Annual WISDM Leadership Conference recognizes women in science, dentistry and medicine

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The air was abuzz with talk of leadership skills, work-life balance strategies, and career path advancement advice at the 23rd annual WISDM Leadership Conference on April 24.

WISDM, which stands for Women in Science, Dentistry and Medicine, is a faculty organization that seeks to further the professional goals of women physicians, scientists and dentists at Virginia Commonwealth University. The event honors three faculty members who have forged paths to leadership for themselves and now help others do the same. It also featured workshops, facilitated discussions and a presentation by keynote speaker Rosemarie Fisher, M.D., director of graduate medical education at Yale-New Haven Hospital and associate dean of graduate medical education at Yale University School of Medicine.

Faculty and staff from VCU and the Hunter Holmes McGuire VA Medical Center participated in the conference, which this year carried the theme “Pursuing Leadership through Academic Service.” 

“When we think about leaders, we think about what they will be able to change,” said Fisher, whose speech focused on how transformative leadership could be applied to academic service. Following Fisher’s presentation, the annual WISDM Professional Achievement Awards were presented to Riki Gottlieb, D.M.D.; Amelia Grover, M.D.; and Elizabeth "Betsy" Ripley, M.D.

Kim Isringhausen, associate professor and chair of the School of Dentistry’s Oral Health Promotion and Community Outreach Department, introduced Gottlieb, who joined the School of Dentistry in 2005 as the director of the school’s first Advanced Simulation Laboratory and became an associate professor in 2013. She is now the director of admissions for the school’s Department of General Practice.

“At the same time Dr. Gottlieb has been building a career of progressively increasing responsibility and authority, she has also been building her family,” Isringhausen said, referring to Gottlieb’s five children. “One can only imagine the chaos that often welcomes Dr. Gottlieb and her husband in their home, but to see her day-in and day-out, you would have no idea. She is calm, serene and driven, and she makes it all look seamless.” 

Grover is an associate professor in the Department of Surgery’s Division of Surgical Oncology at the School of Medicine. She could not be at the awards ceremony, but WISDM faculty organization president Julie Mayglothling, M.D., accepted the award on her behalf.

“Dr. Grover is incredibly productive in the scholarship realm, but really where she has shined is as a mentor both for women surgery residents and medical students as well as other faculty members,” said Mayglothling, who is also an associate professor of emergency medicine at the School of Medicine.

“Dr. Grover takes us under her wing, offering her encouragement, support and advice all the time,” Mayglothling said. “She really is an exceptional mentor, physician and woman.” 

The subject of mentorship proved to be a theme throughout the conference, with John Nestler, M.D., chair of the Department of Internal Medicine at the School of Medicine, noting the numerous ways Ripley has served as a mentor to fellow faculty members throughout her career at VCU. 

“She is totally accessible to our faculty for one-on-one counseling, email, phone check-ins, and she even brings her own box of tissues,” Nestler said. “As the associate chair for faculty development, we frequently have faculty members self-refer to Dr. Ripley for specific help including work-life balance, professionalism, career planning and sometimes just a sympathetic ear.” Ripley is also a professor in the School of Medicine's Department of Internal Medicine.

The final portion of the awards presentation included recognition of the support the WISDM organization has received over the years from David Sarrett, D.M.D., dean of the School of Dentistry, and Jerome Strauss III, M.D., Ph.D., interim vice president for VCU Health Sciences, interim CEO for VCU Health System, and dean of the School of Medicine.

Following the awards and recognitions, participants attended workshops such as “How to Have a Successful Career and a Healthy Life,” “Self-Awareness in Leadership,” “Career Development: Moving from Passive to Active” and "Understanding Your Leadership Style with the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator."

 

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