About the WiEM Section
The Women in Emergency Medicine (WiEM) Section is constituted with a vision of equity for AAEM women in emergency medicine and a purpose to champion the recruitment, retention and advancement of women in emergency medicine through the pillars of advocacy, leadership, and education. Membership is not limited to women physicians. All emergency medicine practitioners passionate about the mission of WiEM are welcome to join and participate. This group will work closely with the AAEM Resident and Student Association (RSA) to provide mentorship to medical students, and residents who are interested in emergency medicine.
Mission Statement
The AAEM Women in Emergency Medicine Section is comprised of members identifying across the gender spectrum and it is our mission to:
- Advocate for measures to reduce or eliminate gender-related bias, including gender parity in salary and equity with promotions.
- Aim to provide increased leadership opportunities within AAEM and the WiEM Section.
- Recognize and amplify the accomplishments of women.
- Provide gender-specific resources for professional advancement, work life balance, and different career trajectories.
- Commit to providing greater depth of professional connections and mentorship across a career timeline.
Pillars of Purpose
The section will be built on three pillars to address the section’s purpose:
Advocacy
- Hold the organization accountable to equity for its women members, including representation on committees, the Board and at the Scientific Assembly (SA) and regional meetings
- Work with colleagues of other genders, and other organizations to foster a culture of open discussion and to advocate for issues of justice, transparency and equity in the workplace
- Develop programs to identify and assist women facing challenges related to gender in their workplace environment
Leadership
- Offer professional development opportunities and sponsorship to advance women to leadership positions within AAEM and their home institutions
- Promote women members in AAEM via nominations for presentations at SA, committees, board positions and awards -Provide scholarships for junior members to attend relevant AAEM events (HPEM, ED Mgmt solutions, pre-conference offerings at SA)
- Create opportunities for networking with other female leaders within Emergency Medicine (EM)
Education
- Advise the greater AAEM organization and the Board on issues affecting women in Emergency Medicine
- Bring attention to important topics for women in EM through regular publication in Common Sense, a quarterly newsletter to section members, and lecture offerings at SA
- Build mentoring systems for female medical students and emergency physicians at different stages of their careers, whether in an academic or community setting
- Develop and present educational content that highlights issues of equity and focuses on creating solutions for the gender bias in medicine
- Create a database of resources for AAEM members interested in education on gender issues
Women in Emergency Medicine Section bylaws (PDF).
WiEMS Council