April 04, 2019
Hello,
I wanted to share some highlights from a recent special guest to the medical school.
Dr. LaTanya Love and our Office of Diversity and Inclusion invited Dr. Hala Sabry to be the keynote speaker for National Women’s History Month. Dr. Sabry is an emergency medicine physician who is best known as the founder of Physician Moms Group (PMG). She spoke on “Finding Your Passion in Medicine.”
Dr. Sabry talked about founding the website PMG in 2014 to create a platform for women physicians to exchange information and provide collaborative resources. PMG started with humble beginnings– a group of just 20 women physicians. Dr. Sabry described thinking it would be cool to grow the group to about 200 women and was amazed at the speed with which the online discussion group took off. Today about 25 percent of women physicians in the United States are part of PMG. Moreover, PMG has become a worldwide sensation, with more than 71,000 members from around the globe who post over 200,000 comments per month on topics as diverse as career flexibility, gender diversity in the workplace, and personal life events. The website is a resource for women physicians to provide counsel and shared experiences with each other.
Dr. Sabry has expanded the mandate of PMG and dedicated it to recognizing and supporting women. Her group instituted National Women Physicians Day on Feb. 3, which celebrates Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell’s birthday. Dr. Blackwell was the first woman to receive a medical degree in the United States.
In addition to her talk about building a community of women physicians, Dr. Sabry spent the morning in a meet-and-greet session with our faculty. A busy working physician mom, she has a very busy home life with five children—eight month-old twins, 4 year-old twins and a 5 year old! She continues to be clinically active as an emergency room physician and said she stays grounded by staying true to her character and her friends, surrounding herself with people who want to help. She hopes PMG will be a legacy for her children, and noted that her real mission is raising her children.
I want to thank Dr. Sabry for her inspiring talk and dedication to making a difference in women’s lives. She is a great example of the Margaret Mead quote, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”
Thanks also to Dr. LaTanya Love and the entire staff of the Office of Diversity and Inclusion for bringing wonderful speakers to campus and broadening our experiences and worldview.
Warm regards,
Barbara
P.S. And congratulations to all of those who were honored at this year’s UTHealth STAR Awards, especially those recognized with the Michael J. Jimenez Leadership Awards: Dr. Debra Fowler, Scott Patlovich, and Cristina Sola. Dr. Fowler’s remarks are attached.
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