
Our Mission
To empower, support, and promote women physicians, and to provide them the skills to be the best they can be, so they will, in-turn, inspire others.
Dr. Lisa Greisman, faculty and Infectious Disease physician, who was practicing primary care at that time, accepted the position. She led the group from 2017 to 2020 focusing on and addressing the unique issues and challenges that women physicians face during residency and beyond. After 3 years, Dr. Greisman returned to practice infectious disease. In 2020, the group was re-invigorated into the super Women in Medicine (sWIM).


We hope that through inspirational speakers, workshops, mentorship and networking, women physicians will be emboldened to be the best they can be in their chosen area of medicine. The activities will also foster camaraderie among the trainees and we hope that supporting each other will be the norm and that the women physicians will pave the way for others. Our goal is to impart knowledge and skills to our trainees that will not only be useful during their residency but that would prepare them to face and overcome personal and professional challenges that they may face, both professionally and personally.

Pauline Daley Richards, MD, FACP
Director, Super Women in Medicine
sWIM Members 2021-2022
Faculty
Director: Pauline Daley Richards, MD, FACPSahayini Kumar, MD, FACP
Elisabeth Carr, MD
Janki Patel, MD
Alaina Chodoff, MD
House Staff members
Kia Persaud, MDSajida Zulfiqar, MD
Chahat Puri, MD
Ayesha Khan, MD
Past Committee Members
Class of 2021:Ana Stark, MD - Secretary and Wellness
Allison Ajluni, MD
Kelly Le, MD - Hospitality
Mirala Sarza, MD - Hospitality
Achievements
Alumni
Inaugural Meeting of sWIM - October 29, 2020

The event was highlighted in the Chief of Staff Newsletter on 11/20/2020. Dr. Motter-Mast current chief-of-staff writes: “Those who were able to attend heard a wonderful presentation from Dr. Sparrow. It was very apparent why she was chosen to be our past Chief-of-Staff. While at GBMC, she combined clinical care and administrative leadership. She was an innovative and transformative leader, known for her collaborative and compassionate advocacy for the medical staff. Her quote that was discovered in a local paper from her medical school Match Day many years ago, still resounds loudly about her priorities today, “Nothing feels better than to be grounded to the reality of caring."
The portrait of Dr. Melissa Sparrow, was unveiled in the Civiletti Conference Center following her presentation at the inaugural meeting of the sWIM.
Chairman's Highlight - "News from the Residency Program"

We hope that through inspirational speakers, workshops, mentorship and networking, women physicians will be emboldened to be the best they can be in their chosen area of medicine. The activities will also foster camaraderie among the trainees and we hope that supporting each other will be the norm and that our women physicians will pave the way for others.
Resources
Becoming: A Guided Journal for Discovering Your Voice Hardcover – November 19, 2019by Michelle Obama (Author)
Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead Hardcover – Deckle Edge, March 12, 2013
by Sheryl Sandberg (Author)

Purple is the international color for women
Our group color is represented through the shades of red
The snake represents the staff of Asclepius and the bronze snake of Moses from the Bible
Dr. Emily Bergbower: ‘the actual ancient medical symbol is the staff of Asclepius which is a plain wooden staff with the snake wrapped around it”.
Dr. Sahayini Kumar: in the Bible in the story of Moses “he makes a bronze snake and puts it up on a pole, anyone who was bitten by a snake, if he looked at the bronze snake on the pole lived! Therefore, the snake on the pole became a sign of healing”.
Dr. Marwa Oudah: created the logo.


"Christmas Showcase" Event - Dec 17, 2021



"Finding Meaning and Purpose" Event - September 17, 2021


Inaugural Meeting of sWIM - October 29, 2020










SWIM hike August 2020





2020 Graduation Celebration








Achievements

Dr. Kia Persaud matched in Rheumatology at Washington Hospital center. She starts her fellowship July 2022. Congratulations to Dr. Persaud!

