When Michelle M. Miller-Thomas, MD, and Pamela K. Woodard, MD, were beginning their careers in academia, they struggled to find women leaders who mirrored their professional passions in clinical education and radiology research. There wasn’t a blueprint for the careers they sought for themselves, and “representation matters” wasn’t the rallying cry it is today.
“It was hard for me to even envision myself as a leader,” said Miller-Thomas, reflecting on her time as a junior faculty member. “I didn’t have a role model as a female clinician passionate about education.”
But the tide seems to be turning at MIR, where Woodard leads the department; Farrokh Dehdashti, MD, is a senior vice chair and division director; two women serve as vice chairs; and women lead two of the five research centers and nearly half of the clinical sections. While Miller-Thomas serves as vice chair for faculty development, Monica Shokeen, PhD, leads inclusivity efforts as vice chair for diversity, equity, inclusion and justice (DEIJ) — two roles focused specifically on improving the experiences of MIR members and those they serve.
“I think these vice chair positions are going to help a lot of women in the department,” said Muriah D. Wheelock, PhD, assistant professor of radiology and co-lead of the women’s interest group within the Office of DEIJ. Alongside Michelle V. Lee, MD, professor of radiology in the breast imaging section, these group leaders fiercely advocate for career advancement, salary equity and leadership positions for women in faculty, training and staff roles across MIR.
Informed by her experience as an investigator-track faculty member and countless hours of data gathering, Wheelock has drilled down to illuminate opportunities for women in research when it comes to improving pay transparency, hiring and retention, and more. “We want women and individuals underrepresented in STEM to be very aware as early as possible of the pathways for success and to find mentors who will support them along that journey.”
When it comes to hiring more women, Woodard said it’s not enough to say they’re encouraged to apply. “We need to make sure we’re getting these opportunities in front of them and believing they’re capable of excelling in these roles.”
Miller-Thomas’s professional journey is a testament to that belief. “The most important thing that happened to me on my leadership journey was having a woman I respected say, ‘You can do this’ when it came to a role that felt like a stretch for me,” she said. “It shifted how I thought of myself, so now I’m
trying to do that for other women.”
As for retention and development, two university-wide projects — modernizing the Appointments & Promotions Guidelines and Requirements (APGAR) and the launch of faculty management software Interfolio — are seeking to reward the full range of faculty activities and add clarity to promotional pathways. The new APGAR guidelines took effect July 1, 2024.
Promisingly, the renaissance for women in the department extends beyond leadership to the budding radiologists-to-be of the diagnostic radiology residency program. The Class of 2027 accomplished a historic feat: For the first time, more women matched than men.
“I love the girl squad,” said Farzaneh Rahmani, MD, a member of the residency class on the research track. “This is a momentous shift that promises a more balanced workforce and a more balanced radiology leadership in the future. To me, this an affirmation on why I am here as a Middle Eastern immigrant woman, to stay true to the values that have sculpted me to fulfill my fullest potential.” Rahmani added that several other elite academic radiology institutions have never had a woman lead their department, which she said may encourage more women to find their way to MIR.
For Shokeen, seeing women succeed across the scope of radiology roles — from radiologic technologists to department chair to postdocs — remains both an affirmation of progress and a call for continued advancement. “There are studies that show that women, especially women of color, have to produce more compared to their colleagues to feel belonging,” she said. “That pressure isn’t sustainable, so I appreciate that women are speaking up to create climate and culture changes that will have real impact for years to come.”
Published in Focal Spot Fall 2024 Issue