The Ascent of Women Surgeons at MUSC

As the number of women in surgery increases nationwide, so too does the number of women in surgery at MUSC.

When Katherine Morgan, M.D., chief of GI & Laparoscopic Surgery, joined the faculty as assistant professor of surgery in 2003, there were two other female surgeons on staff: Carolyn Reed, M.D., and DeryaTagge, M.D. at the Veteran’s Administration Medical Center.

“Dr. Metcalf, the first female resident and Dr. Reed, the first female faculty were the pioneers at MUSC for the future generation of women surgeons,” said Dr. Morgan. “Their vision, strength and willingness to face adversity, persevere and triumph paved the way for my generation of women surgeons.”

During this same time frame, Megan Baker–Ruppel, M.D. was one of the first female residents, completing residency in 2005 and joining the faculty upon completion. Reflecting on her MUSC experience, she recalls it was during residency where she first experienced Carolyn Reed, M.D. advocating for women in surgery.

“It was back in the time of 1:2 or 1:3 nights of call – when we were basically living in the hospital,” comments Baker–Ruppel. “The call rooms and bathrooms were co-ed. Often, the male co-residents made the call room “theirs” and some expressed concern with sharing a room with a female resident as their spouses didn’t approve. The implication being that the women were to find other sleeping accommodations, which often became a gurney in a hallway.”

Dr. Baker–Ruppel recalls watching Dr. Reed fight for the women’s right to equal space and not backing down. “Not because anyone complained or asked her to intervene,” said Dr. Baker–Ruppel. “Dr. Reed inherently knew it was the professional and correct action to take.”

Shortly after graduating and joining the faculty, Baker–Ruppel learned she’d soon be joining an even more select group at MUSC: women surgeons who were also mothers.

According to Baker–Ruppel, she was entering unchartered territory, as the department did not have a maternity / paternity leave policy. Dr. Morgan and Dr. Baker–Ruppel worked with the department to develop a contemporary medical leave policy that reflected the values of our faculty for future generations.

At the same time, the two women were active in the creation of the first University GME family leave policy for residents and fellows. In fact, according to Baker–Ruppel, MUSC was one of the very first academic medical centers to create such a policy for their trainees.

The department continued to grow in numbers of women surgeons, following the national trend. Dr. Denise Carneiro-Pla and Dr. Kerry Hammond joined the faculty in 2007, followed by Dr. Paige Teller and Dr. Stephanie Montgomery in 2008. Over the next ten years, more women would join the faculty including Dr. Nancy DeMore, Dr. Andrea Abbott, Dr. Alicia Privette, Dr. Jean Ruddy, Dr. Marcie Dorlon, Dr. Mahsa Javid, and Dr. Laura Hollinger, among others.

Many of these women surgeons held or currently hold positions of leadership, both at MUSC and nationally. Dr. Reed served as president of the MUSC Faculty Senate, director of the Hollings Cancer Center, and held the Alice Ruth Reeves Folk Endowed Chair in Clinical Oncology. On a national level, she was the first woman elected to the American Board of Thoracic surgery and the first to be elected president of the Southern Thoracic Surgical Association.

Dr. Baker-Ruppel was the first female general surgery residency program director at MUSC, during a time when there were no other women in the department in senior leadership roles due to the untimely death of Dr. Reed, who died in 2012 from pancreatic cancer. Dr. Baker-Ruppel also served as the first interim division chief. According to Dr. Baker-Ruppel, having a seat at the leadership table was important to bring a more diverse point of view to light.

As the sole female division chief, Dr. Morgan acknowledges there have been challenges during her rise in leadership, yet she doesn’t think of her pathway to leadership as one filled with adversity.

“I’m sure there’s unconscious bias everywhere,” she said. “More importantly, I’ve had fantastic male mentors and leaders who have been clear unbiased advocates.” Dr. Adams is one such leader and advocate. According to Dr. Morgan, he paved the pathway for her to advance both at MUSC and nationally. “I feel fortunate to be in a leadership position to improve processes and patient care,” comments Dr. Morgan. “The future is bright for the next generation of women surgeons at MUSC.”

Dr. Nancy DeMore, BMW Endowed Chair in Cancer Research and Professor of Surgery, holds leadership positions at MUSC including Medical Director of the MUSC Breast Center, Department of Surgery Vice Chair of Entrepreneurship, and Program Director of the Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP). She has the distinction of being the only female surgeon in the country to be a program director of the MSTP.

Dr. DeMore agrees the future is bright. “So many challenges for women surgeons can be mitigated by having the right leadership,” she said. “We are so fortunate at MUSC to have such a strong women’s advocate in our chairman, Dr. Baliga.”

According to DeMore, one of the first things that Dr. Baliga did when he became chairman of the department in 2015 was to have a meeting with the female surgery faculty to inquire about any inequity issues for him to address.

“He continues his steadfast commitment to advancing women in leadership. One such example is how he seeks out leadership courses for female faculty, thereby providing us with the training that we need to take on larger roles,” notes DeMore. “I think it takes support like this from the leadership to build a more equitable future for female surgeons.”

Moving towards the future, Chairman Prabhakar Baliga, M.D. continues his work to fulfill his vision of a department void of inequity, where parity exists at all levels of leadership.

Paying it Forward

The importance of role models for junior faculty, residents and medical students cannot be overstated.

According to Crystal Johnson-Mann, M.D., ’17, during her MUSC residency, women faculty members were an integral part of the culture of inclusivity and served as mentors and roles models by excelling in their chosen field while managing spouses, children, and other intricacies that come along with being a female surgeon.

“They had the unique experience of knowing what it was like to be in our shoes and provided us with invaluable advice on how to navigate certain situations or to push us in ways we didn’t know we needed to be pushed in order to become the best version of ourselves,” said Dr. Johnson-Mann.Dr. Reed was the first to open lines of communications for women in surgery at MUSC.

She often hosted small group gatherings for women interested in pursuing careers in cardiothoracic surgery. Her group expanded to become a club at MUSC: Women Interested in Surgical Experiences (WISE), and eventually changed it to an Association of Women Surgeons Interest Group.

This year the club earned official chapter status within the Association of Women Surgeons.

Dr. Ruddy serves as faculty advisor and the club is open to men and women medical students and high school students interested in surgery.More recently, Dr. DeMore and Dr. Abbott started an informal gathering of women surgeons and residents, nicknamed “Chicks with Knives.”

A few times a year, they get together at someone's home to share experiences, discuss challenges and build camaraderie.

“Often in a clinical department, surgeons, fellows, and residents interact mostly with those in the same specialty. What is nice about the “Chicks with Knives” group is that the female surgeons have an opportunity to get to know one another, which might not happen during the regular work day,” notes Dr. Demore. “The relaxed, informal, get togethers are the perfect opportunity to build a support network and to provide resources and insight to one another.”

Other opportunities to connect with women in surgery for residents and junior faculty occur during national conferences and through membership in organizations such as the Association of Women Surgeons. All meetings are open to men and women alike, and often topics of discussion encompass networking, mentoring, and negotiating contracts - topics relevant to both men and women. The value specific to women surgeons is they have the opportunity to see and connect with successful women surgical leaders as role models and mentors.