Yesterday, a doctor urged me NOT to become a surgeon. He prefers to refer to male surgeons, who don’t take mat leave & told me that as a woman I shouldn't expect complex cases.
Yes, our system is gendered & broken, which is EXACTLY why I want to become a surgeon. Happy
#IWD
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FYI - the physician who made this comment has been in practice for less than 2 years. Retirement won’t solve this issue. Misogynistic thinking exists even among those early in their career. To change we must first start by acknowledging our own biases:
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@KameelaAlibhai9
Keep chasing your dreams. You’re so bright and so hard-working. I’ll feed you when I’m in town. Report this doctor if you can.
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@KameelaAlibhai9
Thank you for speaking up, and your courage to do so is inspiring. My 12 yo son is doing a project on
#IWD
and I shared your story with him. With your permission, he would like to include it as an example of how women are currently impacted.
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@ajmkray
Absolutely! If he needs more information, I am happy to share. DM me if you'd like :)
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@KameelaAlibhai9
@sofiamed05
Join or start an AWS group! I’ve met so many badass ladies in surgery that I otherwise wouldn’t have met.💜
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@KameelaAlibhai9
@westernuSurgery
has an incredible program with many incredible female surgeons who mentored me and drove my passion for general surgery! Cc
@UWO_Gen_Sx_PD
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@dpepe88
@westernuSurgery
@UWO_Gen_Sx_PD
The first time I scrubbed in was with your colleague Dr. Mele. She is an incredible role model and the reason I was first drawn to surgery. I would be so lucky to come back and train at
@westernuSurgery
for my residency with
@UWO_Gen_Sx_PD
and the rest of the team.
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@KameelaAlibhai9
You are so courageous for speaking up. It takes a lot to post this. One of the many reasons why you will make a very fine surgeon.
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@KameelaAlibhai9
@Bardswan
On the flip side, as a patient, it CAN be incredibly frustrating. My daughter has endometriosis and her surgeon went into labor early... 9 mo later she’s decided to be on extended mat leave. Meanwhile my 17 yo spends the year in/out of ER, just wanting to be a normal teen...
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@KameelaAlibhai9
I hope u smiled benignly at him. Not worth wasting a conversation over.... And anyways your work will show him!!! All the best!!!
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