Chairs' Message

Welcome to the web site of the Steering Committee of the Northwestern Medical Women Faculty Organization (WFO).

This promises to be another banner year for WFO at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine.  On behalf of Dr. Sarah Sutton and myself, Beatrice Edwards, we welcome your involvement in the upcoming events described below. You are always welcome to attend WFO Steering Committee meetings, held at 4:00pm on the first Thursday of each month at 645 N. Michigan Ave., Ste 630. (Please contact Cathleen Tracy at ctracy@northwestern.edu for details). A call in line is always available as well. If you cannot attend in person you are welcome to attend remotely!

The mission of the WFO is to foster the growth, development and mentoring of women faculty in the Feinberg School of Medicine. A wide range of networking, mentoring, and educational opportunities are available to contribute to your successful career development here at Northwestern.

Some of the key networking and career development events provided or supported by WFO are listed below. Faculty members are welcome to attend all of our events.

We welcome your suggestions for future events that you would like to see arranged.  Please feel free to email us at wfo@northwestern.edu with your comments and suggestions.

Distinguished Women in Medicine and Science Lecture Series 
This annual award was established in 1997 in memory of Carolyn Brent, MD, founder of the WFO.  The award recognizes a woman scientist who has shown leadership in medicine and science and is an exemplary role model for junior scientists and clinicians. A complete listing of past recipients can be found on this website. Please return to this site for updates about this exciting event.

Fall Reception
Open to all faculty as we welcome new women faculty to the school. A casual but elegant event that fosters networking and friendship. If you missed this year’s reception, please stop by next year.

Children’s Reception
Each year an event is scheduled at Children’s Memorial Hospital, often focused on career development issues, promotion and tenure.  Please continue to watch this site for details of our 2008 event.

Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine Research Day
WFO is a proud collaborator on this important and exciting event. Intended especially for junior faculty, Research Day offers an opportunity to share the various research projects being conducted at NUFSM. The event highlights basic and clinical research across all departments. Representatives from all the Research Core Facilities also attend. Keynote speakers present cutting edge science.  Abstracts and posters are judged by expert faculty and prizes are awarded by the Dean for the best basic science and clinical studies  This year, WFO will sponsor an award for outstanding research addressing women's health concerns. This year Research Day will be March 19, 2008. Watch for a call for abstracts.

This WFO Steering Committee
Established twelve years ago to review issues of particular interest to women faculty including professional development, support systems, and salary equity, this Committee meets monthly to consider best approaches to promote the academic development and support of all women faculty.

Representatives from basic research, clinical and private practice, and affiliated hospitals are involved. A medical student representative from the American Medical Women’s Association (AMWA) and a member from the Women’s Center at Northwestern University also attend. A list of current committee members can be found on this website.
Please join us for any or all of the upcoming activities!

Sincerely,                                                                                                       

Beatrice J Edwards, MD, FACP
Sarah Sutton, MD
WFO Co-Chairs