Page 28 - Layout 1

WOMEN IN
MEDICINE

Chapters of the American Medical Women’s

Association (AMWA) in San Antonio

By Anna Tomotaki, Sofia Russo, Karen Barcenas-Villarreal and Sarah Slaton

The History of The American Medical Women’s
Association
The American Medical Women’s Association (AMWA)
is an organization of women physicians, medical students
and other persons dedicated to serving as the unique voice
for women’s health and the advancement of women in
medicine. Medical schools across the country, including
the UT Health San Antonio Long School of Medicine
and the UIW School of Osteopathic Medicine (UIW-
SOM), have AMWA chapters with student and physician
members. AMWA is the oldest multispecialty organiza-
tion dedicated to advancing women in medicine and im-
proving women’s health. The national organization was
founded by Dr. Bertha VanHoosen in 1915 in Chicago, at
a time when women physicians were an underrepresented
minority. While women in medicine have increased in
numbers, problems and issues regarding gender equity per-
sist. AMWA has been addressing these issues for over 100
years. The mission of AMWA is to advance women in
medicine, advocate for equity and ensure excellence in
health care. The long-term vision of AMWA is a healthier
world where women physicians achieve equity in the med-
ical profession and realize their full potential.

The Challenges Faced by Women in Medicine
What is unique about AMWA is its focus on both per-
sonal and professional development as well as its commit-
ment to social issues, professional issues and health issues
alike. Some of the key areas AMWA has worked to address
over its 100+ year history include the Role Model Gap, Mentoring Gap medical schools, female physicians make about 10% less than their male
and Pay Gap between male and female physicians (AMWA, 2020). In counterparts at all academic ranks, even after accounting for age, expe-
2018, there were over 2,600 male department chairs compared to only rience, specialty, faculty rank, and measures of research productivity
618 female chairs. Additionally, while over half of entering medical and clinical revenue (Jena et al., 2016). Medscape’s 2019 Physician
school classes consist of women, the makeup of the faculty instructing Compensation Report found an even greater disparity, with full-time
them looked much different – only 18% of full professors were women male primary care and specialist doctors earning 25% and 33% more,
in 2019. respectively, than their female counterparts.
Furthermore, when evaluating the salaries of new physicians entering In order to advance gender equity in medicine, it is important to rec-
the workforce, female physicians earned an average of $26,367 less than ognize the history of the profession, the progress that has been made
their male counterparts (AMWA, 2020). One national study found and the work still to be done. AMWA works to educate the medical and
that among physicians with faculty appointments at 24 U.S. public non-medical communities alike regarding the aforementioned issues

28 SAN ANTONIO MEDICINE • November 2021