It was 7 years ago, and I had backed away from my full-time academic practice to begin working a hybrid between academics and private practice. The truth is that when I opted to leave the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB), they asked me to stay part-time to continue serving the midlife women who had come to appreciate the level of care provided in my niche practice at the Pelvic Health and Continence Center (now known as League City Campus).
Prior to our move to Houston in 2009 (when my husband was selected from 5400 applicants into a Canadian Astronaut position at NASA), I had run a thriving ob/gyn practice in Cold Lake, Alberta. Closing that practice and transitioning to UTMB, I spent some of the pinnacle years of my medical career alongside some exceptional colleagues. Many of you may know me from those years and I reminisce often of those special times, remembering fondly how, no matter where I worked, I loved to prioritize education and community outreach - still do! The best part was teaching the residents and medical students but the second best part was definitely the patients. Each day I met with incredible women who asked smart questions and advocated for their health. However, slowly, over time, I began to realize that my 15 min clinical visit wasn’t enough. We would connect, touch on the pain points, create solutions together and the visit ended. "Who’s next?" I would ask. For a pap test or UTI, that worked well. But for real, tangible solutions to the problems women face, it was sadly insufficient.
The Empowered Women’s Circle became the place for women to gather, after hours, to continue the vital conversations that we started in the office. Each woman's story is so different, and yet, there are threads and commonalities that affect us all as women living in a world that sometimes doesn’t really see us for our strength and power - a world that keeps us small and quiet. The upcoming Fall Speaker Series was put together so we can hear from women who have experienced challenges in their own sphere and the ways they have developed solutions to help them thrive. Some of those solutions may be game-changing for you (or you may bring some of your own that deeply impact another woman in Circle). That’s why it’s a Circle - a never-ending ring of support and strength. Join us to hear from these guest speakers AND to share your insights - we want to get to know YOU!
