SCS and Hudson Institute celebrate women in Science Discovery and Medicine

WiSDoM – Women in Science Discovery and Medicine is a School of Clinical Sciences committee designed to promote inclusive gender equity in medicine and research to women of all backgrounds and career stage.

WiSDoM is chaired by Professor Beverly Vollenhoven and runs several events every year designed to bring together the women of SCS and harbour the sharing of strategies on how to succeed in the face of adversity.

Last Thursday, 31 October WiSDoM ran a dinner event – the first of its kind – at the Monash Club in the company of Monash University’s Dean of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Professor Christina Mitchell AO, and over 40 attendees from the school. WiSDoM Chair, Professor Beverley Vollenhoven, opened the event and welcomed Professor Mitchell to the stage to reflect on the challenges of her journey as a clinical haematologist and scientist.

From her first words, Christina set the tone of the evening as one of humility and honesty. Christina held the audience captive as she shared her triumphs, her challenges and perhaps most importantly, how she navigated her way through the inevitable mistakes and tribulations of a successful research career. “I am a leader of leaders, I am not the leader” - Christina spoke on the lessons she has learned as the head of a high-profile research group on how to successfully guide a group of great minds.

Christina shared the doubts she has felt through her career and her own experience with the Imposter Syndrome - the sense that success results from luck or chance rather than skill and the fear of being “found out” as fraudulent or inadequate. In doing so, Christina normalised the concept of imposter syndrome for an audience of successful and emerging scientists, emphasising that doubt is not weakness, but rather a common experience in any career progression. Christina then reminded us that the perception of others only holds power while we allow it: “Now, I am not afraid that people will think I am stupid. Maybe they do think I am stupid. I just don’t care anymore.”

Christina spoke to the ethos of the event, advising the audience that “the best way to overcome the imposter syndrome is to do exactly what [we] are doing and form a network of like-minded women… and men”. This message in particular ignited the intrinsic collegiality of the women of SCS and prompted much discussion across the evening as new networks were formed over a delicious dinner.

Finally, in the spirit of Halloween, Christina asked the audience the most frightening question of all: “women at the same level, with the same experience and the same skillset do not get the same grants [as men]. Why is that?”

The ensuing discussion was not critical but rather followed a hopeful theme of how we, as a community, can inspire change and bring equity into NHMRC grant distribution. Ultimately Christina summarised the key message of the evening: “the percentage of women who are successful should be the same as the percentage of men, at every level”. All that remains is to initiate the actions that will enable equitable resource allocation.

It was unanimously agreed that the Inaugural WiSDoM dinner was a resounding success and we look forward to future events where we can engage in further discussions on achieving equity in grant funding and strengthen collaborations between the women at SCS.  

Story courtesy: Annie Cox - PhD student, Hudson Institute