr. Alisha Reiss, our chair elect, Dr. Brandi Ring, our speaker, and Dr. Toluwalase Ajayi, our YPS Board Trustee, are some of the strongest advocates for Young Physicians and the patients we serve. I regularly tell people that I want to be like them when I grow up. Thank you all for the work you do on behalf of young physicians across the country!
Fighting for patients
As I think back over my own experience, I see that change (especially change for the better) can be slow. It takes time to bring people to your way of thinking and it rarely occurs with simple facts and arguments. Consider Elizabeth Blackwell, her medical school class had to see that she belonged there before they accepted her and eventually honored her as the best among them. I say all this to hopefully encourage you. The work we do is often thankless and slow to progress, but we continue to fight on. We strive to prove to our patients, our colleagues, and our legislators that the work we do matters. It matters because our patients matter. It reminds me of the old saying “People don’t care about how much you know until they know about how much you care.” I have met so many of you during my time in the YPS, and I can attest that you care deeply about your patients and their health.
WPS educational session
I want to encourage you all to check out the Women’s Physician Section (WPS) of the AMA. In honor of Women in Medicine Month, they have some great educational sessions planned, most notably a session titled "Women in Medicine: Our Journeys." The webinar will take place on Sept. 26 at noon Central. Register now.
It is going to be a fantastic session that I plan to attend and hope you will join me. Anyone can join the WPS if interested. They do amazing work, and I am so thankful for their voice in the AMA.
Finally, I want to again say thank you! You continue to show up, treat your patients and advocate for their health on a local, state and national level. Change is slow, but together, the work we do is helping it occur much faster. Keep up the great work and I am excited to see you all in November!
Contact us
As always, email us at [email protected] with any comments and questions.
