In healthcare, we often talk about prevention. But when it comes to preventing burnout, leadership gaps, or disparities in women’s health, we continue to operate reactively. It’s time we change that — and it starts with how we invest in people.
This September, the Power of Women in Medicine Summit returns to Chicago for its seventh year. The event began as the Women in Medicine Summit — a gathering of women physicians seeking connection and community. It has grown into a national movement, bringing together hundreds of healthcare professionals, educators, policymakers, and allies committed to building a more equitable and effective healthcare system.
But the Summit is not just a conference. It’s a catalyst.
Each year, we craft our agenda around the real-time challenges facing our healthcare workforce. This year, we’ve intentionally expanded the programming to reflect two urgent and interconnected priorities: elevating diverse leadership in medicine and advancing women’s health.
Building the leaders our system needs
Leadership in medicine isn’t just about titles — it’s about influence. Whether you’re mentoring the next generation, shaping institutional culture, or advocating at the policy level, effective leadership is a learned and practiced skill. Yet too often, women — especially women of color — are excluded from the rooms where people develop these skills.
We designed this Summit to change that.
From interactive workshops on negotiation and strategic communication to sessions on navigating burnout, career pivots, and media engagement, we offer a toolkit built for today’s healthcare environment. You’ll also gain exclusive access to mentorship forums, real-time leadership coaching, and insider panels with top healthcare leaders and executives — giving you tangible strategies you can take back to your institution on Monday. We’re also proud to welcome visionaries like Janet Foutty, former Deloitte U.S. Chair, who will share her insights on redesigning systems for equity and innovation.
This year’s Summit is also a space to connect with powerful voices across disciplines. You’ll hear from Hilary Phelps on storytelling, recovery, and resilience; Annie Andrews, MD, = Alice Chen, MD, and Halleh Akbarnia MD on advocacy in action; and Marcia Faustin, MD, co-head physician for the U.S. Women’s Olympic Gymnastics Team, on the role of team-based leadership in high-stakes medicine.
We’re also honored to welcome Monica Peek, MD, Ellen H. Block professor for health justice at the University of Chicago, whose work has transformed how we address social determinants of health in vulnerable communities. And Heather Prendergast, MD, a trailblazer in emergency medicine and healthcare leadership, will share strategies for breaking down systemic barriers and reimagining care delivery and leadership in the current climate.
Why women’s health must be a leadership priority
Despite women comprising the majority of the healthcare workforce — and being the primary decision-makers in healthcare for their families — women’s health remains vastly underfunded, under-researched, and underserved. From maternal mortality rates to menopause care, there are glaring gaps in both care delivery and national policy.
That’s why this year, we’ve dedicated the opening day of the Summit to women’s health advocacy. We’ll explore the clinical, social, and political barriers that continue to hold us back — and more importantly, the innovative solutions being driven by those on the front lines.
These are not one-off lectures. These are conversations designed to spark action and collaborations that continue long after the last slide is presented.
The power of community
At the heart of this work is something simple but profound: connection. Too often, women in medicine feel isolated in their institutions or siloed by their roles. This Summit intentionally breaks those walls down. It creates a space where collaborations spark, new friendships form, and peer-to-peer support systems emerge organically. Whether you’re attending your first session or reconnecting with long-time colleagues, you’ll find yourself surrounded by a community that truly gets it — and is ready to lift each other up.
We invite men to join us as well. Many have attended over the years and found the leadership programming impactful, taking strategies back to their institutions to drive meaningful change. We cannot do this work in a vacuum; we need those who hold power and influence to be present and actively advocating for progress alongside us.
Community, connection, and the long game
One of the most consistent pieces of feedback we receive is this: “I didn’t realize how much I needed this.”
The power of this Summit is not just in the content; it’s in the community. In a profession where isolation and burnout are far too common, especially for women and underrepresented minorities, creating space for authentic connection is essential.
From our Friday night Gala celebrating the IStandWithHer Awards, to mentorship forums and networking sessions woven throughout the weekend, we make space for joy, recognition, and renewal.
It’s also why we continue to offer discounted group registration for institutions and sponsor emerging leaders to attend — because we know systemic change happens when we empower leaders at every level.
Why it matters now
We’re at a crossroads. The data on burnout, attrition, and gender pay gaps in medicine is not new, but the urgency is rising. If we want to retain the talent we’ve invested so much in training, if we want to close gaps in care and improve outcomes across populations, we must invest in leadership, community, and systems that actually work for the people within them.
It’s three days. But its impact can last a career.
I hope you’ll join us in Chicago, September 18–20, at The Drake Hotel. Whether you’re an early-career clinician looking for mentorship, a health system leader aiming to build a more inclusive workplace, or someone ready to reconnect with your purpose — there’s a place for you here.
We are #WIMStrongerTogether
