Welcome to the Women in White Coats Blog
Our blog is the voice of women in white coats. It is a movement all about women in white coats empowering one another. It is for women by women.
I want to read about
Everything
How to Overcome the Struggles of Being a Doctor Mom
As a mom of 5 and a pediatrician and lactation consultant, I am one busy woman. If you are reading this, your life is probably just as crazy as mine. As physicians, we are charged with the task of taking care of others. But many times that leaves us too empty to take...
You Don’t Have to Prove You Are a Great Doctor
I Finally Realized I Was a Good Doctor Do you recall your first year as an attending and what that was like? For me, it was a roller coaster ride with many ups and downs practicing as an emergency physician in a semi-rural town in Illinois. But once I found my stride...
6 Simple Ways To Teach Your Kids About Black History
Black History Month is upon us. Over the years, my children have been assigned a wide variety of Black History Month projects by their teachers. They have created paper collages about famous African-Americans, replicated the creations of Black inventors, and even...
5 Tips on Becoming an Effective Leader
Hearing the word leader or leadership can be scary for some yet exciting for others. Some people have planned to take on leadership roles, yet others were thrown into it unexpectedly. I believe that everyone has been a leader at some point in their life whether...
You Don’t Have to Prove You Are a Great Doctor
I Finally Realized I Was a Good Doctor Do you recall your first year as an attending and what that was like? For me, it was a roller coaster ride with many ups and downs practicing as an emergency physician in a semi-rural town in Illinois. But once I found my stride...
Navigating Pumping as a Working Mom
“Breast is best”. This is something that you may have heard over and over again when it comes to infant feeding. We know that breastfeeding has a long list of benefits for both mom and baby. Depending on your field, you may discuss these benefits with the families you...
Announcing Our 2022 Women in White Coats Hero of the Year!
Dr. Maryam Zia was voted by her peers as the 2022 Women in White Coats Hero of the Year! She was presented her award at the 2022 Women in White Coats CME Conference and Wellness Retreat and this is her beautiful and touching acceptance speech. Good evening. Hope...
300 Physician Suicides a Year: Our Silent Healthcare Epidemic
Another physician suicide happened on December 27, 2021. Shock, despair, and disbelief hit me all at once when I read the Facebook post about my colleague. No, no, no!!!! Not again!! I can’t believe this happened again. I felt a huge dagger pierce my heart. I could...
Physician Burnout and Depression During the Pandemic: An Alarming Update
Physician burnout has been a pressing topic for years, but as we enter the third year of the Covid-19 pandemic, how have things changed? How has Covid-19 impacted doctors? Quick Review of Medscape’s 2021 Physician Burnout and Depression Report To quickly review,...
#ThisIsOurShot – But What About Our Children?
Have you received your COVID-19 vaccine yet? With the massive vaccine rollout over the past several months, most people who are eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine in our country have been able to receive one. That is great news for so many of us who have been waiting for...
Down There: Why I Chose Obstetrics and Gynecology
I grew up in a small town in West Virginia, in the heart of Appalachia. It was an insulated, quiet and simple life. We had dogs, cats, horses, reptiles, and amphibians and spent most of the day taking care of all the animals. My mom stayed at home and was what I call...
WE ARE NOT SUPES!
How many of you spent too many hours this past year down the rabbit hole of binge-watching a Netflix, Prime, or other network series? My husband got me sucked into a show called “The Boys,” which features a group of superheroes or “SUPES,” as they call them. These are...
Editor’s Corner: Misinformation is the equal opportunity virus!
Living in Green Bay can be a lot of fun. Among other things, there is football and there are four seasons. And it has great health care. Green Bay has been in the top 50 list of cities with excellent healthcare, including one of the top hospitals in the country....
Editors Corner: The Holidays Are Upon Us.
Just last week was Diwali, the Indian festival of lights that is now celebrated universally. It is a celebration of good over evil and light over darkness. This was my first Diwali spent with none of my two children at home and it was a new experience for me. With my...
Delta surge and vaccines: Why I am angry.
