Linda Brodsky MD Essay Award

The Linda Brodsky MD Essay Award provides participants with a unique opportunity to express their thoughts and insights through an essay that aligns with the principles and values exemplified by Dr. Linda Brodsky. It honors the women who have mentored, inspired, and encouraged young students to become physicians.  In response to a thought-provoking question prompt, participants are encouraged to delve into their own experiences, perspectives, and aspirations, allowing them to reflect on and honor the ideals upheld by this remarkable physician. Through their essays, participants have the chance to contribute to the ongoing legacy of Dr. Brodsky by exploring themes related to mentorship, cultural competence, self-awareness, and the transformative power of literature in healthcare.

Dr. Linda Brodsky was a pediatric otolaryngologist in Buffalo, NY and a lifetime member of AMWA.  She had been a role model and mentor to many physicians throughout her career.  In 2000, she became an activist for fair treatment of women physicians, after winning a lawsuit against her university and local hospital for Pay Discrimination. Through her business, WomenMDResources, she helped women physicians “get the jobs they want, the pay they deserve, and not become prisoners of their careers.”  She was co-chair of the AMWA Gender Equity Task Force with Dr. Gebhard in 2013, but passed away in February of 2014 after sustained a subdural hematoma from a fall.

The winner of the contest will be presented with a $500 scholarship provided by the Linda Brodsky Memorial Fund at the Annual Meeting and will have their peer reviewed essay published as the featured essay in the next edition of AMWA’s Linda Brodsky Memorial Journal, a Medical Student Press Journal.  It is encouraged to attend the annual meeting. The winner of the contest will receive a travel grant and FREE student registration to the annual meeting.

Select non-winning essays will also result in peer reviewed publication in the AMWA’s Linda Brodsky memorial Journal.

The 2023 – 2024 Prompt

Part 1: As a pediatric otolaryngologist, Dr. Linda Brodsky cared for a huge diversity of patients and held her patients in very high regard. As a testament to this, when she was in her coma, her hospital room was filled with “get-well” drawings from patients of many races, genders, and cultural identities all united in the theme of supporting her. Reflect on the importance of developing cultural competence and self-awareness to provide equitable care to diverse patient populations.

Part 2: Linda Brodsky was not only a dedicated physician but also a lover of books. She hosted a weekly book club, demonstrating the importance of intellectual and emotional growth outside of medicine. Reflect on a book you read during your medical education that profoundly impacted you. How did it influence your perspective on healthcare, and in what ways did it shape your journey as a healthcare professional?

Applications will be accepted until the deadline of January 15th, 2024.

Email completed essay as an attached document to awards@amwa-student.org. Please submit all files in PDF format.

Please keep essays under 1000 words. All applicants must be national AMWA medical student members. Please include with your essay your full name, medical school, year in school, and first year of national AMWA membership. Be sure to include a title for your essay. Please also include a professional headshot and a short bio (less than 175 words). Winning essays will articulate the applicant’s tools and strengths used to overcome adversity, as well as what was ultimately gained and learned from the experience. They will also have superior writing style in terms of grammar, organization, style and tone. The impact the experience described had on the applicant will also be evaluated. All applicants will receive email notification of receipt of application. By submitting an essay, all applicants give permission to publish their essays in the Peer Reviewed Medical Student Press Journal.

All winning essays are featured in AMWA’s Linda Brodsky Memorial Journal, courtesy of The Medical Student Press!