Resident of the Year award, Class of 2020

Accepted for Publication in Chest: “A 33-year old Man with Shortness of Breath, Leukocytosis, and Intermittent Fevers”
Anum Qureshi PGY2 - Evidence-based supportive care in multiple myeloma, JCHIMP
Marwa Oudah PGY3 - Persistent Bronchorrhea with Hidden Underlying Pulmonary Malignancy, ATS 2020
Maria Azhar, PGY2 -
1- Publication in ACG case report journal: Cerebral Air embolism after endoscopic variceal band ligation
2- CHEST abstract: Hypoxemia in a patient with PFO in absence of pulmonary hypertension
3- CHEST abstract: Hemoptysis with positive anti-GBM antibody without renal involvement; unusual presentation. Is this truly an anti-GBM disease?
2021 Alumni
Maria Azhar, M.D.Fellowship: Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at the University of Texas (Houston)
Jasmine Manley, M.D.
Fellowship: Nephrology at the University of Maryland
Jerrica Mueller, M.D.
Fellowship: Geriatrics at Washington University
Marwa Oudah, M.D.
Fellowship: Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at George Washington University
Fatoumatta Sissoho, M.D.
Fellowship: Geriatrics at the University of Texas Medical Branch (Galveston)
Ana Stark, M.D.
Fellowship: Nephrology at Ochsner Health System in Louisiana
Allison Ajluni, M.D.
Hospitalist at the University of Virginia Hospital
2020 Alumni
Sunita Upreti, MDRheumatology Fellowship University of Maryland
Priyadurga Kodi, MD
Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Texas
Hargeet Sandhu, MD
TBD
Christine Zhang, MD
Georgetown University Hospital, Sleep Medicine Fellowship
Khadija Tayabali, MD
GBMC, 4th year Chief Resident
Iman Khan, MD
New York Presbyterian Weill Cornell Hospital, Nephrology Fellowship
Emily Bergbower, MD
The University of Maryland, Department of Anesthesiology.
Hira Shakeel, MD
Endocrinology, George Washington University
Minu Mathew, MD
The University of Maryland Infectious Disease Fellowship
Nan Cheng, MD
UCLA, Neurology
Upcoming Events
Due to current CoVID-19 pandemic, all events will be postponed to a later time. Check back soon for more information.3/18/2022, 12-1 pm
Seasons in the Life of a Woman Physician - Choices and Tradeoffs
By Dr. Mary Modelle Newman MD, Assistant Professor, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
TBD, 12-1 pm
Fellowship talk: sWIM Alumni
How to have a successful fellowship- Part 11
The alumni will discuss the ins and outs of fellowship, their experience, what to expect.
Dates to be determined:
sWIM Welcome Event
Past Events
2/11/22
My Journey Forward into independent Practice: Holly Dahlman, MD
Dr. Holly Dahlman is a graduate of Mount Holyoke College and the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. She trained in internal medicine in the Osler Residency Program at Johns Hopkins Hospital. From there, she entered private practice, becoming a partner at the Health Associates where she practiced general internal medicine for 7 years. In 2006, she founded Green Spring Internal Medicine with a goal of becoming a "paperless, wireless medical office." Over the past 11 years, the practice has participated in advanced practice models like PCMH and ACO and has won 3 national awards. Dr. Dahlman serves on the ACP Health Policy Committee and was the 2019 recipient of the Maryland ACP's Samuel Asper Award for excellence in clinical medicine. Her interests include EMR, population health management, hiking and Christian theology.
12/17/21, 12-1pm
sWIM Showcase
The wellness team joined us for this event.
Patients are sad and lonely over the holiday season, with this in mind we made cards and distributed them to the patients.
9/17/21, 12-1pm
Finding purpose in your career: Rhakee Bayanir, MD
Associate Professor of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine
Associate Program Director
Director, Forum for Women in Medicine
Director, Balance in Medicine Resident Wellness Initiative
Division of General Medicine
Department of Medicine
Washington University School of Medicine
8/20/2021
“Meet the Chairman of Internal Medicine"Melvin Blanchard, MD - Chairman of Medicine, GBMC HealthCare
7/16/2021
“Interns Welcome Event"5/11/21
Securing Your Financial Future
Bonnie Stein is the President and CEO Jemma Financial. She has over 30 years’ experience in the financial services industry. Bonnie felt that women were underserved when it came to financial matters, and she came out of retirement and co-founded Jemma Financial. It is Bonnie’s mission to help women become better savers and investors, and more financially secure over time.
She is also a member of the Greater Baltimore Medical Center Board and the Woman of the World Business Advisory Board (WOW)
10/29/2020, 12-1 pm, Civiletti
“Singing Your Own Praises: From Competency to Professional Self-Advocacy“Melissa Sparrow, MD, Former Chief of Staff, GBMC HealthCare, former Director of GBMC's Pediatric Advanced Life Saving Program, Clinical Director of GBMC's Pediatric Emergency and Inpatient Services, and Vice Chief of Staff.
9/16/20, 12PM
Virtual interviewing and planning for successful fellowship: Melvin Blanchard, MD, Chairman of Medicine at GBMC
Sponsored by SWIM, all residents invited.
SWIM Hike to Cascade Falls on 8/1/2020 - View Flyer
Farewell luncheon for our sWIM graduates: June 5, 2020
Testimonials

I had met Hira (Dr. Hira Shakeel) as an intern and she was in her second year of her internal medicine residency. We were in sWIM together. After completing residency at GBMC in 2020, Hira went on to do a fellowship in Endocrinology at the George Washington University.

The purpose of sWIM is to support each other and promote women physicians to be the best they can be and encourage each other to achieve their career goals and Hira has done this for me.
I hope my story will inspire others to continue to help one another and to support professional groups like sWIM and above all it is my hope that you support other women in medicine. Never ever give up on your dream.
Firm: Dr. Daley
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