The surge of the delta variant of the novel Coronavirus is upon us. Normally summertime conjures up images of vacations and sunshine and barbecues with loved ones. Everyone’s eyes are usually bright and brimming with excitement. Unfortunately, we are seventeen months...
How to Successfully Stop Your Adolescent From Wetting the Bed
Bedwetting is the most common sleep-related issue among children. As a mom of 4 children, 3 of them boys, this was a major problem in our family. I went to doctor appointments asking why my 10-year-old was still wetting the bed. I was told all sorts of things about my...
How to Find Joy in Being a Doctor Mom
Being a doctor mom is no easy feat. There is much to juggle, and it can be tough to find any sort of true work-life balance. There are many struggles that come with this role, but there are many more joys to being a mother in medicine. As a pediatrician and...
URGENT: The Surprising Thing PMS is Trying to Tell Your Body
As a woman, have you ever been asked the question “Is it that time of the month again”? It’s typically asked in a snarky, sarcastic manner, and usually comes from our partner, family members, or close friends. This euphemism actually refers to a woman being on her...
How I Gained Back My Femininity as a Woman Doctor
I’ve been getting a lot of compliments on my feminine outfits lately. The reason is because I recently Marie Kondo’d my closet and got rid of all the things I didn’t use or love. What Happened When I Took a Hard Look In My Closet I took a long look in my closet, then...
5 Ways to Advocate Instead of Complicate Your Family Member’s Healthcare
Physicians, dentists, and other health professionals rarely talk about when physicians advocate or interfere in their family member's healthcare. I strongly suspect we have all encountered this emotionally-charged subject. And what is the best way to navigate through...
A Doctor’s Reaction to AAPI Stereotypes in Pixar’s New “Turning Red” Movie
I Was Raised by South Asian Immigrant Parents I was born in a small American town and raised in a family with South Asian roots. My physician father immigrated to the United States during the “brain drain” between 1966-1975 when physicians and scientists from...
Ep #118: A Conversation with Hero of the Year Dr. Maryam Zia
This episode is a special one! Dr. Archana Shrestha interviews Dr. Maryam Zia, who was voted by her peers as the 2022 Women in White Coats Hero of the Year! Dr. Zia reflects on receiving this reward and shares her thoughts on self compassion. Tune in to hear this...
Ep #117: Shifting From Perfectionism to Vulnerability with Dr. Robin Davies
As a doctor, mom or wife do you ever feel like you can’t be vulnerable? Dr. Robin Davies felt this way early on in her medical career, that’s why she chose to write about it in the latest edition of The Chronicles of Women In White Coats. In this episode, fellow...
Ep #116: Using Imperfections as a Way to Connect with Dr. Julie Lindower
Do you find yourself trying to be perfect? It’s time to change your way of thinking! In this episode, Dr. Christine Vo interviews Dr. Julie Lindower, both authors in book 4 of The Chronicles of Women in White Coats. Dr. Lindower talks about her book chapter and the...
Editor’s Corner: Why Women Doctors Are Outraged at a Popular Scrubs Company
As we finish up 2021, we are flashing back to one of our most read blog posts from 2020. This is an open letter from our Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Anupuma Verma, to FIGS in response to a controversial and poorly received ad used to promote their products. Picture by Dr. K...
Preventing Burnout as a Pediatrician
As a Pediatrician, are you starting to feel overwhelmed by all of the uncertainty in medicine today? In the midst of the pandemic, physicians of all specialties have felt an increasingly heavy burden. As Pediatricians, we were somewhat “saved” from the perils of...
Finding Harmony in #WomeninMedicine Month
September is Women in Medicine Month, and I have loved seeing all the promotions. I have created some myself and shared them. Many women's physician wellness conferences are set in September to honor and amplify this. It is a time for celebration and...
COVID -19 and The City: A doctor’s experience.
My professional experience with COVID-19 was that I lost my clinic. I am a pediatrician working in a school-based health center on a high school campus in the South Bronx. When Governor Cuomo and Mayor DeBlasio discussed whether or not to close the public...