Mentoring is Focus of “Women in Internal Medicine” Spring Meeting

Last fall, the Department of Medicine launched an initiative aimed at supporting DOM’s women faculty members and trainees. Co-chaired by Division of Gastroenterology’s Jeanetta Frye, MD, and Anne Tuskey, MD, with additional leadership provided by DOM’s director of education Joy Hilton, the group — dubbed “Women in Internal Medicine” — sponsored a kick-off event in January that featured a panel discussion on work-life balance. More than 30 DOM women — faculty, fellows and residents — participated.

The group’s second meeting was held April 29th and attracted a similar number of participants for an exploration of the topic of mentoring. Dorothe Bach (UVA Center for Teaching Excellence) presented, and Peggy Plews-Ogan, MD (Division of General, Geriatric, Palliative & Hospital Medicine, and Susan Pollart, MD (SOM’s Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs and Faculty Development), led the follow-up discussion.

Looking ahead, the group plans to sponsor (in addition to regular meetings) a Grand Rounds in the upcoming year. It is also working to establish a grant to support women faculty members at the early stages of their research careers.