NW Atlanta News

We're highlighting women medical residents during Women's History Month.

The Piedmont Graduate Medical Education (GME) programs were created to provide residents an educational experience in a clinical environment in their chosen specialty. Piedmont is investing in the next generation of physicians, many of whom happen to be women.

At Piedmont Macon, nearly 50 percent of residents who matched with Piedmont Macon's GME Program this year were women: Eighteen females compared to 19 males.

"I feel so lucky to be in a program where I have met some of my best friends and get to work with attendings who genuinely care about what they do," said Sarah Gilmore, M.D., a psychiatry resident.

With more women representation at Piedmont Athens, the GME program created a "Women in Medicine" group that meets to discuss obstacles women physicians face and how to overcome them.

"My favorite thing about the residency program at Piedmont Athens is the family environment," said Danhely Cruz, M.D., an internal medicine resident. "The graduate medical education staff do their best to check in on everyone and make us feel cared for."

Feeling like a family at work is important to Dr. Cruz, since she is used to that at home. She says she felt empowered to become a doctor because of her mother.

"My parents brought me to the U.S. when she was twenty and I was four," she said. "She didn't know English and was very shy. She is now fluent in English and owns a successful business."

Makayla Riles, M.D., is a family medicine resident at Piedmont Columbus, where more than 230 women have graduated from the GME program. Dr. Riles is surrounded by strong women. She says her mom has always been her biggest supporter and the two associate directors of the residency program are women.

"Residency is challenging anywhere but the encouragement and guidance has made it a great experience and I know I'm being made into the best physician I can be," said Dr. Riles.

As these women look toward their future, they hope to pay it forward and pave the way for the next generation of female physicians who are breaking barriers.

Original source can be found here.