Sasha Shillcutt, M.D., is an inspiration.
An associate professor of anesthesiology, she will be recognized by the American Medical Association Women’s Physicians Section as one of 2016’s Inspirational Physicians.
About the program
The AMA-WPS Inspirational Physicians Recognition Program provides an opportunity for physicians to express appreciation to the special men and women who have offered their time, wisdom and support throughout their professional journeys.
The 2016 nominees are lauded as role models who:
- Inspire them to greater heights;
- Steer them into a specialty they love;
- Help them find balance in life and work;
- Guide them through their professional society; and
- Challenge them to surprise themselves.
Dr. Shillcutt was recognized for creating a private online blog/community for faculty women physicians. The group, which Dr. Shillcutt started for 20 of her friends, now has 3,400 women physician members from all around the world.
“It’s a community for women physicians to share positive and encouraging messages to each other,” Dr. Shillcutt said.
The idea for the site grew from a series of inspirational messages that Dr. Shillcutt used to share with her friends, usually via group text or email.
“I like to write, and I like to write inspirational things,” she said. “I would put out a positive text to a lot of my friends, and all my friends were encouraging me to start a blog.”
A little leery of a blog that would be open to the public, Dr. Shillcutt started a closed group in November of 2015. Only members could add a new member. But the group has boomed, in part because of the sense of community it provides.
“It’s such a positive place,” she said. “Everyone is so encouraging, and I have gotten so much more out of the group than I have put in.”
The group also has spawned smaller populations of friends who meet in person in cities such as Miami, New York, Chicago, Seattle and Los Angeles.
“Women physicians often don’t have time to develop friendships outside of work. We are so busy and a lot of us have families or other engagements, making it difficult to develop female friendships.
“The purpose of the group was to create a forum for friendships and encouragement, but it’s actually led to a lot of professional growth. These women have formed connections and we really focus on promoting women as leaders.
“I never thought it was going to grow as it has, but it’s really neat to see what happens when female physicians get together and uphold each other.”
Dr. Shillcutt is pleased with the connections that have been made.
“I travel and speak nationally a lot, and I have met these women for coffee or dinner, and I have been overwhelmingly surprised by how much we have in common despite differing specialties,” she said.
Congratulations, Dr. Shillcutt. You are an inspiration to all women, not just your physician colleagues. Nancy Woelfl, Professor Emeritus
Way to go Sasha! congratulations.
Great to see examples of women supporting and promoting other women. Kudos!