Physicians from around Florida gathered in Jacksonville on April 4 for the University of Florida College of Medicine-Jacksonville’s Women in Medicine and Science (WIMS) Leadership Conference. The event, co-sponsored by the Florida Medical Association (FMA), was organized by UF Associate Dean for Faculty and Engagement Madeline Joseph, MD, with support from WIMS Executive Committee Chair Tracy Ashby, DO, and Vice Chair Rachel Carpenter, MD.
The conference centered on the theme “Getting Unstuck – Crafting Your Journey to Work-Life Excellence.” Attendees participated in sessions featuring speakers, breakout discussions, and networking opportunities. Dr. Joseph opened the event with introductory remarks. FMA President Lisa Cosgrove, MD, addressed the audience about the value of community among women physicians.
“The conference theme is spot on because our professional and personal lives are always in motion,” said Dr. Cosgrove. “As someone who raised three sons during my career as a practicing pediatrician, I can honestly say that one of the most important things you can do to meet those challenges is to remain in community with other physicians.” She emphasized that organized medicine offers connection as well as mentorship and inspiration for women leaders.
Dr. Cosgrove also spoke about progress made by women in medicine over her career: “I’m a third-generation physician who worked as a nurse at Miami Children’s Hospital before going to medical school,” she said. “When I started practicing medicine in 1984, women made up about 16 percent of the country’s physician workforce compared to 38 percent today.” She added that more than half of U.S. medical students are now women: “To put that in perspective, there were two women in my father’s medical school class at the University of Arkansas.”
American Academy of Pediatrics President Susan Kressly, MD, delivered a keynote address focused on overcoming barriers within healthcare careers.
“You need to get high enough to look down and see where the exits are for your personal and career trajectory,” Dr. Kressly said. She explained that while external circumstances may be beyond control, individuals can choose their responses: “You can reframe how you think about things,” she said. “You can reframe your message when you’re trying to influence change in your organization or your personal life. You can decide how much you’re going to let others and other external forces personally impact you and put guardrails around how much it’s going to impact you.”
She advised attendees to remain connected with their core motivations: “Know yourself; be honest with yourself,” she said. Using an analogy from nature: “Just like different plants need certain environments and nutrients to keep growing, I can be like a cactus, running on almost anything to survive – but if I’m planted in the wrong climate, I’m not going to thrive.”
Dr. Kressly stressed self-awareness for fulfillment: “Make sure that you’re getting a daily dose of something that fills your cup,” she noted—sharing her own motivation comes from advocating for children and mentoring future leaders: “There is nothing more satisfying as a leader than mentoring yourself out of a job.”
She encouraged ongoing advocacy for patients: “Every opportunity that physicians don’t show up (for) is a lost chance to influence what happens for our patients,” she said.“You are planting seeds for the future. Every day you show up is a better day for patients.”
The agenda included panels on family planning led by specialists such as Samuel Brown, MD; Karen Whalen, PharmD; Melissa Parsons-Tucker, MD; along with FMA President Cosgrove sharing personal experiences regarding fertility issues faced by female physicians—a group shown by research to have higher infertility rates than average.
Psychiatrist Rachel Carpenter led mindfulness workshops before lunch sessions began with Rania Sanford introducing appreciative inquiry techniques designed for team development through observation and brainstorming exercises.
Additional workshops covered mindful eating practices led by members of UF-Jacksonville’s psychiatry department—including Rachel Carpenter—and advances in artificial intelligence applications within medical education presented by Colleen Kalynych and Jessica O’Leary.
The conference ended with closing remarks from Dr. Joseph followed by networking opportunities during a cocktail hour.
Rebekah Bernard, MD—a family physician based in Fort Myers—attended as both participant and chair of FMA’s Women’s Physician Committee.
