Pioneering Women in Medicine and the Medical Sciences - Tapa blanda

Today it’s no longer strange to hear of a woman doctor; and yet, though progress has certainly been made, there is still work to be done if women are to truly be treated equally in the field of medicine.

On March 10, 2000, the first reported conference about women in medicine and the sciences was held at Stanford University School of Medicine. Interestingly enough, though a woman, Dr. Linda Shortliffe, spearheaded the symposium, it was suggested by a man, Dr. Gerald Friedland, after he became more sensitive to discrimination when his wife and daughter became physicians.

Twelve years later Dr. Leah Dickstein informed Dr. Friedland she had a video of the conference, giving birth to the idea for the inspiring and informative guide Pioneering Women in Medicine and the Medical Sciences. The two physicians, along with Dr. Jennifer Tender, edited chapters authored by fifteen modern female medical professionals, with an aim to further advocate for women in medicine. Filled with history and biographies, as well as insights on the barriers women still face today, this book serves as an invaluable resource to anyone interested in medical history or pursuing a career in medicine.

Gerald W. Friedland, MD, FRCPE, FRCR, is a professor emeritus of radiology at Stanford University School of Medicine. Author of Heart Attack: Advice for Patients by Patients and coauthor of Medicine’s 10 Greatest Discoveries, he has also written numerous articles on radiology, anatomy, embryology, physiology, and the history of medicine. He is married with two daughters and three granddaughters.

Jennifer A. F. Tender, MD, is a general academic pediatrician at Children’s National Health Systems in Washington, DC. Married, she is also mother to three daughters.

Leah J. Dickstein, MD, MS, a former president of the American Medical Women's Association and vice president of the American Psychiatric Association, entered medical school in 1966 after teaching in public school in Brooklyn. One of only six women in her class, she balanced her academic responsibilities with the choice and challenges of raising three sons.