February 3 - National Women Physicians Day

Happy National Women Physicians Day! On February 3rd, this day honors the path that female doctors have paved since 1849. 

This day marks the birthday of British physician Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell, the first woman to receive a medical degree in the United States in 1849. Dr. Blackwell initiated the movement that helped women gain entry and equality in the field of medicine. 

If society will not admit of a woman’s free development, then society must be remodeled. ~ Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell 

National Women Physicians Day celebrates the courage of Dr. Blackwell and the accomplishments of female physicians everywhere. At the same time, the day strives to bring improvements to the workplace for the growing number of women physicians entering the field of medicine. 

Click the play button below to hear about The Day The Music Died as told by the founder of National Day Calendar®, Marlo Anderson. 

While the number of women doctors gradually increased in the last two decades, 2016 statistics show thirty-five percent of physicians are women. A study published in JAMA Internal Medicine last year revealed that women doctors earn on average eight percent less than their male counterparts.  

With that discrepancy, along with nearly a third of women physicians reporting sexual harassment in the workplace and a large majority experiencing gender bias...clearly, there is still work to be done. 

National Women Physicians Day recognizes not only the strides that have been made by generations of women doctors but that a balance must be struck that allows women to succeed professionally while balancing family.  

Join National Women Physicians Day in celebrating these accomplishments and supporting women physicians as colleagues, friends, family and doctors. 

HOW TO OBSERVE 

On February 3rd, National Day Calendar® is asking not only the medical community, but also our larger community of patients, families, and the public to celebrate National Women Physicians Day in hospitals and clinics, medical schools and on social media.  

This is an exciting time for medicine as we are connecting virtually and creating a collective voice that can be used to create positive changes for physicians and patients alike. Use #IAMBLACKWELL, #WomensDocsInspire and #NWPD to share on social media. 

HISTORY 

In an effort to raise awareness of the importance of a physician-led healthcare team and female physicians’ roles in medicine, Physician Moms Group and Medelita founded National Women Physicians Day on February 3rd. Physician Moms Group successfully celebrated the first National Women Physicians Day on February 3, 2016.  

The Registrar at National Day Calendar® declared National Women Physicians Day in 2017. 

About Physician Moms Group 

Physician Moms Group (PMG) was founded in November 2014 by American emergency medicine physician Dr. Hala Sabry in an effort to bring together women physicians, who are also parents, so that they can collaborate and support each other while sharing their medical expertise in an open forum.  

The PMG mission is to provide resources, a platform to network, and an opportunity to share information with like-minded individuals. The PMG network includes over 65,000 women physicians of all specialties across the globe.

For more information, visit the website below:

https://www.mypmg.org

How will you thank or observe a woman physician today? 

#IAMBLACKWELL 

#WomensDocsInspire 

#NWPD 

@PhysicianMomsGp 

@Medelita 

@nichecinema