Main description:

Women comprise the majority of pediatricians in the United States and yet there has been slow progress in leadership diversity and equity in the field overall. While there have been many academic journal articles that examine women's roles, challenges and successes in the field, there is not one, overarching book that follows the path of women into the profession, the challenges they encountered in the early years - and still encounter - the successes they've had, and what the future might look like. This book fills that gap in medical literature.

Because women are so well-represented in the field, one would think that pediatrics should be leading the way in gender equity achievements, but this is not the case. This text examines the disparities, the boundaries that are in place, the impact of intersectionality on equity, the toll gender discrimination has on the health and wellness of women in pediatrics, and best practices that can help achieve gender equity in the field. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the disparities that women, and in particular women with intersectionality, face. This book also examines the immediate impact of the pandemic on women in pediatrics, what future implications may be, and how we can potentially mitigate them. Equity strategies that can be implemented by healthcare institutions, professional societies and other medical organizations are also discussed.

The book is divided into three main sections. The first section gives an overview of the history of women in pediatrics by describing stories of early leaders and the early days of women in pediatrics. The second section reviews the current state of affairs in women in pediatrics. Chapters in this section detail women entering and practicing in pediatrics; leadership; women of color; women conducting research; national campaigns and efforts focused on gender equity; and childbearing, adoption, motherhood and eldercare by women in pediatrics. The final section describes the future of women in pediatrics. The seven chapters in this section discuss leaders in pediatrics supporting women; policies and programs to advance equity; allies in gender equity efforts; research, funding and publication for women; networking, mentorship, sponsorship, coaching, and career development activities; advocacy efforts; and supporting the health and wellbeing of women in pediatrics.

Written by experts in the field, Women in Pediatrics is a valuable resource for all pediatricians in academic or community-based medicine, as well as those involved in pediatric sub-specialties. On a broader level, this text is also of interest to all other women involved in medicine and science.

Contents:

Section 1 Where We Started - History of Women in Pediatrics

1. Stories of early leaders

* Carol Berkowitz - President of 3 societies

* Kathy D'Angelis - Journal Leadership

* Peggy Hostetter - Department Chair

* Sara Long - Clinician and researcher

2. Early days of women in pediatrics

* Training and education

* Practice/specialty choice

* Pay

* Challenges faced

Section 2 Current State of Affairs - Women in Pediatrics in the 21st Century

3 Women Entering Pediatrics - Education and Training, pipeline

4 Women Practicing in Pediatrics

* Private practice

* Academic medicine (including promotion and tenure)

* Subspecialties

**Include demographics, salary info

5 Leadership in Pediatrics

* Academic medicine

* Societies

* Editorial boards

* Industry, other??

6 Women of Color and Ethnic Minorities in Pediatrics

7 Women in Research in Pediatrics

* Grant funding statistics

* Tenure statistics

8 National Campaigns and Organizations Focused on Gender Equity in Pediatrics

9 Childbearing, Adoption, Motherhood, and Eldercare by Women in Pediatrics

* Childbearing and infertility

* Adoption

* Leave policies

* Support in the workplace

* Raising children

* Caring for other family members

10 Health and Wellness of Women in Pediatrics

* General health practices

* Mental health

* Burnout

Section 3 Where Do We Go From Here: Achieving Equity and Advancement For Women in the Future

11 How Leaders in Pediatrics can support women

* Setting the tone

* Diverse leadership teams

12 Policies to Support and Advance Women in Pediatrics

* Recruitment policies

* Harassment policies

* Leave policies

* Salary equity

* Intersectionality, race and racism

* Promotion and tenure

* Term limits

13 Allies in Gender Equity Efforts

14 Research, Funding, and Publication for Women in Pediatrics

* Editorial Board Diversity

* Female diversity in authorship

* Promoting women who do research

* Funding mechanisms and processes that support women

15 Mentorship, Sponsorship, and Career Development Activities to Support Women in Pediatrics

* Career development activities

* Mentoring

* Importance of sponsorship

* LORs

* Award nomination

16 Advocacy Efforts in Pediatrics

17 Supporting the Health and Wellbeing of Women in Pediatrics