Dr. Connie Newman, President-elect, AMWA, and Dr. Henrietta Bowden-Jones, President-elect, BMWF, at the BMWF Events.
The British Medical Women’s Federation (BMWF) held its centenary meeting (100 Years of Medical Women: The Past, Present, and Future) in London May 10-13. Attending from AMWA were Connie Newman, Padmini (Mini) Murthy, and Karen Poirier-Brode. For Connie Newman, this was a special occasion, because her late mother-in-law, Alexandra Tobert, was a British physician, educated in the early 1940’s. She had a long career in family planning.
A pre-conference all day session at the Royal Society of Medicine entitled, “Power, Gender and Hubris: Success and Arrogance as Risks to Leadership in Health Care and Beyond,” was of great interest. The main meeting, held at the British Medical Association, featured lectures on a variety of topics including genetics, addiction, the brain, global health, and leadership. Workshops included communication style, leading compassionately, character analysis, presentation and communication, technology, and an engaging panel on career paths. Posters were presented throughout the meeting. Evening events were held at a variety of venues including the House of Lords – the Duchess of Gloucester was in attendance – the Royal Society of Medicine, and on a river boat cruise which served dinner.
