Attracting More Women to Neurology: Jan Brandes, MD, MS

WATCH TIME: 4 minutes

"As we move past medical school and residency, we need to make sure that we have good healthcare, good childcare, and making sure that we support women in whatever way they need to be able to manage and balance the challenges of a complicated life so that they can take good care of their patients."

The worldwide medical community came together on February 3, 2022, in celebration of National Women Physicians Day, a day dedicated to the thousands of women who make up the medical system. The event is in remembrance of the birthday of Elizabeth Blackwell, MD, who became the first woman to graduate as a physician in the US in 1849. Blackwell, a trailblazer of her time, was rejected by 29 colleges prior to attending and graduating from Hobart College.

Since then, there have been several notable strides made by women within the space. In 1864, after studying at the New England Female Medical College, Rebecca Lee Crumpler, MD, became the first African American woman to become a Doctor of Medicine in the US. The rise of young female physicians was further emphasized in a 2017 Athena Health survey, which stated that more than 60% of physicians under the age of 35 years were female.

Jan Brandes, MD, MS, assistant clinical professor, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, has been involved as a leader in trials for migraine medications for over 20 years. In an interview with NeurologyLive®, she discussed the most vital aspects of how to encourage and keep women in neurology, starting with a sound education system. She also discussed the importance of representation in medicine and the need for physicians with varying racial, ethnic, and gender backgrounds.