By Maymona J. Choudry Gender inequality is a pervasive issue in many fields, including the surgical field, particularly in low-middle-income countries. Surgery has long been regarded as a man’s fie...
Blog
On Being Latina Enough
By Sarah Suhood I was born on the island of Sri Lanka in the middle of the Indian Ocean, but I was also born Latina, thanks to my Guatemalan mom. Growing up bi-racial, I experienced the casual identi...
Blog
Empowering Success: Initiatives to Support International Medical Graduates in U.S. Surgical Training
By Carolina Torres Perez-Iglesias International Medical Graduates (IMGs) currently make up 25% of all licensed physicians in the United States and a fifth of all first-year residency positions annual...
Blog
Even Shame Has Its Limits
Christina Georgeades, MD “You mean every day should be shame day.” I was walking behind two of my co-residents the last month of my intern year when I heard the hurtful comment. It was Pride mon...
Blog
Straight People Problems
By Dr. Elinore Kaufman “Don’t worry, I still wear make-up every day.” A surgical resident was assigned to talk to our group of medical students about being a woman in surgery—the first of m...
Blog
The Identities We Choose
By: Heather Wachtel, MD Growing up in Vermont, I had one person who looked like me – my sister. The children of a first generation Cantonese immigrant and a second generation Russian Jew, we loved...
Blog
Finding Myself: A Korean-American Adoptee’s Reflections on Identity, Loss, and Purpose
By: Elizabeth Lilley, MD, MPH Many people are surprised to learn that I am both a surgeon and a palliative care doctor. Although the number of surgeons pursuing fellowship training in palliative care...
Blog
Diversify Ourselves
By Dr. Chantal Reyna How well would you handle not being able to perform surgery anymore? The real question is “How much of your identity is based on being a surgeon?” We tend to define ourselves...
Blog
Creating an Inclusive Surgical Community: Association of Out Surgeons & Allies
When I was asked to write a piece describing who the Association of Out Surgeons & Allies (AOSA https://www.outsurgeons.org/) is for the Association of Women Surgeons (AWS) blog, I paused. I hesi...
Blog
What does being a surgical patient with limited English proficiency in the U.S. look like?
By Gabriela Brandão, MD Have you imagined yourself under the surgeon's knife? It might be a terrifying circumstance even for us, right? Now, can you imagine yourself under the surgeon's knife but in...