Reflections as a Woman in Medicine
Margaret Leigh, MD
Professor of Pediatrics
Women have come a long way in the medical field during my career. Between 1969 (year that I graduated from high school) and 1976 (year that I graduated from medical school) the prevalence of female medical students increased from 9% to 20%. This increase allowed women to become more visible, if they stepped forward. Example: On the day before interacting with patients for the first time in 1973, the Dean of Students talked to our medical school class about professionalism and stated that he expected all students to wear a white coat and necktie. My female classmates and I went to his office the next day wearing our white coats and neckties – I think he got the point.

What events promoted the increase between 1969 and 1976? A key factor was Title VII, a provision of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 that prohibits employers from discriminating against employees on the basis of sex, race, color, national origin and religion. Then, in 1970, the National Organization of Women (NOW) filed a class action suit against all medical schools in US for exclusion of women. Thereafter, the prevalence of female medical students increased and reached 50% in 2005. However, it takes time for female medical students to move through the process to make an impact on the number of female faculty at medical schools and the number in leadership positions.

Jacqueline Noonan, was Chair of Pediatrics (1974-1992) at the University of Kentucky where I did my pediatric residency. She was one of the few female Chairs in any medical school department at that time. Motivated by Dr. Noonan, most of the female pediatric residents from my year pursued academic careers – in neonatology, cardiology, pulmonology, and critical care; and, one (Debra Fiser) later became Chair of Pediatrics and then Dean at University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. What an extraordinary group! After completing residency, I remained at UK as Assistant Professor in General Pediatrics for 2 years - approximately 30% of the pediatric faculty were women and 50% of the residents were women. Imagine my surprise in 1982 when I arrived at UNC for my fellowship training to find only one female faculty member in the Pediatric Department - Mary Glenn Fowler (now Professor of Pathology at Johns Hopkins). After fellowship, I joined the pediatric faculty at UNC – increasing the number of female pediatric faculty on tenure track to 3 – Mary Glenn Fowler, Marianna Henry and myself. Thomas Boat, the new Pediatric Chair, led a culture change by actively recruiting women faculty and choosing outstanding female chief residents – Rupa-Redding Lallinger in 1984-85, Regina Rabinovitch in 1985-86, Susan Denfield in 1986-87. In addition, Tom Boat was my research mentor and academic mentor, providing enormous support during my early career.

Fast forward to now: several female pediatricians are in leadership positions - Chair of Pediatrics (Stephanie Davis), Vice Dean for Academic Affairs (Julie Byerley), Vice Chair of Education and Pediatric Residency Program Director (Kenya McNeal-Trice); more than 30% of our faculty are female; 50% or more of our medical students and residents are female. We have come a long way. While this environment is more “comfortable” for women, we (as members of the pediatric community) need to ensure that the highly motivated women have opportunities and pathways to excel, armed with tools and processes to address the obstacles and barriers along the way.  Women are more visible now in our department, but still must step forward and work hard to be recognized as leaders.

NOTE: Intentionally, I have provided names, because these individuals stepped forward to change the culture and have accomplished many great things in their careers. I encourage you to look and see.
The Pediatrics Diversity and Inclusion Committee
Wants To Hear From You!
New! Diversity Shout-Out
Do you have an experience from your work at UNC that highlights diversity and/or inclusion? If so, we’d like to hear about it! Feel free to send us an email with your experience and we will include it in an upcoming Diversity Memo. peds_diversity@med.unc.edu
New! Learning from Our Own

Many of us identify with multiple backgrounds, lifestyles, practices, or groups that help add to our character and individual stories. The Pediatrics D&I committee aims to recognize how the differences that distinguish us as individuals add value to our talented community of faculty and staff at UNC Children’s .  The goal is to learn from each other in effort to breed an environment of inclusiveness and understanding.
Below are five questions about your experiences considering the backgrounds, lifestyles, practices, or groups with which you identify. Please focus your responses on one such characteristic per submission; if you would like to discuss an additional characteristic, please submit a separate response to peds_diversity@med.unc.edu   

  1. Which background, lifestyle, practice, or group would you like to share about today?
  2. What aspects of your background, lifestyle, practice, or group are you most proud of?
  3. Are there any myths that you would like to dispel about said background, lifestyle, practice, or group?
  4. What are things that other members of the UNC Pediatrics community can do to improve inclusivity of those with your background, lifestyle, practice, or group, whether with coworkers or with patients?
  5. What is the most rewarding part of your day-to-day work?
 
