#I Am Your Doctor: IWD Women in Medicine Breakfast

A speed networking event for first-year Doctor of Medicine (MD1) students at Melbourne Medical School (MMS) at The University of Melbourne

The future of medicine is female. In Australia and elsewhere, more than half of commencing medical students are women. Women starting in medicine today have more opportunities to excel. However, there are also major efforts underway to address stereotypes, bias, women's underrepresentation in leadership roles, and a significant gender pay gap*.

In this speed networking event, we'll hear from two physicians, a surgeon, a psychiatrist and a GP – five minutes each from five medics about:

• how they've found their path
• what happens when life gets in the way
• how they have negotiated setbacks and challenges
• what a gender-equal world means for women in medicine

We'll then open up discussion in smaller groups, with each speaker moving from table to table. So have your burning questions ready!

#IAmYourDoctor is the signifier for an online movement to broaden public and professional perceptions of doctors, to embrace women and people of all ages, ethnicities and identities.

This event is family friendly and open to all MD1 students at MMS – women, men and gender-diverse or non-binary people – who want to advance their careers, and to support and enable their colleagues towards gender equity in the profession.

Please book early, as space is limited.

How to get there:

1. In the VCCC foyer, take the research lifts (not the public lifts) to Level 13.

2. Exit towards Grattan Street.

3. Turn left at the AGRF reception desk and follow the two paintings to the Event Space.

* Hempenstall, Tomlinson & Bismark (2019), 'Gender inequity in medicine and medical leadership', MJA, 18 November 2019.

Speakers

MC

Associate Professor Margie Danchin (t: @DanchinMargie) is a consultant paediatrician in the Department of General Medicine, Royal Children’s Hospital, and an Associate Professor and David Bickart Clinician Scientist Fellow, Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne and Murdoch Children’s Research Institute. Her research includes vaccine social science, vaccine safety and vaccine clinical trials to improve the uptake and use of currently available vaccines, particularly amongst high risk-groups and in low and middle-income countries. She contributes to national and international immunisation and general paediatric research advisory committees and is engaged as a consultant with WHO. She is a national spokesperson on vaccination issues and a leader in vaccine acceptance and communication. She is passionate about strong, respectful communication in healthcare and is leading collaborative development and promotion of clinician scientist pathways within the Melbourne Medical School..

Claudia Di Bella is an academic orthopaedic surgeon and a Senior Lecturer and Senior Research Fellow at the University of Melbourne. Claudia is expert in lower limb joint replacement surgery, which she performs using 3D printing and robotic technologies. Her main focus in basic science research is the use of 3D Bioprinting technologies and stem cells for the treatment of joint injuries and diseases. She is the group leader of the Cartilage Regeneration Program of Research within the Department of Surgery at the University of Melbourne. Claudia is a faculty member of the Academic Surgery section at the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS), and a member of the Women in Surgery section of the RACS.

Associate Professor Elif Ekinci (t:@Elif_Diabetes) is a clinician researcher, Director of Diabetes at Austin Health and is chief investigator in numerous clinical trials at the University of Melbourne. Her research focus is diabetes and its complications, aiming to significantly improve clinical practice and health outcomes. She is a Senior Research Fellow at the Menzies School of Health Research and Consultant Physician and a Research Fellow at BakerIDI. She supervises PhD students and MDRP students at the University of Melbourne and is also responsible for mentoring endocrinologists, endocrine registrars, residents, interns, medical students and clinical trials staff.

Dr Nardine Elzahaby (twitter: @ElzahabyNardine) is an MMS alumn and was the AMA's 2019 Junior Doctor of the Year. She is an advanced trainee in consultation liaison psychiatry at St Vincent’s Hospital. She represents registrars on the section of leadership and management of the binational committee on the RANZCP. She is also a co-founder in IMGSOS, an online tutoring business for IMG and local graduates of medicine, pharmacy and dentistry. She is interested in psychiatry, business, mentoring and doctors’ health. She believes that there is much room to improve the awareness and treatment of mental illnesses. She values the strong link between the mind and the body and strive to empower people with mental illness. Nardine plays piano, loves reading and spending time with her lovely family.

Deepthi Iyer is a Melbourne General Practitioner and PhD Candidate in Intimate Partner Violence at the Department of General Practice, Melbourne Medical School. She is on the Board of Women’s Health East. She completed her Bachelor in Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery at the University of Auckland and then moved to Australia where she worked in the public sector before completing her Fellowship with the RACGP. Deepthi has a special clinical interest in women’s health, children and young people’s health and mental health. She is passionate about the prevention of men’s violence against women, as well as identification of and response to intimate partner violence in general practice. Her PhD explores Australian young women’s perceptions of dating and dating violence.