OUR MISSION
- To support the advancement and leadership of women in academic medicine
- To promote education and research in women’s health
FOCUS SUPPORT 2012-2013
Institutional
- Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania
- Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics
- Trustees’ Council of Penn Women
Extramural
- Bertha Dagan Berman
- Patricia Kind
- Edna G. Kynett Memorial Foundation
FOCUS-RELATED PUBLICATIONS
- A Culture Conducive to Women’s Academic Success: Development of a Measure
- Empowering Women in Academic Health Centers: Past, Present, and Future
- Factors Impacting the Departure Rate of Female and Male Junior Medical School Faculty: Evidence from a Longitudinal Analysis
- Awarded Best Poster in 2011 AAMC GWIMS Meeting (see p. 3)
- A Writing Group for Female Assistant Professors
- The Goal is Transformation. A Trial Seeks to Help Women Advance in Academic Medicine
- Joint PIs S. Abbuhl / J.A. Grisso & multi-disciplinary team of national researchers receive unique NIH RO1 grant to support women in biomedical careers via their NIH-TAC Trial (Transforming Academic Culture) Intervention
- Examining Faculty Awards for Gender Equity and Evolving Values
- The Brief CV Review: One Component of a Mosaic of Mentorship for Women in Academic Medicine
- Work-Life Policies for Faculty at the Top Ten Medical Schools
- Award Winning Women in Medicine Programs: Lessons in Building a Strong Professional Development Program for Women
- A Matter of FOCUS and Potential
OTHER PUBLICATIONS &
NEWS OF INTEREST
- Why Women Still Can't Have It All (The Atlantic July/Aug 2012)
- Gender Differences in the Salaries of Physician Researchers (JAMA, June 2012)
- The Culture of Academic Medicine: Faculty Perceptions of the Lack of Alignment Between Individual and Institutional Values
- Beyond Bias and Barriers: Fulfilling the Potential of Women in Academic Science and Engineering
Welcome to FOCUS
FOCUS on Health & Leadership for Women (FOCUS) is a dean-funded program at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania designed to improve the recruitment, retention, advancement and leadership of women faculty, and to promote women’s health research.
FOCUS collaborates with other medical schools, universities, national committees, and Women in Medicine (WIM) programs in order to explore institutional change that fosters a more diverse faculty in the community of academic medicine.
FOCUS Program Overview & Summary (pdf download)
FOCUS initiatives include:
Benchmarks: Gender Statistics
A comprehensive biennial report on the gender distribution of Penn medical faculty by track, rank, department and leadership position since 1999. Data on faculty appointments, promotions and attrition rates are also included and compared with national statistics.
Lunchtime Seminar Series
Seminars that explore a broad range of topics, including current medical issues and controversies, women’s health research, and faculty development. The Series runs throughout the academic year and is open to all Penn medical faculty, fellows and instructors.
Annual Leadership Mentoring Conference
"Successful Strategies for Women in Academic Medicine" is a day-long fall conference featuring nationally recognized guest speakers and workshops focusing on the professional needs of women in academic medicine.
Junior Faculty Investigator Award
An extramurally supported initiative that offers annual competitive seed grants to junior faculty investigators for pilot research related to women’s health.
Medical Student Fellowship in Women’s Health
An extramurally supported program that offers six-month stipends to medical students for full-time faculty-mentored research in women’s health.
Women’s Health Scholar Certificate
Jointly sponsored by FOCUS and the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, this Certificate program provides medical students concentrated experiences in women's health spanning research,
clinical training, and community outreach.
Award for the Advancement of Women in Medicine
This annual FOCUS award recognizes a full-time female or male faculty member whose efforts and achievements have advanced the professional success, health care and/or overall quality of life for women at Penn Medicine.
Section for Women Residents & Fellows
WIM
(women-in-medicine) programming tailored for women in training. This initiative
provides women trainees with multiple annual networking opportunities
via presentations and workshops focused on critical skills and resources
for career advancement in academic medicine.
The NIH-TAC Trial (Transforming Academic Culture)
The work of the FOCUS leadership over the last fifteen years led to a unique, landmark intervention trial funded by a 4-year NIH-RO1 grant. FOCUS assembled a multidisciplinary team of researchers to conduct this cluster‐randomized study within the School of Medicine.