This article shines light on women in cardiology and medicine who have made a significant impact and contribution to the field, as well as the ongoing challenges that remain.

The First Female Physician

In 1849, at a time when the medical profession was open only for men, Elizabeth Blackwell, MD, became the first female physician in the U.S. Her father, a staunch abolitionist and advocate for women's rights, believed that all his children, including his daughters, should be given the same opportunities for education as his sons¹.

Blackwell's interest in medicine was stoked in her 20s after visiting a family friend dying of uterine cancer, who remarked, "If I could have been treated by a lady doctor, my worst sufferings would have been spared me¹." Declining a professor's suggestion that she disguise herself as a man to gain admission, she applied to 29 medical schools. She was rejected by all but one; Geneva Medical College. For admission, the all-male student body was given the decision to vote on whether they would allow her to study with them and voted to admit her as a joke.

After graduation, she established a clinic serving the indigent and immigrant communities in New York City, NY, and subsequently established a hospital and medical college to train other women in medicine.

The First Female Cardiologist

Fast forward to 1927, Helen Taussig, MD, became the first cardiologist in the U.S.² After graduating from the University of California, Berkeley for her bachelor's degree, Taussig was denied admission to Harvard Medical School and instead enrolled at Boston University (BU) to study anatomy. Recognizing her potential, her mentor at BU, Alexander Begg, MD, encouraged her to apply to the Johns Hopkins Medical School, which was one of the few co-ed schools granting medical degrees to women.

Taussig then went on to make history. Credited as the founder of pediatric cardiology, she developed the Blalock-Thomas-Taussig shunt procedure to treat infants born with tetralogy of Fallot. She was the first woman president of the American Heart Association and the first pediatrician to be elected head of the American Medical Association.

The First African American Pediatric Cardiologist

In 1969, Josephine Isabel-Jones, MD, became the first African American woman to be board-certified in pediatric cardiology in the U.S.³ Despite growing up in racially segregated Memphis, TN, she was determined to become a physician. Her mother was a teacher, and her father was a self-made electrician. Encouraged by her parents, she broke through social barriers. She became one of four women to graduate from Meharry Medical College and was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society. After graduation, she became the first African American resident at the University of Tennessee.

At the University of California Los Angeles, she was the director of the catheterization and echocardiography labs. She also became known for her advocacy and activism within the Los Angeles community and internationally in caring for underserved children with congenital heart diseases.

The Challenges That Remain

Despite the strides made thus far, women in cardiology are still markedly underrepresented in the field. Only about 20% of cardiology trainees are women, and about 10% of interventional cardiology and electrophysiology trainees are comprised of women. There are significant academic and professional disparities between men and women. The annual salaries of female academic physicians were about $20,000 less than male physicians⁴. Women are also less likely to be awarded grants, promoted to full professorships and achieve leadership positions.

What Can be Done

First, it is important to recognize and support the efforts of institutional, national and professional efforts such as ACC's Women in Cardiology (WIC) Section, which aims to enhance the diversity of the cardiology workforce and advocate for parity for all women trainees and faculty. Second, we need to better understand the barriers facing female cardiologists and make the changes that will encourage women to choose cardiology. This includes addressing the lack of female role models, the negative perception regarding work-life balance, discrimination in the workplace, concerns regarding radiation exposure, issues related to family planning and child-rearing, and equalizing opportunities for promotion⁵.

Lastly, these remarkable narratives highlight the indispensable role of mentorship and sponsorship in achieving one's aspirations.

Reflecting on these stories, I couldn't help but think of the cheerleaders in my own journey, especially my mentor from residency, Meghan York, MD, FACC, who served as the faculty advisor to the Women in Cardiology group at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. This experienced courage me to establish the WIC group at my current institution at the Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center (KPLAMC). With the support of my program director, Ming-Sum Lee, MD, PhD, the KPLA WIC group aims to mentor medical students and residents interested in academic medicine or cardiology with a focus in research, career development, and providing guidance for fellowship applications and interviews.

It's time for us all to actively engage in cultivating a culture of diversity and inclusivity, and bolster the pipeline of women trainees to pursue a career in cardiology at every level of training. We all benefit as a society when diversity is embraced and opportunities are equalized.

References

1. Blackwell E. Pioneer work in opening the medical profession to women. Amherst, N.Y: Humanity Books; 2005.
2. Williamson L. Dr. Helen Taussig's work saved 'blue babies' and made her the mother of pediatric cardiology. heart.org. Published March 28, 2024. https://www.heart.org/en/news/2024/03/28/dr-helen-taussigs-work-saved-blue-babies
3. Ansong AK. Leading With Grace: The Story of Dr. Josephine Isabel-Jones. ACC Cardiology Magazine. 2021. https://www.acc.org/Latest-in-Cardiology/Articles/2021/08/01/12/42/Feature-Leading-With-Grace-The-Story-of-Dr-Josephine-Isabel-Jones
4. Jena AB, Olenski AR, Blumenthal DM. Sex Differences in Physician Salary in US Public Medical Schools. JAMA Intern Med. 2016;176(9):1294-304. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2016.3284
5. Kurdi H, Morgan H, Williams C. Women not in cardiology: where are we going wrong? A survey of the perceptions and barriers to training. Br J Cardiol. 2020;27(4):30. doi: 10.5837/bjc.2020.030