Women in the medical community are still fighting to be considered professionally equal to men, said Dr. Kathy Alvarez, a UNM assistant professor who recently helped found a minority support group.
Minority Women in Medicine at UNM is a new forum for medical and residency students to discuss special issues pertaining to women in the field. Together with Terri Nicholson, Carol Miller and Dr. Valerie Romero-Leggott, Alvarez said she tries to offer support.
"When I was going through residency, I found that it can be challenging to be alone in a city, where I have no family" said Alvarez, who teaches in the Department of Family and Community Medicine.
She said her friends became her support system. They understood that she, as a single mother, needed some help balancing her career and family life, Alvarez said.
Although the group is open to anyone, she said minority support groups are especially needed in New Mexico because of the state's diverse ethnic and socio-economic population.
The group, consisting of female faculty, residents and students, gathers information, shares ideas and offers support, she said.
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"We all benefit from such a large variety of people," Alvarez said.
Some of the group members are just beginning medical school, while others are in the middle of their residencies or have been practicing medicine for more than 20 years. The faculty members are women from various cultural backgrounds, and it's interesting to hear about their different experiences, Alvarez said.
"Minority women are often more challenged than others going through a similar process in medical school or residency," said Alvarez.
The group is currently focusing on topics such as dealing with significant other people, balancing family life, the reality of being a mother and medical ethics. Alvarez said the group needs more student input to broaden its discussions.
When the forum is more firmly established, it will bring in special speakers to help meet the needs of the participants and gather a broader range of topics, Alvarez said.
"We encourage everybody to bring their own topics and concerns," said Alvarez.
"Our main goal is to meet the needs of the female minority population," Alvarez said.
The first meeting was held Sept. 7. The next meetings are scheduled for Oct. 5 and Nov. 2.
For more information, contact the Department of Family and Community Medicine or the Office of Cultural and Ethnic Programs.
