Women in Medicine Month 2024: Community Highlights

Women in Medicine Month is a time for the osteopathic medical education community to pause and recognize the unique contributions of women, who have historically faced marginalization in medicine. Each year we invite our community to share reflections about what Women in Medicine Month means to them and why they celebrate.

Navigating Pain: A Woman’s Path to Healing in Medicine

By Niloufar Novin, OMS IV, Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine Harlem Campus

When I started my third-year rotations, witnessing patients in pain was one of the hardest adjustments I had to make. I remember one patient grimacing with each step of a peripherally inserted central catheter line procedure; each time she did, I felt it too. But I knew I had to be strong for her. I held her hand through the procedure as my senior resident guided the intern and kept the patient informed, reassuring her that she was nearing the end. Whether it’s the pain patients bring with them, the pain after surgery or even the discomfort of a blood draw, seeing patients suffer has become a part of my daily life, something I’ve had to come to terms with as a necessary step toward their healing. Read more.

Being a Woman and a Physician: A Women in Medicine Month Interview

AACOM thanks Isaac Gollapalli, OMS II, Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine (MSUCOM), for conducting the below Women in Medicine Month interview with J’Aimee Lippert, DO.

In my experience, women who are also physicians face many joys and many challenges. Finding ways to balance the mixed expectations and responsibilities of identifying not only as a physician but also as a daughter, partner, parent and community servant are difficult, no question. What we bring to the house of medicine, though, is so tremendously important that working toward achieving that balance is extremely critical to the wellbeing of our families, communities and all of healthcare. Read more.

From Challenges to Triumphs: Celebrating Women in Medicine

By Meghan Murphy, OMS IV, Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine

As a fourth-year medical student at the Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine (ICOM), Women in Medicine Month represents a time of reflection, celebration and empowerment. This month allows for reflection on the progress women have made in healthcare, serving as an opportunity to embrace who we are; not just as women, but as individuals who have worked tirelessly to reach this very moment. The path to becoming a physician is never easy, and the unique sacrifices women often make in pursuing a career in medicine deserve to be celebrated. Read more.

A Deeper Well: Women in Medicine and the Power of Personal Connection

By Stephanie White, DO, FAAFP, associate dean, Clinical Education COMP & COMP-Northwest and associate professor Family Medicine

Most mornings start at 5:30 AM. The alarm on my phone plays a soothing Alicia Keys track and I roll out of bed, bleary eyed. I skillfully extract myself from dog paws and occasionally, the erratic limbs of my five-year-old daughter. I shower, dress, read the news and down two cups of espresso. My husband, also an early riser, greets me in the kitchen. He’s prepping lunches, tracking down the homework folder and wrangling the now hungry dogs. On lucky mornings, both kids are awake when I leave the house before 7:00 AM. I get hugs, smiles and well wishes for the day. On other days I tiptoe into their bedroom, kissing their cheeks and trying to contain my guilt and sorrow that they will wake up without me, again. My commute to work is 40 miles. I spend the time listening to podcasts, audiobooks, CME or enjoying the steady rhythm of Los Angeles freeways. My mind will process the morning events, the groceries I need to pick up and back-to-school-night. I then prepare for the tough conversation I have scheduled at 10:00 AM, the patient with the new cancer diagnosis, the report that’s due. Somewhere in West Covina I’ll shift from Mom and Wife to Doctor and Associate Dean. Read more.

Women in Medicine Month: An Osteopathic Medical Education Perspective

By Tami Hendriksz, DO, dean, Touro University California College of Osteopathic Medicine

Every September, the medical community comes together to celebrate Women in Medicine Month—a time to reflect on the invaluable contributions women have made to healthcare, recognize the challenges they continue to face and look ahead toward building a more inclusive, equitable future in medicine. As someone deeply embedded in osteopathic medical education, this month carries a particular significance. It is a reminder of our profession’s foundational belief in comprehensive care, which extends to fostering a medical community where diversity thrives, and everyone has the opportunity to contribute their unique talents to patient care. Read more.