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Culture is vital in medicine, for the individual health professional, the wider medical community and ultimately for patients, said Professor Eve Higginbotham from Penn Medicine, Philadelphia, US.
Talking at a recent Auckland seminar organised by Vision Research Foundation (VRF), the inaugural vice dean for inclusion and diversity at the Perelman School of Medicine at Pennsylvania University, is clearly passionate about this topic. Calling for a dynamic, respectful and inclusive culture, women are leaving this profession, not because they are lacking in talent but because of the lack of support, she said. “Although culture impacts everyone differently, ultimately, a non-supportive culture leads to dropouts with personal, collective and economic costs in its wake.”
Dr Higginbotham, who's also professor of ophthalmology at Penn and a senior fellow at the Leonard Davis Institute for Health Economics, shared her own experiences, highlighting the key role leadership plays in creating an environment of appreciation, inclusiveness, vision and purpose. She also discussed the significant impact mentors and sponsors can have on a person’s career progression, urging senior health professionals to "lift while you climb".
Encouraging everyone to believe in themselves to create change, in their own careers as well as the wider community, she left us with a quote from Dr Martin Luther King Jr. “If you can't fly, then run. If you can't run, then walk. If you can't walk, then crawl. But whatever you do, you have to keep moving forward.”
