Women in Radiology

Over the past several years about half (46%) of all medical students are female, however, less than a third (about 27%) of academic radiologists are women. In alliance with the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion program (IDEA-RAD) in the Department of Radiology, the women in radiology group was formally founded at The OSUWMC Department of Radiology in January 2021, with the goal to advocate against gender disparity and to provide equal opportunity irrespective of gender. This group is open to everyone, regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, age, or any other personal identifying factor.

Mission and vision

Providing a safe space to share and learn from our experiences, is just one of the many goals for this group. We strive to have a strong community that supports and empowers its members. Our mission is to offer solidarity, to inspire and to encourage each other. The group is a platform to provide mentorship for professional development, as well as personal fulfillment for faculty and trainees. This group is also involved in demonstrating support in our recruitment process at all levels - faculty, fellows and residents.

The ultimate goal is to foster and maintain a supportive environment for women in the department throughout their career, to ensure retention and cultivate inclusion and career advancement of the women in leadership roles. Our department is fortunate to have female representation in every sub-specialty of Radiology, including Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology. This helps nurture and build a strong network for students, residents, and fellows in each section of our department.

Events

The group plans to have quarterly events with the kickoff event held on May 1, 2021. Although the events are an opportunity for social networking and intended to be outside the work environment, we address and discuss important issues that are pertinent to academic radiology and relevant to the experiences of women radiologists.

Women in radiology event outside

Women in radiology event inside at restaurant table

Committee

Resources

AAWR- American Association of Women in Radiology: The American Association for Women Radiologists (AAWR) is a professional organization for women radiologists established in 1981 with focus on: Networking among women in radiology, increasing visibility of women in radiology, representation on the American College of Radiology board, sponsoring of activities that impact women in radiology and mentoring program to advance careers of women in radiology. For resources and more info: AAWR > Home

WIMS- Women in Medicine and Sciences: At the institutional level, FAME’s Women in Medicine and Science Committee (WIMS) was started to help the advancement of women in The Ohio State University College of Medicine. For WIMS homepage: Women in Medicine and Science (WIMS)

CMA (Columbus Medical Association) Women In Medicine: At the local level, the Columbus medical association has a women’s community. For more information, please refer to their website: CMA's Women in Medicine Community - Columbus Medical Association

President & Provost's Council on Women: leads the charge to advance women across The Ohio State University. PPCW advocates to the president and provost for all Ohio State women and provides leadership for the development of policies and practices that positively affect the working environment for women. For more info: President & Provost's Council on Women

Relevant publications

Alon T.D.M., Olmstead-Rumsey J., Tertilt M. 2020. The impact of COVID-19 on gender equality. https://www.nber.org/papers/w26947

Jalilianhasanpour R., Charkhchi P., Mirbolouk M., Yousem D.M. Underrepresentation of women on radiology editorial boards. J Am Coll Radiol. 2019. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30340997/

McKenna Bryant. Women in Radiology Leadership. https://www.appliedradiology.com/articles/women-in-radiology-leadership

Kattapuram TM, Patel AK, Selberg AO, et al. Radiology as a career for women: influence and recommendations. J Am Coll Radiol. 2017. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S154614401631331X?via%3Dihub

Spalluto LB, Arleo EK, Lewis MC, Oates ME, Macura KJ. Addressing Needs of Women Radiologists: Opportunities for Practice Leaders to Facilitate Change. Radiographics. 2018. doi: 10.1148/rg.2018180023

Another great resource is the pocket mentor which refers to different stages during the career as women in radiology.