Month: December 2019
Finding Your Tribe
By Feibi Zheng When I had my first child three years ago, one of my co-residents added me on Facebook to Physician Mom’s Group (PMG) and a dear friend that I met through the Resident and Associate Society Education Committee (ACS-RAS) added me to Surgeon Moms Group and Dr. Milk. During the past three years, these groups have been both a professional and personal helpline for me. Whenever I have a question about finances, daycare, or clogged milk ducts, I have an army of women who willingly share their advice and experience in a safe, (mostly) judgment-free environment. When I moved back to Houston to start my first job after training, I relied on my local PMG group for networking and practice building. My local group hosts several in-person events each year. Through these events, I met women endocrinologists, all in private practice, who form a substantial portion of my...
At the Intersection of Race, Gender, and Surgery
By Valeria S.M. Valbuena In 1989, American Civil Rights Lawyer Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw published her now essential critical race theory piece entitled “Demarginalizing the Intersection of Race and Sex: A Black Feminist Critique of Antidiscrimination Doctrine, Feminist Theory and Antiracist Politics.” In this paper, Crenshaw elegantly dissected the institutions of race and gender as individual pillars upon which part of the experience of Black Women in America is constructed. Race and gender, however, could not be effectively used on their own to fully describe or understand what the collective experience of living as a Black Woman is truly like. Nowadays, intersectionality is a household term used to describe the communion of any two identities. Intersectional feminism belongs to Black Women and their unique stories and challenges, and it’s been adopted to aid in the understanding of similar issues for other groups. In the world of medicine, intersectionality often translates into...
Why you should consider basic science or translational research
By Gillian Goddard, MD My path has deviated significantly from what I envisioned when I started medical school. I would never have anticipated that future me would join a basic science lab during residency, commit another 2-3 years to training, and actually enjoy it. As with anything, there are times when research can be frustrating – especially when an experiment does not work and sends you back to the drawing board. However, the knowledge, skills, and mentorship that I have gained during my time in a basic science lab are invaluable and will help guide me through my future career, academic, or otherwise. For those considering whether or not to take dedicated research time, what type of research to pursue, or those who think I’m crazy for choosing basic science research, here is what it has taught me. The foundation to think critically. Research teaches you to question EVERYTHING. Spending...