UP FRONT
Guest Column
#SHEmatology and #WOMANcology:
Encouraging Women to Explore Careers and
Leadership in Hematology and Oncology
By Ariela Marshall, MD; Eva Gupta, MD; Julia Close, MD; Martina Murphy, MD; and Samantha Shams, MD
ver the past 50 years, women in
medicine have gained greater
representation, with each
generation of trainees mov-
ing closer to gender parity.
The number of female medical
school applicants, new enrollees,
and graduates has increased steadily, to the
point of near-gender equality at the medical-
student level: In 2017, more women than men
enrolled in U.S. medical schools for the first
time ever ( FIGURE 1 , page 30). 1
However, women still lag far behind men in
positions of academic medical leadership at the
associate professor, full professor, and division
chair level in most medical fields. 2-4 Accord-
ing to data from the Association of American
Medical Colleges (AAMC), men made up a
larger portion of all full-time faculty positions,
except at the instructor level, across U.S. medi-
cal schools. And, on average, male department
chairs outnumbered female department chairs
17 to three ( FIGURE 2 , page 30).
In the field of hematology/oncology, while
women make up between 40 and 49 percent of
first-year fellows, they constitute less than 40
percent of the practicing academic hematology/
oncology workforce. 5-7
Women in medicine face an uphill career
climb. Unique aspects of being a woman in
medicine – such as pregnancy during and
after training – can create challenges that may
hinder career advancement. Several studies
have demonstrated that, for female residents
across a number of specialties, pregnancy is
associated with health complications, negative
peer attitudes and evaluations, and barriers to
career advancement. 8-12
Reaching Recruits
We strongly believe in the importance of early-
career development and mentorship to encour-
age young women physicians to pursue careers
in a specific field of interest. Both the American
Society of Hematology (ASH) and the Ameri-
can Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) have
championed initiatives dedicated to improv-
ing diversity and inclusion in the hematology/
oncology workforce, through events like the
Networking Reception for Female Hematolo-
gists at the ASH Annual Meeting.
28
ASH Clinical News
Members of the Millennial generation
(people born between 1981 and 1996) and
Generation Z (people born after 1996) have a
particular talent and affinity for using technol-
ogy and multimodal information-gathering
for self-development. As they join the ranks
of practicing doctors and medical students,
technology is becoming a valuable tool for
encouraging career development for women in
a subspecialty field. 13,14
Online resources and social media
platforms such as Facebook and Twitter are
increasingly well recognized and accepted
as tools to promote career advancement for
women physicians. 15 Take, for example, a recent
article by cardiologist Gina P. Lundberg,
MD, in which she urged young women to
#ChooseCardiology – and invited women in
residency, fellowship, and their early careers
to use the hashtag to share why they would
choose cardiology as a specialty again. 16
As younger
members join our
ranks, technology
is becoming a
valuable tool for
encouraging career
development
for women in a
subspecialty field.
Women who chose the specialty of
hematology/oncology are launching their
own social media campaigns and networks
to be supportive. In 2015, Suzanne Cole,
MD, formed the Hematology and Oncology
Women Physician Wolfpack Group (HOWPG),
a Facebook group where women in our field
discuss the practical and personal aspects of
being a hematologist/oncologist.
It provides members with an online plat-
form with content ranging from finding men-
tors and sharing career advice – major factors
influencing post-fellowship career pathways in
hematology/oncology – to discussing challeng-
ing clinical cases and asking for expert advice. 17
Equally important, it serves as a forum for
its more than 1,000 members to network and
build connections – an essential component of
career development.
The group has been recognized for its im-
pact. 18,19 In a recent poll of HOWPG physicians,
members reported that HOWPG and other
social media networks for women physicians
had led to multiple positive outcomes. These
include:
• increasing the network of mentors and
sponsors
• collaboration on writing projects (review
articles, chapters, etc.)
• new speaking/lecturing opportunities
• opportunities to serve as mentors and
sponsors for other women in hematology/
oncology
• new patient referrals
• collaboration in clinical or basic science
research
• reduction in burnout and improved
career satisfaction by creating a sense of
community
• giving members the opportunity to both
recruit and interview for jobs 20
One instance of these opportunities unfolded
in the pages of ASH Clinical News: After
being invited to participate in a “Drawing
First Blood” debate about anticoagulation
during pregnancy based on her Twitter
activity, Martina Murphy, MD, noted that
she was able to collaborate with a leader in
December 2018