Super Women in Medicine

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.

Learn about our logo here.

The GBMC Women in Medicine for Internal Medicine Residency Program started when Dr. Paul Foster MD, past Program Director, saw the need to have a "Women in Medicine" group for the residency, based on specific issues at that juncture of the residency. He was also “curious about how training should reflect the diversity and respond to needs of his residents”.

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.

Best regards,
Pauline Daley Richards, MD, FACP
Director, Super Women in Medicine

sWIM Members 2021-2022

Faculty

Director: Pauline Daley Richards, MD, FACP
Sahayini Kumar, MD, FACP
Elisabeth Carr, MD
Janki Patel, MD
Alaina Chodoff, MD

House Staff members

Kia Persaud, MD
Sajida 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

Dr. Melissa Sparrow, past Chief-of-Staff of the Greater Baltimore Medical Center, was the guest speaker at our inaugural meeting of sWIM (super Women in Medicine) on October 29, 2020. She is the first female chief-of-staff of the institution. "Singing Your Own Praises from Competency to Professional Self-Advocacy" was the topic.

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"

Melvin Blanchard, MD - Chairman of Medicine

Re-invigorated Women in Medicine: The GBMC Women in Medicine for internal medicine residency program, led by Dr. Pauline Daley-Richards, was created in 2017 with an aim to address unique issues and needs of women physicians and physicians-in-training. This is important for many obvious reasons, but particularly because more than 60% of our categorical residents are women. Our mission is: 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.

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.

View Upcoming and Past Events

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Resources

Becoming: A Guided Journal for Discovering Your Voice Hardcover – November 19, 2019
by Michelle Obama (Author)

Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead Hardcover – Deckle Edge, March 12, 2013
by Sheryl Sandberg (Author)

Testimonials

I have always wanted to do Endocrine since my internship. In my final year of residency, I was at a critical stage of my career regarding what my next step should be- should I do Endocrine, should I do primary care, or should I do hospital medicine were questions to myself.

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.

Few weeks before my graduation from GBMC, Hira messaged me about an unexpected opening in her fellowship program and asked if I was interested in interviewing for the position. I went on to the interview prepared with all I had learned in sWIM and in my training about interviewing for fellowship. I was accepted to George Washington University in May 2021. I am forever grateful for this opportunity and that Hira thought of me to train along with her. I am now able to accomplish my dream of becoming an endocrinologist due to Hira looking out for me.

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.

- Kelly Le, M.D., Class of 2021
Firm: Dr. Daley