Letter to the Women Physicians

You are more than capable. Do not let other people tell you otherwise. You have survived the gruel training of medical school and residency. You wear multiple hats. You are a mother, a daughter, a wife, a doctor and many other things – all in one. You are doing your best to balance between work and life.

You are amazing. You rise up in a traditionally male-dominant profession. You face subtle and sometimes not-so-subtle gender bias at work. I remember, more than one occasion, I was chatting with my male colleague. Another male physician joined in and would just have eye contact with my colleague, as if I did not exist. Not to mention how many times I was called a nurse by patients. I am sure many of you have similar stories, or even worse ones where you were emotionally injured or insulted.

You are worthy. No matter what you do, you are worthy. If you decide to step away from medicine completely, and that is what your heart truly desires, do not let guilt take over you. Being a physician is not the sole definition of who you are.

You are wonderful servants. You decided medicine to be your career to help others in need. You think of your patients and your family first, and you live with a servant’s heart, to the point that you think it is selfish to think about yourself. It is important to take care of yourself, so that you have an optimal physical and mental capacity to take care of others.

You are trailblazers. You are willing to go upstream in medicine to hold leadership roles. You are fighting for research opportunities. You are creating time and effort to have better patient connections.

You are all those things and more.

You are not a failure because you are charting into late hours and can barely see your children. You are not living up to what you are meant to be only if you stay in the victim mode. Oh, woe is me, the system is causing me to go home late. It is the system’s fault. I agree that the whole healthcare system needs a major overhaul. That does not mean it is helpful to only blame the system and not move forward. Be curious always. Explore what you can do to change the situation. If you cannot do this by yourself, ask for help. It is okay to ask for help, and it will likely save you hours if not more.

Remember your why. Why you are doing what you are doing. Without a compelling why, everything seems to be meaningless.

Take care of yourself. Basic things you teach your patients – keep a healthy diet, exercise and good quality sleep – they all apply to you, because you are human. Always make time to uplevel yourself. Invest in your well-being. You give the best quality of care when you are taking great care of yourself.

You are amazing. You face more challenges every day as a woman physician compared to your male counterparts. Know your worth. Know who you are. Act in alignment with your values.  Support one another. You belong. Let us rise together.