Thank you for agreeing to share your experience! We value your time and your thoughts. If you agree in advance, your responses may be published in our monthly Diversity Memo.
New! T he UNC Pediatrics Diversity Calendar
How can I increase my awareness of important dates
across various faiths & cultures?

Access the UNC Pediatrics Diversity Calendar! 
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New! Pediatric Schwartz Rounds

March 18 th , from 12-1p in Bondurant G100 , the
Pediatric Schwartz Rounds panel discussion topic will cover diversity and inclusion. Lunch will be provided.
New! Grand Rounds

March 26 th , from 8-9a in Old Clinic Auditorium
"How You Use Your Voice Through the Lens of Inclusion"

Gretchen C. Bellamy, JD, LLM
Senior Director for Education, Operations and Initiatives
UNC Chapel Hill - University Office for Diversity & Inclusion
Recruiting for Summer 2020

March Dates to Note

March is Women’s History Month
Started in 1987, Women’s History Month recognizes all women for their valuable contributions to history and society.
March is National Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month
A Christian holiday that celebrates three occasions according to Christian belief: the presentation of the child Jesus; Jesus’ first entry into the temple; and Virgin Mary’s purification.
February 26 – April 9: Lent
In the Christian  church , Lent refers to a period of penitential preparation for   Easter . In Western churches it begins on  Ash Wednesday and spans 40 days as a period of  fast ing (Sundays excluded) in imitation of  Jesus Christ ’s  fasting  in the wilderness before he began his public ministry.
March 1: St. David’s Day
The feast day of St. David, the patron saint of Wales.
March 1: Cheesefare Sunday or Forgiveness Sunday
The last Sunday prior to the commencement of Great Lent for Orthodox Christians.
March 8: International Women’s Day
First observed in 1911 in Germany, it has now become a major global celebration honoring women’s economic, political and social achievements.
March 8: Orthodox Sunday
Celebrated on the first Sunday of Great Lent. It is the celebration of the victory of the iconodules over the iconoclasts by the decision of the Seventh Ecumenical Council. Therefore, the service is to commemorate the restoration of icons for use in services and private devotional life of Christians.
March 9-10: Holi
The annual Hindu and Sikh spring religious festival observed in India, Nepal and Sri Lanka, along with other countries with large Hindu and Sikh populations. People celebrate Holi by throwing colored powder and water at each other. Bonfires are lit the day before in the memory of the miraculous escape that young Prahlada accomplished when demoness Holika carried him into the fire. It is often celebrated on the full moon (the Phalguna Purnima) before the beginning of the Vernal Equinox as based on the Hindu calendar.
March 9-10: Purim
A Jewish celebration that marks the time when the Jewish community living in Persia was saved from genocide. On Purim, Jewish people offer charity and share food with friends.
March 10-12: Hola Mohalla
A Sikh festival that takes place on the second day of the lunar month of Chet, a day after the Hindu spring festival Holi.
March 13-April 15: Deaf History Month
This observance celebrates key events in deaf history, including the founding of Gallaudet University and the American School for the Deaf.
March 19: St. Joseph’s Day
In Western Christianity the principal feast of St. Joseph, the husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
March 19-20: Naw-Rúz
The Bahá’í New Year is a holiday celebrated on the vernal equinox. It is one of the nine Bahá’í holy days on which work is suspended.
March 20: Ostara
A celebration of the spring equinox commemorated by Pagans and Wiccans. It is observed as a time to mark the coming of spring and the fertility of the land.
March 20-21: Nowruz/Norooz
Persian New Year, a day of joy, celebration and renewal. It is held annually on the spring equinox.
March 21: International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
Observed annually in the wake of the 1960 killing of 69 people at a demonstration against apartheid pass laws in South Africa. The United Nations proclaimed the day in 1966 and called on the international community to redouble its efforts to eliminate all forms of racial discrimination.
March 25: Annunciation of the Virgin Mary
A Christian celebration of the announcement by the angel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary that she would conceive and become the mother of Jesus.
March 26: Khordad Sal
Birth anniversary of prophet Zoroaster, a spiritual leader and ethical philosopher who taught a spiritual philosophy of self-realization and realization of the divine. Zoroastrians celebrate this day with prayer and feasting.
March 31: International Transgender Day of Visibility
Celebrated to bring awareness to transgender people and their identities as well as recognize those who helped fight for rights for transgender people.
Stuart Gold, Committee Chair
Christian Lawrence
Robin Howard
Jennifer McElroy
Nina Jain
Jessie Feudale
Hadley Kifner
Kenya McNeal-Trice
Benny Joyner
Jennifer Gutierrez-Wu
Zachary Pettigrew