by Dr. Jane Petro, Past President of AACS and Co-Chair of the Women in Cosmetic Surgery Committee

A few weeks ago, the Women in Cosmetic Surgery Committee had an opportunity to hold its first meeting. For me and my co-chair Suzan Obagi, MD, it was the realization of an idea that had been discussed for almost 10 years: a venue to talk about issues specific to women surgeons.

During the meeting, I had the chance to reflect on a conversation I had at the AACS 2020 Annual Scientific Meeting with a male colleague. My colleague asked, “Why do women surgeons need their own event? You are all cosmetic surgeons just like the rest of us.”

My response was that we are the same in that we equally skilled and trained in surgery and patient care, but our experiences are different. The challenges of being a woman in medicine were confirmed by a 2018 American College of Surgeons Governors Survey, which found that gender inequality and harassment remain a challenge for women in surgery. Women surgeons are generally paid less, and in the early days of training, they are discouraged from many surgical specialties. Several other studies have shown that women bear a disproportional responsibility for family and non-work life.

AACS’s Women in Cosmetic Surgery Committee is about creating an opportunity for change. When women are organized in a way that offers mutual support, encouragement, and mentorship, they can change cosmetic surgery for the better.

Our goal for the WICS Committee is to enable women surgeons to develop their individual potential as professionals and promote an environment within AACS that fosters inclusion, respect, and success. We applaud Dr. Mark Mandell-Brown for creating the Women in Cosmetic Surgery and for his commitment to equality.

We are proud to having the following AACS members serve on the Women in Cosmetic Surgery Committee: Rania Agha, MD, Cynthia A. Buono. DO, Annalise Boisvert, MD, FACOG, NCMP, Roxana Barad, MD, Jessica West, DO, and Sheila Barbarino, MD, FAAO, FACS. We are also excited that we have one international member on our committee, Tiziana Lazzari, MD, and a resident member, Sepideh Sabooree, MD, DMD.

During the AACS Annual Scientific Meeting, on Friday, February 5, 2021 at 6:00pm central time, we will be hosting the Women in Cosmetic Surgery event. We hope that everyone attending the meeting will join us for some inspirational remarks and networking.