On July 16th-19th, the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) held a leadership development seminar specifically for women at the assistant professor level in San Diego, California. This seminar aims to combat gender inequality in academic medicine by providing women in medicine the tools they need to both enhance their leadership skills and succeed in the workforce. The AAMC also emphasizes the importance of increasing the confidence of women in medicine to achieve excellence through pursuing career advancement opportunities.
The AAMC believes that gender equity is key to achieving excellence in academic medicine. As women continue to be underrepresented in key leadership positions within the physician and scientific research workforce, the early and mid-career women faculty seminars strive to provide participants with critical knowledge, skills, and strategies to enhance their leadership skillset and increase their confidence in seeking advancement to the next stage of their career.“
Association of American Medical Colleges website
Washington University selected several representatives from Neurology, Internal Medicine, Critical Care, and Pathology to attend the conference. Patricia Litkowski, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of Hospital Medicine, attended the conference as a representative of Internal Medicine. Dr. Litkowski also serves as the Medical Director of Patient Experience at Barnes-Jewish Hospital, and the Director of Hospitalist Services for Inpatient Medical Oncology. In her various leadership roles within Washington University and Barnes-Jewish Hospital, she benefitted greatly from learning more about how she can continue to succeed in academic medicine and navigate gender dynamics in the workplace. Attendees also had the chance to develop personalized objectives in leadership that are in line with their vision for long-term career progression and immediate goals for academic advancement. Dr. Litkowski was grateful for the opportunity to attend, expand her network of colleagues, and learn more about how to thrive as a woman in academic medicine and science.