Month: January 2017
Reflections on the Women’s March
As a resident of Washington DC, I had a “front-row seat” to the Women’s March that took place on Saturday Jan 21, not just here in DC but in hundreds of cities around the country and the world. With humble grassroots origins, it has been billed as the largest one-day protest in U.S. history. It was an awesome display of solidarity and a tribute to the power of peaceful assembly in our democracy. It is clear that many different concerns compelled women to participate in the March. While there are undoubtedly AWS members on both sides of divisive issues like abortion, immigration reform, gun control, and others, the core message of the march was one every woman should be able to get behind: equality, respect, and dignity for all women. Equal pay for equal work. Equality of opportunity. The right to be safe in own bodies, without the specter of...
To Look in the Mirror and Not See Further than My Neck
By: Natalie Tully January is Thyroid Cancer Awareness Month. As you may have read in an earlier blog post, thyroid cancer is the most prevalent cancer in young women under 25. This is the story of one of those young women. It was June of 2011, and I had just come home to Pennsylvania for summer vacation after completing my sophomore year at the University of Texas (and finally passing organic chemistry). In an effort to get back in shape for our family beach vacation (and after six months of eating like a nineteen-year-old college student does), I went out for a bike ride. Naturally, I was drenched in sweat when I got home and decided to give my mom a sweaty hug-a move she wasn’t exactly keen on. As we play-fought, I turned my head to the side and instantaneously, she went from mom to nurse. She saw a...
Never overdressed
A resident’s perspective on dressing for success By: Danielle Henry The New Year brings new goals and personal improvement is always on the list of priorities. This month we are exploring the impact of professional attire on professional and personal achievement. Oscar Wilde once said, “You can never be overdressed or overeducated.” I have taken this to mean, you should never stop learning and can never be overdressed when you look your best. We are in a profession where we are always learning, and even though we wear scrubs often, we can still find ways to look our best. Ditch the scrubs when you can - When given the option to wear something other than scrubs, I always take the opportunity. One example is when I am presenting at the Morbidity and Mortality (M&M) conference I will often wear business professional attire. It is not required at my institution, however...
A cancer of young women
By Minerva Romero Arenas The new year brings with it a time to reflect on the past, the present, and the future. Inspired by the writers the past few weeks, I also took the opportunity to reflect on what I have learned during my first few months in fellowship training in surgical endocrinology. What an appropriate time to share some reflections, considering January is thyroid cancer awareness month I chose to focus on my experience with thyroid cancer patients. I have seen a lot of young patients. Thyroid cancer is on the rise and is now the 8th most common cancer in the US, and the number 1 cancer amongst young women (under age 25). Radiation exposure is one of the most common risk factors, while having family history also plays a role in specific types of thyroid cancer. While symptoms may be attributable to mass effect (“compressive symptoms”), many...
Dressing Your Best, Inside Out
By: Natalie Tully Every year after the post-midnight New Year’s celebrations wind down, we each start the all-too familiar process of declaring resolutions for the coming twelve months. In that spirit, I hope to explore ideas (most old, but perhaps a few you haven’t heard) and encourage some of you to put on your best self in 2017- mind, body, and wardrobe. Dressing your best-literally Fair warning: most of my clothing is sportswear and I prefer the DMV and the Dentist to going clothes shopping. That said, this is something I struggle with but have found strategies that result in me feeling more confident in professional situations without excessive strain. Err on the Conservative-Yes, you’ve heard this ad nauseum, but no matter your career stage or if it’s an interview, clinic, or social event, you never want your clothing to distract from you. If you question your outfit’s appropriateness, either...