ACC CardioCareer & CME Guide - March 2008v8 - (Page 26) Wanted: Women Cardiologists bout half (42%) of graduate medical and surgical trainees are women; however, only 18% of first-year fellows in cardiology are women, according to the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. The low number of female cardiology trainees is cause for concern, especially at a time when more cardiologists are needed. How ACC Is Supporting Women in Cardiology To address these concerns, the ACC Women in Cardiology Committee was created in 1996. In 2004, a Women in Cardiology Section was created, with a mission to: 1) enhance the careers of women cardiologists through the creation of professional development, mentoring, and networking programs and through the promotion of leadership opportunities within the ACC; 2) enhance the appeal of cardiology for women residents by recommending changes in training programs and by promoting effective, efficient, and diverse career opportunities; and 3) encourage young women in high school, college, and medical school to pursue a career in cardiology through the creation of mentoring programs and preceptorships. The committee, currently chaired by Athena Poppas, MD, FACC, has developed several initiatives within the College that benefit women interested in pursuing a career in cardiology and women currently in the profession. These initiatives include a Visiting Professor Program and a Virtual Mentoring Program, which can be found at http://accementor.acc.org/ ?room=WIC. The Women in Cardiology Section has also developed a successful Women’s Career & Leadership Development Conference. This is a great opportunity for early career physicians who are considering a leadership path to hone their leadership and career skills while networking with top female cardiologists. For the Visiting Professor Program, well-known women cardiologists travel to selected cities and speak to female internal medicine residents about following a cardiology career path. The purpose is to help these residents better understand the benefits of being a cardiologist. Three programs are planned Dr. Poppas this year: in St. Louis, Cleveland, and Boston. By reaching out to some 60-70 residents in each city, it is expected that several will be influenced to consider cardiology as a career. The Virtual Mentorship Program is an online forum designed to promote the professional growth of physicians in the field of cardiology. Currently, about 30 female cardiologists who have made valuable contributions as educators, researchers, clinicians, and administrators serve as mentors. They are linked with physicians who are considering careers in cardiology (medical students and residents), fellows who are in cardiology training programs, and early career cardiologists. A The established cardiologist mentors—who have met many of the personal and professional challenges their younger colleagues will encounter—share their knowledge and experience with young mentees who have similar specialties or interests, electronically via the Web site. “We hope these programs will help physicians considering careers in cardiology to learn more about the broad range of options within the field, as well as identify potential role models. By interacting with other cardiologists, it is our hope that more physicians will choose a career in cardiology, and also that it will increase the visibility of cardiologists already in the field,” noted Dr. Poppas. Cardiology Offers Flexibility, Diversity The field of cardiology does, in fact, offer flexibility. With so many career options in cardiology, women can choose a specialty or subspecialty that allows them to balance career and family and still experience professional and financial fulfillment. Pamela S. Douglas, MD, MACC, former ACC President and Chief of Cardiology, Duke University Cardiovascular Center for Medicine, said it best: “Cardiology attracted me because of the range of opportunities inherent in the specialty. As a Dr. Douglas cardiologist, one could be a basic scientist or a clinician. I could become an imager, a bedside diagnostician, or a proceduralist — or all of these things together. As a specialty, cardiology uniquely spans the spectrum of medicine.” Most importantly, the diversity in cardiology means females can opt for a more or less demanding practice over time. A single woman may start out her career with a hectic procedural-based practice with its unpredictable and long hours. Later, as children enter the picture, she may opt for different career choices that offer more scheduling flexibility, such as industry research, imaging, or cardiac rehabilitation. (Continued on the following page) ACC Membership Profile of Women Cardiologists: • Make up 9% of overall ACC membership; 18% of first year trainees • Median age, 47 years (53 for overall membership) • More likely to be in an academic setting, HMO setting, or VA hospital • More likely to specialize in echocardiography, nuclear, noninvasive, and heart failure/transplant 26 American College of Cardiology CardioCareer & CME Guide http://accementor.acc.org/
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