Women in Medicine

The Women Physicians Section (WPS) seeks to influence and contribute to AMA policy and program development on issues of importance to women physicians, and to increase the number and influence of women physicians in leadership roles. 

All women AMA members are automatically members of the WPS. Other AMA members who are interested in women’s issues may join WPS by completing a brief membership application.

The AMA WPS Inspiration Award acknowledges and honors physicians who have offered their time, wisdom and support throughout your professional career. These individuals may have steered others into a specialty they loved, helped them find work/life balance, guided them through a professional society or served as an important role model. This year's honorees will be recognized during Women in Medicine Month in September. 

Submit a nomination form by July 31, 2023. 

Pathway to Leadership: Using Your Story to Influence and Inspire (March 2023)

Telling our story creates an opportunity to influence, teach, inspire, and unite others. During this webinar, Ngozi Ezike, MD; Tiffany Leung, MD; Emelia Benjamin, MD; and Anna Yap, MD, shared their experiences as leaders and how they helped others along their professional journey.

• View the recording

Gender diversity in leadership (Sept. 2022)

Addressing gender disparities in medicine requires a multifaceted approach. Specialty societies offer advocacy, mentorship, and education opportunities and resources that could enhance career advancement. Sandra Adamson Fryhofer, MD; Iffath Abbasi Hoskins, MD, FACOG; Darilyn V. Moyer, MD, FACP; and Susan Thompson Hingle, MD, discussed pathways to leadership and shared insights on the role of organized medicine in facilitating gender equity.

• View the recording.
• Watch “Becoming a leader in medicine with Sandra Fryhofer, MD.”
• Listen to our podcast “Promoting gender diversity in leadership within medicine with Sandra Fryhofer, MD.”

Fostering Well-being through Connection and Communication (March 2022)

Presenters Charlene M. Dewey, MD, MEd, MACP, and Kemia M. Sarraf, MD, MPH, along with moderator Nicole Plenty, MD, MPH, MS, explored ways to encourage physician well-being, improve empathy and mitigate trauma through connection and communication.

• View the recording.
• Read "In stressful times for women doctors, self-care can go a long way."

Advancing Gender Equity through Medical Education, Leadership Development and Medical Practice (Sept. 2021)

Margot Savoy, MD, MPH, FAAP, senior vice president of education, American Academy of Family Physicians, discussed ways that medical education, leadership development and medical practice can help promote gender equity in medicine.

• View the recording.
• Read “4 ways women physicians can better control career trajectory.” 

The Intersection of Voting and Health (March 2021)

The Honorable Donna M. Christensen, MD, presenter, and Megan Srinivas, MD, MPH, moderator, explored the connection between voting and health–and its influence on population health, socioeconomic influences and health policy.

• View the recording.
• Watch “Donna Christensen, MD, on the intersection of voting and health.”

Women Physicians Leading During Crisis (Sept. 2020)

Renée Crichlow, MD, shared insights on the convergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, systemic discrimination and gender inequity and the ramifications for women in medicine.

• View the recording.
• Read “Leading in crisis: 3 keys women physicians should know about.”
• Download the Q&A summary (PDF).

Unique Challenges Facing Women Physicians During COVID-19 (Sept. 2020)

This webinar, co-sponsored by the WPS, the Organized Medical Staff Section and the American Medical Women’s Association, addresses the various professional challenges that women physicians have dealt with since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

• View the recording.
• Read “Ways to tackle challenges facing women physicians in pandemic.”

Supporting women in medicine

Visit the AMA Ed Hub to earn CME credits while increasing your awareness of the challenges currently faced by women physicians and health professionals, as well as how the medical profession can better support women’s success and well-being.

Advancing gender equity in medicine

The AMA recognizes that gender inequity in medicine is a complex issue that requires a multilayered approach. Learn more about the AMA’s work to advance gender equity in medicine.