Mentoring the Next Generation: The American Medical Women’s Association Network (AMWA) in Action

Second-year medical student and American Medical Women's Association (AMWA) VP&S co-leader Abbie Macher ’29 shared, “I loved the Women in Medicine brunch event. I remember it as an M1, and there were so many more people this year; the Nor’easter wasn’t keeping any of us away! It was fantastic.”

With approximately 160 members, the VP&S Women in Medicine Collaborative serves as an essential bridge between students and alumnae, fostering lasting professional guidance and community. Reflecting on the group’s mission, Macher noted, “I think learning how women can support women in medicine, and that, whether that be, inviting speakers to talk about their specialty and give advice to younger women who are just joining the field, or more informal mentorship programs that are just between the medical school students, is key. What AMWA has become is finding ways to expand mentorship for those just beginning their academic careers and who might not be exactly sure of the best path forward. So having these people who have been down these paths and have concrete ideas of what it means to be a physician and to be a woman in medicine has been very helpful.”

To strengthen these connections across classes, student leaders have also launched "AMWA Families."

“We've been pairing up, M1 female students with senior students and putting together little families so that they can have a space or an opportunity to get to know each other. The mentorship can really be about anything. We want to keep it very flexible and give people the opportunity to get a meal, check in on how things have been going, or ask about research opportunities or academic information. Our concept is that women will stay involved all four years, and then once they graduate, they'll continue to be a member of this family unit that we made,” explained student co-leader Julia Berman ’29. “We will eventually create this longitudinal family, which ideally will span many years of training.”

Interested in mentoring the next generation of female physicians? Click here to join the VP&S Women in Medicine Collaborative and get involved with upcoming events.