Women in Surgery – In the News

Published on April 28, 2016

Dr. Mirwat Sami appeared on the weekly news show, Houston Newsmakers, discussing “Women Leadership in Medicine and Surgery”. It aired February 21, 2016 10:00 am on Channel 2 Houston KPRC NBC.‪

Overcoming the Odds

It is interesting to highlight women who pursue surgery as a profession. The first hurdle begins with getting into medical school – 50% of those accepted into medical courses being women. Yet the increasing number of female medical students does not translate to a higher number of female surgeons. It could take roughly 10 years after graduation for fresh female doctors to train and become full-fledged surgeons.A doctor’s career involves a great amount of personal investment, often requiring them to constantly update their skills to supplement the subjects they learned in medical school.

Surgeons work under tremendous time pressure and challenging conditions. In certain circumstances, they may not be able to develop the necessary skills for the job. There could be more responsibilities and new developments to take on. It would be ideal for some to work with great mentors who could provide career guidance and direction.

Women in Surgery

There are now several women leading surgical departments in the United States and Canada. These women are paving the way for others to accomplish similar leadership positions. However, women are often required to put more effort compared to their male counterparts in order to become successful in their endeavors.

One main factor of leadership development is the increase in the capabilities of professionals, particularly in accomplishing objectives and enhancing collaboration. For women to fully actualize their role and impact on society, there is a need to pursue ongoing dialogue to ensure that these roles are met.

Surgeons

Surgery is still a predominantly male-oriented field, with the majority of surgeons being men. Nonetheless, it is encouraging to see intelligent, capable women in fields such as physics, law, engineering and medicine. It is also heartwarming to see many inspiring women tenaciously prove their capabilities and ability to perform in the field.

Dr. Mirwat Sami, an Oculofacial Surgeon in Houston, Texas, says too few women surgeons are making it from med school into positions of leadership in the medical field. “If you think about it, 50% of medical students in the United States are Women but only 32% are in practice,” she states. Dr. Sami goes on to speculate, “What could explain that gap? I think a lot of it is just a lot of society pressure.”

Women in Surgery in the news

Check out the original news story here.

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