Women in Critical Care: Where We Are & Where We Want to Be
Where We Are
Over the past decade, the need to promote gender diversity in medicine has been embraced by several medical societies. In the USA in 2017, 33% of critical care trainees and 26% of ICU physicians were women. There are many reasons for this disparity and work is being done to understand these reasons to some extent. It was noted in literature that an explicit focus on “eliminating gender inequity will help to gradually change societal views of the roles played by women and men critical care physicians so that it will become the norm for women and men to be both critical care physicians and leaders in critical care.”
In 2018 SOCCA leadership held a facilitated Strategic Planning retreat. At that time, it was recognized that SOCCA could do better in terms of diversity and inclusion. Leadership and administration noted that there was a need to address this better within the SOCCA bylaws, mission statement and strategic planning. These underwent major enhancements with this in mind. Women Directors on the Board increased threefold from two to six from 2017 to 2022.
In 2018 SOCCA added two additional seats on the Board of Directors to work on increasing diversity of the SOCCA Board. In addition, a set of guidelines was created to encourage diverse members to apply (https://socca.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Criteria-for-SOCCA-Volunteer-Leadership.pdf). Within the Board, both the Secretary and Treasurer are women, in line for future further leadership roles.
SOCCA currently has four committees, with two led by women (Education and Membership committees). There are two new working groups (Women in Critical Care and Early Career Intensivists) both envisioned and led by women. Training and mentorship programs for women and men intensivists have been developed within all committees to enable equitable promotion of women to higher academic ranks, gain research opportunities and leadership positions.
Where We Want to Be
Seeing how SOCCA has evolved, these efforts have been associated with considerable improvement in this arena. In the words of one past President, “We need to maintain focus and continue to track how the Society evolves but I think we have a strong foundation to further build upon.”
There is still a long way to go to address the reasons of disparate numbers of women joining critical care anesthesiology and assuming roles in leadership and research roles. It is not enough to believe that women may choose not to achieve the same metrics of success as men do, due to personal or life factors. Perhaps these metrics need reimagination and reinvention, with greater support and sponsorship from both men and women who have achieved these accolades. Flexible scheduling, and promotion criteria, accommodation of mid-career or older women to achieve research mentorship, funding and research or educational tracks, (so they can balance childbearing and relationship responsibilities with academic roles, and not have to sacrifice either one in order to be judged successful) are examples of such ‘out of the box’ viewpoints.
The Women in Critical Care group is aiming to launch several initiatives in social media outreach, networking, motivational talks, podcasts for the busy woman intensivist to watch at a convenient time (aimed at work and life aspects), webinars (on wellness and other topics) and a white paper on suggestions and input from stakeholders on how societies and organizations can move forward with gender diversity.
We will need support and involvement from within and outside SOCCA to make these initiatives a success.
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ASA Monitor
ASA Monitor recently published “SOCCA: A Growing Community of Intensivists Embracing the Challenges of Modern Critical Care” by SOCCA members Shahla Siddiqui, MBBS, MS, FCCM and Ashish K. Khanna, MD, MS, FCCP, FCCM, FASA. Read the full article here.
2023 SOCCA Annual Meeting
SOCCA Reception at 2023 SCCM Critical Care Congress in San Francisco
Date: 1/23/2023
Time: 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM PT
Location: Hilton Union Square (333 O’Farrell Street)
Room: Franciscan A
When: February 2, 2023 | 6:00 PM ET
Where: Register online
Description: Join us for our first Early Career Intensivist Group Meet and Greet of the year on February 2 at 6pm ET. We will have SOCCA board member Dr. Ashish Khanna joining us for a lively discussion about navigating through life as an Early Career Intensivist. We look forward to seeing you soon!
Mechanical Circulatory Support (MCS) / Extra Corporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) / Cardio Thoracic ICU (CTICU) Workgroup
Members who have a special interest in MCS are invited to join this workgroup. Our first meeting will be January 19, 2023, at 5PM CST. Please register in advance: SOCCA CTICU/ECMO Meetup Link.
This year, SOCCA is seeking committee volunteers for our communication, education, membership, and research committees—as well as the new clinical practice committee. To view committee descriptions and submit an application, visit https://socca.org/get-involved/.
You may submit an application for a SOCCA Committee between November 1, 2022 and December 31, 2022.
Learn more & review SOCCA’s Volunteer Selection Criteria.
This election cycle, SOCCA will be electing three members for the Board of Directors (3-year term). Further details about the governance structure of SOCCA are described in SOCCA’s Society Bylaws.
SOCCA members interested in serving in an elected positions on the SOCCA Board of Directors should submit a letter of interest, photograph, and curriculum vitae to Vivian Abalama, IOM, CAE ([email protected]) with subject line “2023 SOCCA Board of Directors Election.”
Review criteria by which Board of Directors and volunteer leaders are evaluated: Volunteer Selection Criteria.
You can apply via email only for a Board of Directors position between November 1, 2022 and December 5, 2022.
SOCCA Innovators Award: applications open 9/30/2022 – 12/31/2022.
Gender Equality in Critical Care
Major professional societies & organizations have the obligation to initiate & sustain strategies that support & enhance gender equality in critical care. WICC invites members of SOCCA to participate & discuss ways to advance these goals & values. Understanding & recognizing gender diversity challenges & carrying on the momentum gathered in recent years within SOCCA and outside it, will enable a positive environment for more women to enter & remain within ACCM.
SOCCA has a calendar/list of events. Visit it regularly & save essential dates.
The SOCCA Speakers Bureau has officially launched! As a SOCCA member, you may now:
- Upload your academic profile
- Search for collaborators and potential speakers
Have you made any changes in 2022? It’s time to update your SOCCA demographic profile and / or renew your membership. Keep your SOCCA experience seamless & don’t miss out on any updates & member benefits. Visit: buff.ly/3sPMG6j
SOCCA would like to acknowledge the invaluable contributions of our female intensivists during this month and year-round. Throughout September, four of our members will be sharing their experiences as a woman in critical care.
Read: Burnout: No Easy Answers in a Post-Pandemic World, by Sarah Alber, MD
Read: Belonging to an Organization: Professional Advancement & Personal Gains, by Nazish Hashmi, MD
Read: Mentors and Mentees: A Powerful Connection, by May Hua, MD, MS
Read: Women in Critical Care: Where We Are & Where We Want to Be, by Shahla Siddiqui, MD, MSc, FCCM
Shahla Siddiqui, MD, MSc, FCCM, and Co-Chair of SOCCA’s Women in Critical Care recently edited a special issue of Journal of Critical Care featuring women as first and senior authors. Read Dr. Siddiqui’s introduction in Volume 71 | October 2022 issue.
The SOCCA Early Career Intensivists working group provides new members and members who are early in their careers with the resources needed to ease the transition from trainee to practicing intensivist. Learn more.
ASA Monitor
Have you read “SOCCA, the Pandemic, and the Future” by SOCCA’s Miguel Cobas, MD, FCCM, in this month’s ASA Monitor? Visit: https://socca.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Cobas_SOCCA.pdf
As a SOCCA member, you are eligible to receive a discount on an IARS membership. IARS membership benefits include a subscription to Anesthesia & Analgesia, SOCCA’s official journal, A&A Practice e-journal, free journal CME, access to a member community and discounted registration to the IARS Annual Meeting. Click here to view a list of membership options.
Anesthesiology Critical Care Fellowship Programs
Have you visited SOCCA’s Anesthesiology Critical Care Fellowship Programs page? If you would like your organization’s program added to our site, let us know here: https://socca.org/new-socca-fellowship-listing/.
