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American Medical Women's Association: The Vision and Voice of Women in Medicine since 1915.

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Career Development - Medicine a Woman's Career


The practice of medicine can be very rewarding. Physicians are respected members of the community who can take pride in their ability to contribute to society by helping prevent illness and by treating people when they are sick. Opportunities in medicine are plentiful and there are many different directions a person can take with the same background training. Physicians usually enjoy a great degree of job security and earn a good living.

This guide is presented from a woman's perspective and is intended to help high school and college women who are interested in a career as a physician. Although every experience is unique, there are some shared aspects that we have tried to capture to aid interested women in proceeding in an informed way. We have attempted to answer questions you may have regarding medicine and show you the road that you need to take to be successful in achieving your goal.

Acknowledgements
AMWA and the AMWA Foundation wish to thank Dr. Bernice Cohen Sachs, AMWA Past President, for her generosity which made this special section of our web site possible.
Author: Jackie Nichols, MPH, AMWA National Student Coordinator. Ms. Nichols is a third year medical student at State University of New York, Upstate, Syracuse, New York
Editors: Michele Bloch, M.D., Leah J. Dickstein, M.D., Roselyn Payne Epps, M.D., Roselyn D. Epps, M.D., Marie Glanz, Tameka Pyles, Lisa Schlitzhas, and Jane van Dis
We gratefully acknowledge Janet Bickel, Associate Vice President, Division of Medical Affairs, Association of American Medical Colleges, for her permission to use excerpts from her book, Women in Medicine: Getting In, Growing, and Advancing.

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Medicine: A Woman's Career

When AMWA was founded in 1915, women represented 5-6% of all physicians in the U.S. The organization's statement of purpose was, "to bring Medical Women into communication with each other for their mutual advantage, and to encourage social and harmonious relations within and without the profession."

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Journal of Women's Health

Journal of Women's Health is an essential reference providing a multidisciplinary approach, and complete coverage of all the latest advancements in the full purview of women's healthcare issues. The Journal has been cited by: The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, US News and World Report, and MSNBC.com

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Conversations with the Candidates

A leading advocate for women's health and women in medicine, AMWA is an active participant in setting national health care policy and influencing legislation on women's health issues.

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