Female doctors are banding together with the powerful hashtag #GirlsWhoHeal

Aaliya Yaqub MD, one of the creators of the campaign. (Photo: Instagram/brit_in_the_bay)
Aaliya Yaqub MD, one of the creators of the campaign. (Photo: Instagram/brit_in_the_bay)

A group of female doctors has come together to empower young women with dreams of pursuing careers in healthcare.

The doctors are sharing the roadblocks they’ve faced, and triumphs they’ve met, with the hashtag #GirlsWhoHeal.

“I can’t begin to count the number of times I’ve been told not to pursue medicine, not to pursue a difficult specialty, or not to work full time if I wanted to have a family,” writes Dr. Natalie Crawford on Instagram. “It is shocking at first. It breaks your heart. It makes you think that maybe you can’t do it. Eventually, you carry on.”

To be a woman in medicine- I can’t begin to count the number of times I’ve been told not to pursue medicine, not to pursue a difficult specialty, or not to work full time if I wanted to have a family. I’ve been asked if I wanted children at interviews for medical school, residency and fellowship. I’ve been told that medicine isn’t conducive to a family life. I’ve been told that medicine is too difficult for women who want it all. I’ve been told that I should do something else. It is shocking at first. It breaks your heart. It makes you think that maybe you can’t do it. Eventually, you carry on. These comments fall on deaf ears. You decide to not sacrifice your dream for someone else’s idea of what would (or should) make you happy. Eventually, you find your support. You find mentors (both women and men) who believe in you. You believe even more in yourself. You decide that having kids will happen when you are ready. You forget what they say. You focus on the doctoring. You find your passion. You stand up for what you believe in. You evolve and decide to change those antiquated stereotypes. —— So today I am honored to stand together with incredible women from all over the country who are intelligent, ambitious, determined, successful and changing the view of women in medicine. These are the women of today and tomorrow. These are the #GirlsWhoHeal. ?? (Shirt linked in stories!) @fifteenblades @clearskindoc @medicalmyanne @mmaneevese @drsheilanazarian @drsharimarchbein @doctor.cher_c @dryazdan @purelypositivitea @nataliecrawfordmd @thefemaledoc @bondkitkat @alexx_xox . . . . #womenempowerment #womeninmedicine #womeninsurgery #ilooklikeasurgeon #womeninscience #womeninstem #girlsinstem #girlboss #girlsrock #doctormom #momsinmedicine #surgery #medicine #premed #medstudent #medschool #medicalschool #obgyn #md #doctor #physician #workingmom #doctorlife #womenempoweringwomen #awomansplaceisintheresistance

A post shared by Natalie Crawford, MD (@nataliecrawfordmd) on Dec 4, 2017 at 7:14am PST

Another doctor shared an incident from dental school, reporting that when after a rough day, she turned to a female mentor for comfort, a man insinuated that she should simply drop out and get married. “An older male doctor looked at me and smirked then commented loudly in front of my colleagues ‘well honey, if you can’t handle a typical work day in the office, you should have just married rich!’ I was stunned,” she writes. The posts have a recurring theme: Men telling women, directly or indirectly, that they belong at home. But the women who started this campaign — Dr. Rola Rabah and Dr. Aaliya Yaqub, see it as much more than that. They see #GirlsWhoHeal, and the corresponding shirts, as a rallying cry for women in the field who are ready to break glass ceilings, and do important work in the medical profession.

Dental school was challenging. My 4th year was packed with back to back patients in an attempt to finish all my requirements on time. Some days, I worked from 8 am until 8 pm and then stayed after hours in lab trying to finish up cases. It all felt very draining physically, mentally and emotionally. On one of these days, I walked into my director’s office to steal some very much needed chocolate (yes, we’re all very bad dentists). My director wasn’t in the office but there were two esteemed faculty members and some students chatting. I grabbed my go to Kit Kat and sighed. One of my favorite boss lady doctors was in the room and she asked indearingly “has it been a rough day?” I nodded and went in for a hug. I needed that hug. I was sleep deprived and hungry and just tired. An older male doctor looked at me and smirked then commented loudly in front of my colleagues “well honey, if you can’t handle a typical work day in the office, you should have just married rich!” I was stunned. Too shocked to respond. The female faculty snapped “I’ll have you know, this lady is going to be the best Oral Surgeon around!” He laughed and walked away. My blood boiled for hours after but I knew anger would accomplish nothing. I used that to fuel more of my drive. My drive to do more. Accomplish more. My fuel to always push harder and harder. My fuel to keep going, no matter who stands in my way. So today I am honored to stand together with incredible women from all over the country who are beautiful, ambitious, determined, successful and above all STRONG AS HELL. These are the women who are changing healthcare and who stand in the face of gender discrimination, bias and stereotypes. These are the females of today and tomorrow. #GirlsWhoHeal . . Wearing: Women in Medicine Campaign T-Shirt (get your pre-order in for the holiday on www.fifteenblades.com/shop, part of the proceeds are donated to charity). Shop is in bio ? Get links to all my outfit details by registering on @liketoknow.it. Screenshot or ‘like’ this pic to shop the product details from the LIKEtoKNOW.it app! #WomenInMedicine #Doctor #feminist #metoo #liketkit https://liketk.it/2tGcs

A post shared by Dr. Rola Rabah (@fifteenblades) on Dec 4, 2017 at 7:01am PST

The complementing shirts, designed by Dr. Rola Rabah say “A woman’s place is in medicine.” The campaign is full of strong, energized doctors who have thrived in their field. “This isn’t a shirt just for physicians, this is for any incredible person in medicine, including dentists, nurses, PAs, physical therapists, lab techs, lovers of science, pharmacist, researchers, therapists, students or anyone else who feels moved by this campaign,” Raba writes.

For now, the shirts are available via Dr. Rabah’s site for $29. What better way to support your favorite lady doctor?

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