"Picture a Scientist": Toward Gender Equity
Presentations
TH-A-TRACK 1-0 (Thursday, 7/29/2021) 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM [Eastern Time (GMT-4)]
The gender imbalance in the field of medical physics continues. While increasing numbers of women enter the trainee ranks, we do not see these increases propagating up the ranks of the medical physics profession. This is sometimes called the “leaky pipeline” as it indicates that women are both interested and capable of succeeding in medical physics, but are often leaving the field before advancing to senior levels. There are unique obstacles and challenges faced by women physicists including gender bias, discrimination, and harassment that differ from those experienced by male colleagues. This session incorporates a three-part interactive experience. First, anonymous, real-world examples of challenges occurring in medical physics workplaces are shared from descriptions provided by women medical physicists (collected from an IRB-approved, national qualitative interview study). An anonymous audience response system will be used for attendees to share their reactions to the examples, tactics to address these issues, and advice on how to be an effective ally for our women colleagues. Then, we will break out into small groups to examine the examples and consider ways to respond in similar situations. Finally, participants will share the results of their small group discussions with the full group.
*Picture a Scientist is a 2020 documentary film that chronicles and examines gender bias and sexual discrimination experienced by women scientists. This film has been available for screening and discussion by AAPM membership.
Learning Objectives
1. Understand the unique challenges and obstacles to a medical physics career that women face
2. Share and implement strategies to address the challenges
3. Be an active ally to early career women in medical physics
Handouts
- 166-57897-15651646-171552-1273360209.pdf (Kelly Paradis (Younge))
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