The Midwestern Women in Otolaryngology Symposium, hosted by WashU Medicine on March 10, addressed some of the unique challenges faced by women in medicine.
The second annual meeting was held at the Eric P. Newman Education Center. Co-organizers Jennifer Brinkmeier, MD, and Nyssa Farrell, MD, were assisted by a planning committee of fellow WashU Med Otolaryngology faculty, including Eric Barbarite, MD, Molly Huston, MD, Miranda Lindburg, MD, Maithilee Menezes, MD, M. Allison Ogden, MD, and Sid Puram, MD, PhD.
Farrell explained that Otolaryngology at WashU Medicine has a strong history of supporting its women physicians so it is an ideal choice to lead further dialogue and model female leadership white helping support professional growth for women otolaryngologists here and elsewhere.
“This symposium provides a dedicated space for women to connect, share their experiences, and develop strategies for overcoming career barriers,” said Farrell. “By fostering mentorship, peer support, and leadership development, the event helps participants build the skills and networks necessary to excel. The symposium ultimately supports the retention and success of women in otolaryngology, benefiting both individual careers and the field as a whole.
“We hope this event helps women better navigate their own career choices.”
Nyssa Farrell, MD
Guest and local faculty for the course included experts in career development from across the country:
- Brandon Baird, MD, University of Chicago
- Hilary Anger Elfenbein, PhD, WashU Olin School of Business
- Carrie L. Francis, MD, Kansas University Medical Center
- Christine Franzese, MD, University of Missouri, Columbia
- Molly Huston, MD, WashU Medicine
- Stacey Ishman, MD, MPH, Dayton Children’s Hospital
- Christie L. Morgan, MD, MS, Wayne State University School of Medicine
- Kathy O’Neill, Community America Credit Union
- Mike Pugh, Enterprise Mobility
- Minka Schofield, MD, MPH, The Ohio State University College of Medicine
- Kristine Smith, MD, University of Utah
- Marita Teng, MD, Mount Sinai Health System
- Shiayin F. Yang, MD, Vanderbilt University Medical Center
“This year’s conference focused on strategies to navigate large and small career transitions, whether they involve changes in a title, a place of work, an entire career, and the more gradual evolutions that take place over the course of our working lives,” said Jennifer Brinkmeier. “According to feedback received, it was a huge success.”
Resident Amrita Hari-Raj, MD, also found the conference useful.
“It was great to attend the Women in Oto symposium for the second time and to spend the day interacting with experts in our field,” she said. “I especially enjoyed the valuable information imparted on navigating medical politics as well as exploring the variety of ways to handle important transition points in my surgical career.”