Altering the Landscape for Women in Clinical Chemistry: Perspectives from Multigenerational Leaders

Abstract

Representation and progression among women with advanced degrees in science and medicine have significantly improved over the past 50 years. A recent report from the Association of American Medical Colleges indicates that despite women being in the minority, the number of female division/section chiefs, department chairs, and deans has increased overall by more than 50% in the past 10 years (https://www.aamc.org/members/gwims/statistics/; accessed April 2, 2012). This information and the election of 3 consecutive female AACC presidents and a new female AACC executive vice president caused us to reflect on the increasing global presence of female leaders in clinical chemistry and laboratory medicine. As female laboratory directors, mothers, and members of AACC's Society for Young Clinical Laboratorians group, we have the perception that our profession is a supportive environment and a well-suited career for young women today, but we wondered if it has always been that way. We posed a series of questions to a multigenerational panel of female clinical chemists, who relate their experiences as women in clinical chemistry and laboratory medicine over the past several decades. How do you think the work climate has changed for women since you began your scientific career, and have you experienced any personal struggles because you are a female in clinical chemistry? What advice would you give young women starting out in the field of clinical chemistry? Helen Free: At times I felt like a second-class citizen, not because I was female, but because I didn't have a PhD! I began my career during WWII, and I was needed because all the men were in the armed forces. I'm 89 and didn't realize there were gender discrepancies in clinical chemistry. I would advise those starting out in the field to go into your career with a positive attitude and work toward equality …