WiEMS-AAEM is built on three pillars to address the section’s purpose: advocacy, leadership, and education. Members can support our pillars by joining one of the work groups.
Advocacy
The WiEM Section of AAEM advocates to:
- Hold the organization accountable to equity for its women members, including representation on committees, the Board, and at the Scientific Assembly 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
Our Projects
The following statement was approved by the American Academy of Emergency Medicine (AAEM) and the American Academy of Emergency Medicine Resident and Student Association (AAEM/RSA) Board of Directors concerning the United States Supreme Court decision in the case of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health issued on Friday, June 24, 2022.
The AAEM Women in Emergency Medicine Section is deeply concerned by the Supreme Court decision regarding Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization (reversing Roe v. Wade) and its impact on healthcare in the United States. Regardless of political belief or religious affiliation, patient autonomy is of utmost importance in delivering equitable, ethical medical care. Removing the informed consent discussion between physician and patient and eliminating personal autonomy in favor of laws created by non-physicians violates this tenet of medical ethics.
Additionally, as the frontline access to medical care in the United States, we, along with our colleagues in Obstetrics-Gynecology and other specialties, will face new hardships in patient care when abortion is legally restricted in many states. Several of the proposed new laws have challenged the ability of physicians to provide safe care, including in the case of ectopic pregnancies and when the life of the woman is threatened. Others have indicated potential criminal liability for providing the care that we undertake every day.
Reproductive decisions, like other medical decisions, should be made between a physician and a patient only.
We, the Council of the AAEM Women in Emergency Medicine Section, recognize and acknowledge the paucity of Black and brown members within our section, within our specialty and within the house of medicine. We admit that this underrepresentation in our membership contributes to failing to see their experience, elevate their voices and advocate for their success. We pledge to leverage the benefits and influence of this new section to intentionally support, promote, and sponsor our colleagues of color. We will strive to practice more than active allyship, and represent antiracism through advocacy and creation of unencumbered pathways for mentorship and leadership. We ask our full section to hold us accountable when we fall short.
Leadership
The WiEM Section of AAEM works to develop leadership by:
- Offering professional development opportunities and sponsorship to advance women to leadership positions within AAEM and their home institutions
- Promoting women members in AAEM via nominations for presentations at SA, committees, board positions, and awards
- Providing scholarships for junior members to attend relevant AAEM events (HPEM, ED Management Solutions, pre-conference offerings at SA, etc.)
- Creating opportunities for networking with other female leaders within emergency medicine
Our Projects
Learn about the AAEM Awards process and why you should take part in nominating outstanding women in emergency medicine.
Summary of AAEM Awards (PDF)
Award Winners Nominated by WiEMS-AAEM:
- Joanne Williams, MD MAAEM FAAEM, who was the first-ever female to receive the Master of the American Academy of Emergency Medicine Award in 2018.
- The WiEM Section also nominated the following award recipients:
- Ashley Bean, MD FAAEM | Amin Kazzi International Emergency Medicine Leadership Award (2018)
- Loice Swisher, MD MAAEM FAAEM | James Keaney Award (2019)
Education
The WiEM Section provides education that:
- Advises the greater AAEM organization and the Board on issues affecting women in emergency medicine
- Brings attention to important topics for women in EM through regular publication in Common Sense, a quarterly newsletter to section members, and lecture offerings at Scientific Assembly
- Builds mentoring systems for female medical students and emergency physicians at different stages of their careers, whether in an academic or community setting
- Develops and presents educational content that highlights issues of equity and focuses on creating solutions for the gender bias in medicine
- Creates a database of resources for AAEM members interested in education on gender issues
Our Projects
Women’s Wisdom is a podcast created by the AAEM Women in Emergency Medicine Section to highlight the journeys of prominent women emergency physicians. Join us every other month as we explore a new path and share our stories as women physicians.
Listen NowWatch recordings from past WiEMS-AAEM events:
Read articles by WiEMS-AAEM Members.
Read ArticlesThe Women in EM section of AAEM is pleased to announce the inauguration of Poster Pearls. These brief CME videos will feature section members’ accepted work from the yearly AAEM Photo Competition. Our hope is to use these high yield images to further medical knowledge outside by interviewing section authors. Presentations will focus on images from the AAEM Photo Competition with discussion of diagnosis and treatment. Our first session will feature Dr. Alex Reed from Jefferson Health Northeast in Philadelphia. This session will be the presentation of a patient with an “Abnormal Abdomen.” We will focus on ultrasound imaging to diagnose pneumoperitoneum and the ultrasound finding of the Enhanced Peritoneal Stripe Sign (EPSS). This is an excellent discussion of how ultrasound can be utilized for making a critical diagnosis in the ED. Our second session is with Lavinia Turian, a 4th year medical student from Oregon Health & Science University. We will review a case of accidental hydrogen peroxide ingestion and its complications. After viewing each video, members will be eligible for 0.25 hours CME credit.
CME
Accreditation Statement
This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the accreditation requirements and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) through the joint providership of the American Academy of Emergency Medicine (AAEM) and the Women in Emergency Section of AAEM (WiEMS-AAEM). AAEM is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
Credit Designation Statement
The American Academy of Emergency Medicine designates this live activity for a maximum of 0.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.