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 Madeline Joseph, MD, UF Associate Dean for Faculty and Engagement, with support from WIMS Executive Committee Chair Tracy Ashby, DO, and Vice Chair Rachel Carpenter, MD.
The conference focused on the theme “Getting Unstuck – Crafting Your Journey to Work-Life Excellence.” Dr. Joseph opened the event before FMA President Lisa Cosgrove, MD, spoke about the importance 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.”
Dr. Cosgrove emphasized that organized medicine provides connection and mentorship for women leaders in medicine. She reflected on progress made 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 also noted that women now represent more than half of U.S. medical students: “To put that in perspective, there were two women in my father’s medical school class at the University of Arkansas.”
Following Dr. Cosgrove’s remarks, American Academy of Pediatrics President Susan Kressly, MD, gave advice on navigating challenges within healthcare.
“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 stressed controlling one’s thoughts and decisions despite external circumstances: “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.”
Dr. Kressly urged attendees to stay connected to their motivations: “Know yourself; be honest with yourself,” she said. Using an analogy from nature, she added: “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.”
She encouraged daily self-care practices: “Make sure that you’re getting a daily dose of something that fills your cup,” Dr. Kressly said. She highlighted mentoring others as a source of satisfaction: “There is nothing more satisfying as a leader than mentoring yourself out of a job.” Finally, Dr. Kressly called for continued 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 conference included discussions about family planning among physicians led by Samuel Brown, MD; Karen Whalen, PharmD; Melissa Parsons-Tucker, MD; and Dr. Cosgrove herself shared personal experiences related to fertility issues faced by female physicians.
Psychiatrist Rachel Carpenter led an introduction session on mindful eating ahead of lunch sessions focused on leadership techniques such as appreciative inquiry presented by Rania Sanford, EdD.
Other workshops covered mindfulness practices—facilitated by UF-Jacksonville psychiatry faculty—and advancements in AI-driven education methods led by Colleen Kalynych, EdD, and Jessica O’Leary, PhD.
The event concluded with closing remarks from Dr. Joseph followed by networking opportunities during a cocktail hour.
Rebekah Bernard, MD—a member of FMA’s Board of Governors—also participated as chair of the FMA Women’s Physician Committee.
