As part of the collective call heard across the country to reinvigorate the woman’s movement, 2018 has been dubbed the “Year of the Woman” by many. In medicine, the need for continued advocacy is no more evident than in cardiology, where women make up less than 12 percent of the workforce and less than 5 percent of invasive subspecialists.

This renewed energy fueled the realization of the long-awaited ACC Massachusetts Women in Cardiology (WIC) Chapter meeting!

Thanks to support from the Massachusetts General Hospital Corrigan Minehan Women’s Heart Health Program, ACC Massachusetts Chapter and ACC WIC Section, the ACC Massachusetts WIC Chapter kicked off in style.

The event, “2018: The Year of the Woman,” was a night of food, lively discussion on gender bias and microaggression, and speed mentoring, all capped off by a keynote talk from Mary Norine Walsh, MD, MACC, immediate past president of the ACC and only the third woman to ever lead the organization.

More than 50 female residents, cardiology fellows and faculty from all the major teaching hospitals in Massachusetts joined.

Incoming ACC Massachusetts Chapter Governor Malissa J. Wood, MD, FACC, opened the night after a brief mix-and-mingle cocktail hour and informal mentoring session. Massachusetts General Hospital cardiology fellows Amy Sarma, MD, and Emily Lau, MD, led discussions on “The Pregnant Cardiologist” and “How to Attract and Retain Women in Cardiology.”

The highlight of the night took form in Walsh as she talked career, life journey, mistakes and lessons learned, and encouraged all women to “raise each other up.”

We are eager to continue the momentum of “2018: The Year of the Woman.” If you are not yet registered, join the ACC Massachusetts WIC Chapter at MCACC.org. We look forward to hearing your ideas about how our chapter can help address your needs.

Stay tuned for more events as we grow the ACC Massachusetts WIC Chapter and continue to “raise each other up.”

Malissa J. Wood, MD, FACC; Amy Sarma, MD; and Emily Lau, MD.

This article was authored by Amy Sarma, MD, cardiologist at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, and Emily Lau, MD, Fellow in Training at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.