It’s been a busy 2017 for WIN, with multiple events, publications and exciting opportunities for women in intensive care. Here’s a roundup of the year that was.
The year began on a sombre note , given the publicity surrounding junior doctor mental health, suicide and physician burnout. Many physicians, including me,
In May,Naomi Yarwood presented her findings on female representation in research at the ANZICS-CTG in Noosa.. Her study found that women, unsurprisingly, were under-represented in all ANZICS-CTG endorsed study management committees. It was well received and certainly created a buzz which will hopefully culminate in a more equal gender representation in the future.
Two Victorian and two NSW events formed the social and educational part of our calendar. The Victorian events explored the contribution that ICM can make to an organisation like the WHO, the future of antibiotic resistance and tried to calm the panic that the adult intensivist feels when confronted with a tiny human (i.e., paediatric) patient in a great series of talks. WIN-NSW an event exploring “what surgeons want from intensivists” presentation, providing some perspective from “the other side.”
It was a proud day in August, when Sarah and Lucy spearheaded the guideline for achieving gender balance at CICM educational events, including their annual ASM. The guideline includes an evidence-based summary of the issue, dispelling the myth of ‘meritocracy’ in speaker selection (see our “mythbusters” section for more on that) and recommended targets to ensure gender balance at the ASM and other important college events.
I would like to take this opportunity to wish you a Merry Christmas and a happy 2018!
We hope to see you at future WIN events in 2018.
Lucy, Sarah, Sandra, Tamishta and Naomi.