In this study, women introduced by men at IMGR were less likely to be addressed by professional title than were men introduced by men. Differential formality in speaker introductions may amplify isolation, marginalization, and professional discomfiture expressed by women faculty in academic medicine.

This new model of facilitated peer mentorship demonstrated success in a small-scale pilot program. Expansion of this program and other creative solutions to the lack of mentoring for women may result in greater numbers of women achieving academic advancement.

Objectives: The objectives of this study were to determine if women realize the importance of optimizing their health prior to a pregnancy, whether the pregnancy is planned or not; and to evaluate their knowledge level and beliefs about preconception healthcare. Additionally, we sought to understand how and when women wanted to receive information on preconception health. Methods: A survey study was performed using consecutive patients presenting to primary care practices for an annual wellwoman exam. Patients were recruited based on appointment type and willingness to complete the survey at the time of their appointment, but prior to being seen by the physician. Results: A total of 499 women completed the survey. Nearly all women (98.6%) realized the importance of optimizing their health prior to a pregnancy, and realized the best time to receive information about preconception health is before conception. The vast majority of patients surveyed (95.3%) preferred to receive information about preconception health from their primary care physician. Only 39% of women could recall their physician ever discussing this topic. The population studied revealed some significant knowledge deficiencies about factors that may threaten the health of mother or fetus. Conclusions: A majority of women do understand the importance of optimizing their health prior to conception, and look to their Primary care physician as their preferred source for such information. Study participants demonstrated deficiencies in their knowledge of risk factors that impact

BackgroundIn academic medicine, women physicians lag behind their male counterparts in advancement and promotion to leadership positions. Lack of mentoring, among other factors, has been reported to contribute to this disparity. Peer mentoring has been reported as a successful alternative to the dyadic mentoring model for women interested in improving their academic productivity. We describe a facilitated peer mentoring program in our institution's department of medicine.MethodsNineteen women enrolled in the program were divided into 5 groups. Each group had an assigned facilitator. Members of the respective groups met together with their facilitators at regular intervals during the 12 months of the project. A pre- and post-program evaluation consisting of a 25-item self-assessment of academic skills, self-efficacy, and academic career satisfaction was administered to each participant.ResultsAt the end of 12 months, a total of 9 manuscripts were submitted to peer-reviewed journals, 6 of which are in press or have been published, and another 2 of which have been invited to be revised and resubmitted. At the end of the program, participants reported an increase in their satisfaction with academic achievement (mean score increase, 2.32 to 3.63; P = 0.0001), improvement in skills necessary to effectively search the medical literature (mean score increase, 3.32 to 4.05; P = 0.0009), an improvement in their ability to write a comprehensive review article (mean score increase, 2.89 to 3.63; P = 0.0017), and an improvement in their ability to critically evaluate the medical literature (mean score increased from 3.11 to 3.89; P = 0.0008).ConclusionsThis facilitated peer mentoring program demonstrated a positive impact on the academic skills and manuscript writing for junior women faculty. This 1-year program required minimal institutional resources, and suggests a need for further study of this and other mentoring programs for women faculty.

Medical schools offering the CET type reported higher proportions of female faculty on that track type. Given that faculty on the CET type lag behind their TTT colleagues in academic promotion, these findings may contribute to continued challenges in gaining academic and leadership parity for women in academic medicine.

Involvement in the facilitated peer mentoring program was associated with increased skills and academic activities for most participants. Future studies are needed to assess its applicability and success among various demographic groups in academic medicine.

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The change in hormonal milieu associated with perimenopause and menopause can lead to a variety of symptoms that can affect a woman's quality of life. Postmenopausal hormone therapy (HT) is an effective, well-tolerated treatment for these symptoms. However, combined HT consisting of conjugated equine estrogen and medroxyprogesterone acetate has been associated with an increased number of health risks when compared with conjugated equine estrogen alone or placebo. As a result, some women are turning to alternative hormonal formulations known as compounded bioidentical HT because they perceive them to be a safer alternative. This article defines compounded bioidentical HT and explores the similarities and differences between it and US Food and Drug Administration-approved HT. We will examine the major claims made by proponents of compounded bioidentical HT and recommend strategies for management of patients who request bioidentical HT from physicians. The change in hormonal milieu associated with perimenopause and menopause can lead to a wide variety of symptoms that may negatively affect a woman's quality of life. The most common symptoms include hot flashes, night sweats, emotional lability, poor concentration, and sleep disturbance; these can range from mild to severe. Postmenopausal hormone therapy (HT) is an effective, well-tolerated treatment for menopausal symptoms. In the United States, a number of US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved hormone preparations are available for treatment of women with menopausal symptoms.2 In 2002, results from the estrogen plus progestin (E+P) arm of the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) revealed an increased risk of breast cancer, cardiovascular disease, stroke, and thromboembolic events in women taking conjugated equine estrogen (CEE) and medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) compared with those in the placebo group.3 These findings prompted many women to discontinue HT or to seek a safer alternative to FDA-approved HT for treatment of menopausal symptoms. As a result of the WHI, many women ask their physicians for non-FDA-approved compounded bioidentical HT (CBHT), which is also known as natural HT, believing that it is safer than FDA-approved therapy. 3,4 It is estimated that CBHT is a multibillion-dollar industry, possibly affecting millions of women. 5 WHAT WE LEArnED FroM THE WHIThe findings of the E+P arm (CEE and MPA) of the WHI that were published in 2002 dramatically changed the prescribing practices of physicians in the United States. 6 Before the trial demonstrated adverse cardiovascular disease events and a 26% increased risk of breast cancer in female participants, the number of women for whom E+P was prescribed had been steadily increasing, from 58 million in 1995 to 90 million in 1999.6 From 1999 to 2002, the numbers stabilized; however, within 3 months of publication of the WHI findings, prescriptions for E+P decreased by 63%. Many women stopped HT and some sought out alternative therapies for treatment of symptoms associated with menopause.6 In add...