The highly anticipated “Women in Surgery” talk took place on the 27th of June, which around 400 eager medical students tuned in to. The brilliant set of female surgeons spoke about breaking the glass ceiling, tackling bias from colleagues as well as patients, working through difficult times without losing their sense of purpose, the journey to and during residency, and much more. A pertinent topic underlying the discussion was that of discrimination against female surgeons, and these women, speaking from experience, stressed on the significance of being strong, staying true to one’s goal, and not letting the harsh words or actions get to them. Another point, often forgotten by individuals disheartened by the rampant discrimination, highlighted several times during the discussion was that of developing a strong work ethic, which is bound to get one noticed, allowing one to break the glass ceiling. The panel emphasised on the necessity of having something one loves outside of medicine – a hobby to de-stress and allow one to reflect on life. This is crucial to remember because the competitive environment as well as the pressure of being responsible for innumerable lives daily often evokes feelings of insecurity and stress in doctors, men and women alike. To overcome failure or the fear of failure which is quite common amongst healthcare professionals, the surgeons stressed on reminding themselves of the reason they chose this profession and their service to humanity.
The recording of the talk is available here.