We can do it
UF College of Medicine alumnae sound off on gender equity and representation in health care
March 22, 2019 — When the UF College of Medicine’s inaugural class graduated nearly 60 years ago, Jean Bennett, Betty Robinson Drake and Kay Miller Whitacker walked across a stage to receive their medical degrees along with their 37 classmates, who were all men.
Today, gender representation among the UF College of Medicine medical students is about equal. Of the 135 members in the class of 2022, 67 are women and 68 are men.
Each new year brings evolution toward a more equitable playing field for those entering health care professions. At the UF College of Medicine and beyond, women are gaining titles and entering new spaces previously held predominantly by men. Last year, Tenisha Wilson became the first African-American woman to graduate from the UF MD-PhD Training Program. In 2017, UF associate professor of neurology Irene Malaty became the Florida Society of Neurology’s first female president.
To celebrate National Women’s History month, five alumnae of the UF College of Medicine share their thoughts on the ways women can shape the face of health care and the necessity of gender equity and representation among the health care workforce.
Irene Malaty, M.D., is an associate professor in the UF department of neurology who completed her neurology residency in 2007 and a fellowship in movement disorders in 2008 at the UF College of Medicine.
“When I first interviewed for a neurology residency around 2003, I remember noticing that I hadn’t met any women faculty that day. I naively thought that they must have been busy and not interviewing that day, until I realized there really were no female neurologists on the faculty,” she says. “Luckily, I didn’t see that as a deterrent. Over the 15 years that followed, I have been happy to see tremendous faculty expansion, and now about one in three of our neurologists are women. Although there is still disparity, the growth is certainly encouraging.
“After 50 years of the Florida Society of Neurology, I am honored to be its first female president. I would like to see diversity in gender, expertise, geography and culture continue to be incorporated to strengthen our field clinically and in leadership. It’s striking that it took 50 years for that to happen, but it speaks to the evolution of the field becoming more inclusive and to women stepping into more leadership positions,” she says. “It’s an exciting sign of the times.”
Irene Malaty, M.D., second from the left in the bottom row, poses with her fellow members of The American Academy of Neurology's Women in Neurology program, which incorporates panel discussions, mentorship programs and a task force to support women in neurology.
Maude Lofton, M.D. ’79, is a retired pediatrician and child development specialist based in Littleton, Colorado.
“Whether by nature or tradition, women have been the designated nurturers in most cultures. This nurturing spirit brings comfort and promotes healing. As consummate multitaskers, we are adept at analyzing situations, prioritizing needs and formulating solutions in a concise, comprehensive and timely fashion. We also know how to exhibit patience with the people we treat and their families and our colleagues when needed,” Lofton says.
Maude Lofton, M.D., center, at the 2017 Emerald Ball held during Celebration of Diversity Week
Reem Abu-Rustum, M.D. ’93, is an associate professor in the UF department of obstetrics and gynecology. She co-founded the SANA Medical Non-Governmental Organization in Lebanon to provide obstetrical care for populations experiencing high levels of home births and maternal morbidity and mortality.
“As a woman and a women’s physician, I am able to bring empathy-infused medical care and guidance to my patients as they experience their own life cycles. This stems from my own experiences as a young girl in the past and a partner, mother and physician in the present,” she says.
“The UF College of Medicine is an institution where the critical role of health equity is recognized and valued. Health equity empowers us to propel the next generation to strive harder, reach further and attain more leadership roles, allowing us to serve as an example to other disciplines,” Abu-Rustum says. “We have great role models to look up to, from Dr. Jean Bennett, who was the first woman to graduate with a medical degree from the University of Florida in 1960; to Dr. Donna Parker, the current associate dean of diversity and health equity at the University of Florida. They have laid down great foundations to further build on and expand from The Gator nation to the rest of the world.”
Reem Abu-Rustum, M.D., third from the left, working with her SANA team in Akkar, Lebanon, in 2012
Lynn Wecker, Ph.D. ’72, is a retired pharmacologist and distinguished professor of psychiatry, neurology, neuroscience, molecular pharmacology and physiology based in Tampa, Florida. She became the third female academic chair of a pharmacology department in the country at the University of South Florida in 1991.
“Women bring a different perspective to health care than men that is based on their experiences and upbringing, both of which differ significantly from men. Gender equity and representation are critical to the future of health care because many individuals are most comfortable and most trusting of those of their same gender. Many women find it easier to talk to other women with whom they can identify, likely based on similar experiences in their lives,” Wecker says. “To be successful, the health care field, as well as every other field, needs to represent the diversity in our population.”
Lynn Wecker, Ph.D., (center) poses in front of Capitol Hill in 2012 with colleagues from Puerto Rico, South Carolina and Florida for the annual Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology Capitol Hill Day, during which FASEB members meet with Congress to advocate for NIH funding.
Sonja Rasmussen, M.D. ’90, is a professor in the UF departments of pediatrics and epidemiology. She previously served as the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Office of Infectious Diseases.
“So much progress has been made, and evidence is beginning to accumulate regarding women’s unique value in medicine. Some studies have shown that patients cared for by female doctors are less likely to die and less likely to need to return to the hospital after being discharged than those treated by male doctors,” Rasmussen says. “However, women continue to be underrepresented in leadership positions in medicine, whether they be in academic medicine, professional organizations or editors-in-chief positions among others. Diversity is important in these positions, too. More progress is needed.”
Sonja Rasmussen, M.D., right, with her daughter Amelia Watson, a UF medical student, at the 2017 UF College of Medicine commencement ceremony
