May 2026 Women in Psychiatry Committee Report

The Women in Psychiatry Committee continues to serve as a statewide community for women psychiatrists seeking connection, mentorship, leadership development, and advocacy. Co-chaired by Drs. Katiuska Ramirez, Haley Euting, and Samina Mahesar, who assumed leadership of the committee in September 2025, with resident co-chairs Drs. Isabella Mak and Rayah Touma Sawaya, who joined in April 2026, the committee is focused on advancing gender equity, increasing visibility, and supporting women across all practice settings and career stages.

Our mission is to create a supportive environment where women in psychiatry can share experiences, develop leadership skills, explore scholarly and clinical interests, and build networks that strengthen their careers and communities. The committee is committed to fostering representation, inclusion, and professional growth across the many roles women hold in psychiatry.

The first meeting of the 2025-2026 academic year was held virtually on October 22, 2025, as a joint session with the MPS C-L Psychiatry Committee. The session featured a panel discussion with Dr. Josh Leo (Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center), Dr. Polina Teslyar (Brigham and Women's Hospital), Dr. Ilana Braun (Dana-Farber Cancer Institute), and Dr. Kaila Rudolph (Boston Medical Center). Panelists reflected on what first drew them to C-L psychiatry, how they have built meaningful careers, and how they continue to integrate academic, clinical, and leadership roles. The conversation marked an energizing start to the year and reinforced the committee's commitment to supporting women psychiatrists as they pursue leadership, scholarly engagement, and clinical excellence.

On January 14, 2026, the committee welcomed Dr. Huma Farid, an obstetrician-gynecologist at BIDMC, Director of the BIDMC Academy, Division Chief of General OB/GYN, and Assistant Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Biology at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Farid spoke on mentorship and sponsorship in academic medicine, exploring how strong mentoring relationships sustain well-being, retention, and long-term career growth. She introduced the concept of a "mentoring board of trustees," in which different mentors support different domains, and emphasized that the most impactful mentors move beyond advice into active sponsorship by advocating for their mentees, opening doors, and helping them decide what to say no to. The discussion that followed surfaced rich themes for the year ahead, including negotiation and salary equity, navigating bias and gendered expectations in academic medicine, women's mental health, and case-based reflection.

On April 9, 2026, the committee gathered virtually for an open discussion focused on goals for the committee, members' experiences as women in psychiatry, and the resident chair role. We were delighted to welcome Drs. Isabella Mak (Harvard South Shore, PGY-4) and Rayah Touma Sawaya (Boston Medical Center, PGY-3) as our new resident co-chairs. Members generated a wide-ranging set of programming ideas around negotiation, sponsorship and equitable career development, transitions across training and early attending life, women's mental health, case discussion, and arts and humanities-based reflection. Members were also invited to participate in the AMWA "1001 Cuts" documentary screening on April 21, a 20-minute film about women surgeons' experiences with bias and inequity in medicine, followed by a facilitated discussion led by Dr. Ashwini Nadkarni, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and Associate Medical Director at Brigham Psychiatric Specialties.

Our next meeting will be held virtually on Wednesday, June 17, from 12-1 pm. The meeting will focus on negotiation skills and feature Dr. Brett Young, Chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Mount Auburn Hospital, Maternal Fetal Medicine Attending, and Assistant Professor at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Young's talk will be followed by facilitated discussion and Q&A.

We welcome all women within MPS who are seeking connection, guidance, and a collaborative space to learn and lead together. We look forward to a meaningful close to the academic year.

If you would like to join the committee, please contact Mayuri Patel at [email protected].

Warmly,