National Women Physicians Day was 3rd of February which happens to be the birthday of the woman who was famously allowed to attend medical school as a joke. Her name being Elizabeth Blackwell, and she became the first woman to earn a medical degree in America. Dr. Gail Gazelle MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Master Certified Coach for physicians discusses the unique skills women bring to medicine and the importance of having women represented in the profession.
Dr. Gazelle says, “Women bring many unique strengths and skills to the practice of medicine. Although every rule has its exceptions, women tend to be the ones who are empathetic and relationship-oriented. Just as they do with their families, women are loyal, protective and always ready to extend their skills in the service of others. Studies also reveal that women spend more time with their patients. These are all qualities that every patient deserves in their doctor.”
Dr. Gazelle goes on to say that, “For most of my career, I worked in hospice caring for individuals diagnosed with a terminal illness, as well as their family. It was sacred work that I felt extremely fortunate to do. Since pivoting and becoming a career coach for other physicians, I am proud to help women physicians learn how to bring the same care and compassion they bring to their patients to themselves as well. Much like putting your oxygen mask on first on a plane, by bringing kindness to themselves, women physicians can avoid burnout, maintain their career satisfaction, and stay in the profession for a long and fulfilling career.”
She also shares information on imposter syndrome.
“A surprisingly large number of highly accomplished people walk around feeling like they are an imposter, and it really wears them down. What’s important to recognize, however, is that this isn’t actually the truth. What is the truth is that the Imposter Syndrome is simply a thought process that the mind grabs onto, a very subjective one at that, and it is one that you can decide not to believe,” says Dr. Gazelle.
Point #1: Not everything is as it appears
While the mind is very good at producing the thought that we are an imposter, we don’t have to believe everything our mind tells us. Many of our thoughts are not actually facts! This is definitely true about imposter beliefs which are often a fiction the mind has created, not fact at all. Give yourself the benefit of the doubt and don’t listen when your mind tries to tell you you’re not good enough - you definitely are.
Point #2: Neuroscience shows thoughts are transient
Modern neuroscience research makes it clear that thoughts are simply transient mental events, not fact. The human mind produces between 10,000-20,000 thoughts every single day. Some are true but many are not. And every thought we’ve ever had fades away, just like the clouds in the sky. When we remember this, we can hold our thoughts much more lightly and not take them as seriously. Thoughts are a passing phenomenon, and we can learn how to relate to them in a healthy way that does not inhibit our success.
Point #3: Mindfulness is key in resolving Imposter Syndrome
Mindfulness is about awareness of what our minds are up to. With mindfulness, we get to know our thought patterns and we realize that we have a choice in how we relate to them. We have the choice whether we spend a lot of time focusing on an imposter belief and almost cementing it in our minds. Alternatively, we have the choice to put aside these unhelpful thoughts and focus instead on all the ways we are truly capable.
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