This post was authored by Gina P. Lundberg, MD, FACC, clinical director of the Emory Women’s Heart Center, assistant professor at the Emory University School of Medicine, and a member of the ACC’s Women in Cardiology Member Section.

The ACC’s Georgia Chapter is one of the largest chapters in the country. The annual chapter meeting attracts national ACC speakers such as Patrick T. O’Gara, MD, FACC, and Robert Bonow, MD, MACC. Every year the Lake Oconee Ritz Carlton, a picturesque resort between Atlanta and Augusta, Georgia, completely sells out with attendees from all over the state.

The annual Women in Cardiology (WIC) meeting, which started in Georgia in 2012, was planned by Nanette Wenger, MD, MACC, and Sheila Robinson, MD, FACC. The Georgia WIC representative is Sara Mobasseri, MD, FACC. This year our WIC meeting was well attended by academic and private cardiologists, fellows in training (FITs), nurses, APPs, industry, pharma, and even a few brave males.

Aruna Pradhan, MD, MPH, from Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard School of Medicine, opened with a review of Cardiometabolic Syndrome: Implications for Cardiovascular Health in Women. Then Rachel Harris, MD, MPH, of Morehouse School of Medicine, gave a review of the 2011 Update to the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease in Women Guidelines. A review of the WIC goals and objects, as well as an update on WIC, were presented by Sarah Rinehart, MD, FACC, in which she encouraged all of us to get more involved locally and nationally. We discussed opportunities for mentorship, visiting professors and WIC grants to increase chapter activities.

The Georgia WIC member section is comprised of all the major hospital systems, academic institutions and largest cities across the state of Georgia. It was a great weekend for all of us to socialize and enjoy the things we share in common as female cardiologists.

Each year the ACC’s Georgia Chapter has research poster presentations from FITs with a research award. Georgia Regents University and Emory University School of Medicine each had four fellows chosen to present their research. This year, five of the eight fellows were female. This was a great opportunity for our Georgia FITs to interact with seasoned cardiologists and get advice on job prospects, as well as career and work-life balance. FITs each are sponsored by an ACC Georgia Chapter Council member to ensure they meet the active members of the Chapter and participate in the events. Mentoring is an important goal of WIC but also of the ACC on a national level.

Social media is becoming an important news outlet for many ACC meetings and activities. Throughout the ACC Georgia Chapter meeting, I was tweeting and updating LinkedIn about our speakers and program events. All of our WIC members should consider spreading the word of their WIC meetings and events. Through social media, we can all be more connected. Below are some photos I shared on twitter.

To get involved in the ACC’s WIC Member Section, visit ACC.org/WIC. To learn more about the ACC’s Mentoring Program, visit ACC.org/Mentoring.

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