Sanskriti Shrivastava, MBBS, MBA

Katherine Clark, MD, MBA

During Women's History Month this March, the WIC Section produced weekly episodes for the ACC Practice Made Perfect podcast. Each episode was hosted by WIC Leadership Council member, Kamala Tamirisa, MD, FACC. Tamirisa had the opportunity to interview a diverse group of female cardiologists. The first two episodes are highlighted below:

In the March 4 episode, titled "Out of the Box Career Paths," Sherry-Ann Brown, MD, PhD, FACC, and Garima Sharma, MD, FACC, discussed salient features and outlined available resources to pursue a career in the fields of cardio-oncology and cardio-obstetrics, their respective sub-specialties. They shared their personal journey which helped them identify unique professional goals and ultimately translated into their distinctive career in cardiology. They encouraged FITs and Early Career professionals to customize their education and research to bridge academic gaps, as did Brown with her PhD in clinical informatics and Sharma with her research on cardio-obstetrics outcomes and health disparities. They advised listeners to find suitable mentors and portray their specific interests through collaboration. They discussed an array of emerging fields in cardiology targeted towards addressing unmet patient needs. Lastly, they shared pearls of wisdom motivating doctors to look at the big picture-always having our patient's best interest in mind!

In the March 11 episode, titled "COMPASS: Voice of the Experts," Minnow Walsh, MD, MACC, and Martha Gulati, MD, MS, FACC, equipped listeners with information on navigating their professional and personal growth as a female in the medical field. Gulati noted the importance of negotiating for a new job because failing to negotiate at all leaves money on the table. She advised listeners to know your own worth, practice negotiating with friends and mentors, and consider all aspects of the job, not only salary. Regarding promotion, she recommended not waiting to be asked or until you have met all the requirements. Walsh spoke about the lack of women in clinical trial leadership. She encouraged Early Career professionals to get involved as a site PI, finding a trial that involves patients in your daily practice. This role, in addition to getting on a Data Safety and Monitoring or Events Committee, are steppingstones to leadership roles. She also commented the considerations of pregnancy: Clarifying the parental leave policy while interviewing, using the appropriate radiation protection, and insisting on time and space for breast pumping. To conclude, Walsh suggested a trick for overcoming stage fright by focusing on how one will deliver her message. Gulati shared two ideals she follows in her own life including, "the best way out is through," and "believe and act like it's impossible to fail."

All Practice Made Perfect podcast episodes are available on acc.org, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.

This article was co-authored Katherine Clark, MD, MBA, and Sanskriti Shrivastava, MBBS, MBA.