The Alliance for Women and Medicine and Science and Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion hosted the second annual Women in Medicine and Science Professional Development conference on Friday, June 14 in the MCLI. Dean and Provost Dr. Jerry Kruse kicked off the conference with an uplifting speech on the importance of groups such as AWIMS in an institution. 

With a focus on the timely and important theme of wellness, speakers addressed topics such as an organizational approach to reducing burnout, personal resilience through gratitude, nutrition and improving well-being through coaching. Invited external speakers included Dr. Kerri Palamara from Harvard Medical School and Dr. Charlene Dewey from Vanderbilt University.  Local speakers included Dr. C. Leslie Smith, Dr. Stacy Sattovia and Dr. Christine Todd. Special touches included massage therapist Ms. Sacheen Simeon offering chair massages on site, Ms. Emily Kraus from Ahh Yoga taking participants through a chair yoga exercise, and our colleagues from the Springfield Art Association Ms. Marianne Stremsterfer and Dr. Patricia Braun compiling artwork from every participant into a unified, three dimensional art piece that captured the theme of wellness.

Many thanks to sponsors for the event: the Departments of Medicine, Surgery, the Neuroscience Institute, Family and Community Medicine, Pediatrics, OB/GYN, and the Departments of Population Science and Policy and Medical Education.

Also special thanks to the planning committee, without whom this conference would not have been possible: Dr. Vidhya Prakash (conference director), Dr. Hilary Sanfey, Dr. Wendi El-Amin, Dr. Susan Hingle, Dr. Stacy Sattovia, Dr. Heeyoung Han, Ms. Laura Worrall, and Dr. Vidya Sundareshan. Judy Harbison from the Office of Continuing Professional Development, Lesley Barfield from the Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, and Patsy Wappel from the SIU Foundation Office were immensely helpful as well. We look forward to another great conference on June 19, 2020 (mark your calendars!).