Page 5 - Women Unlimited | Rochester Medicine | University of Rochester Medical Center

s the quest for gender equity and inclusion at the School of

Medicine and Dentistry unfolds on these pages, we celebrate

A some trailblazers and new leaders who, by example and advocacy,

are driving the advancement of women in medicine and science.

In 2017, for the first time in history, men no longer made up the much time and energy thinking about the progress we’ve made,
majority of students entering U.S. medical schools. But a leaky sometimes that distracts us from how far we still have to go.”
pipeline still exists when it comes to women advancing in clinical
and research careers. There are disparities in salaries, promotions, According to AAMC, women across the country account for 16
awards, and research funding, as well as underrepresentation in percent of medical school deans and 18 percent of department
academic leadership positions and scholarly work. chairs—each figure rising just 4 percent and 6 percent,
respectively, over the past 10 years. The number of female full
The University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry— professors in academic medicine has increased only from 19 to 25
where the percentage of male and female medical students is split percent in the last decade.
down the middle—is not immune to a gender gap at the highest
levels, but is working hard to change that. “That’s nowhere near where we want it to be,” adds
Lautenberger. “We need to move the needle at a much higher and
Only 30 percent of deans, department chairs, and executive-level faster rate.”
administrators are women. Men hold four times the number of
chair positions as women, and are 44 percent more likely to be AAMC’s next “The State of Women in Academic Medicine”
promoted to full professor. report, coming out in November, will include a more
comprehensive snapshot than usual of female experiences in
It takes conscious and steady effort to make a dent in such a a male-dominated field—pulling data from engagement and
pervasive, historical imbalance, and the medical school is taking satisfaction surveys, as well as health care surveys, to learn about
that effort seriously. For one thing, it has increased the number of climate and culture.
full-time professors and other leadership positions over the past
three years. And numerous resources already are available or being The medical school and the Medical Center “are creating more
initiated to ensure that women feel their perspectives are noticed— ways for women to get together to talk about ways the culture and
and valued. structure needs to change, and how they can support each other,”
says Vivian Lewis, MD, who recently retired as vice provost for
“The whole picture at the top is changing,” says Linda H. Faculty Development and Diversity in the Provost’s Office at the
Chaudron (MD ’92), senior associate dean for Inclusion and University of Rochester.
Culture at the medical school. “The institutional support to assure
equity and advance women and other underrepresented groups is Aside from helping to launch policies focused on families,
not just visible, but authentic.” harassment, and discrimination, the office researches aspects
of climate and faculty satisfaction. In spring 2020, data will
That support extends to the University of Rochester Medical be available from a three-year effort with the Collaborative on
Center, with administrators becoming more intentional about Academic Careers in Higher Education at the Harvard Graduate
breaking down institutional, systemic, and structural barriers School of Education, in which anonymous exit interviews will help
to gender equality. To achieve its full potential, a world-class shed light on why women are leaving their positions.
academic medical center’s leadership must reflect the diversity of
the population it serves. The Office for Inclusion and Culture, meanwhile, offers programs
and events supporting the advancement of women in medicine
It is a lengthy undertaking, being carried out in Rochester and on a and science throughout their careers.
national level.
For instance, the annual Tana Grady-Weliky, MD, Lecture on
“There has been slow and steady progress over time, and we Women and Diversity in Medicine hosts nationally known figures
really need to celebrate our wins,” says Diana Lautenberger, in academic medicine to focus on issues of importance to women
director for Faculty and Staff Research at the Association of and others from underrepresented groups in medicine. In 2020,
American Medical Colleges. “At the same time, by spending too Deborah German, MD (Res ’79)—an alumna of the internal
medicine residency—will be the keynote speaker.

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