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Join us on Thursday March 14 to hear "How We Do What We Do".

Free for members, the focus of our first event for 2013 is Global Health.  Hear from inspiring medical women with a passion for global health and healthcare equality.

RSVP March 8 to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .  Free for members, $35 for non-members.

President Report - Dr Magdalena Simonis

The year 2013 has arrived and as the new president of the Victorian Medical Women's Society (VMWS), I am honoured to have this opportunity, and am delighted to be working towards our goals with the new, vibrant team.  We are committed to the mission of promoting better health outcomes for women and children, supporting our female medical colleagues throughout their journeys, whilst networking and having fun.  It's going to be a time of increased collaboration with sister organisations as many of us share similar views and care for the same causes.

We closed off 2012 with a successful AGM where, glancing across the room, I observed medical women, both local and interstate, at all stages of their professional lives, mingling and exchanging stories over dinner.  We were happy to share the evening with our AFMW team, who also had their AGM in Melbourne.  We celebrated the 125 years of Women in Medicine by cutting of the cake by Dr. Nancy Nicholas and listened to a moving address delivered by Dr. Merrilyn Murnane, A.M., regarding Constance Stone, our founder member, her sister and their colleagues, who paved the way for other women in medicine.

The honoured Constance Stone award was received by Dr. Kathleen Hayes.  Dr, Hayes talked about her research on the Cytomegalovirus around the time when it was considered the 'Cinderella' of the viruses.  Listening to the story of CMV unfold through Dr. Hayes' research brought to mind the fact that, sometimes, we can work quietly, diligently, on an informed hunch, or just purely out of a sense of curiosity, but persistence and effort can return surprisingly rich outcomes.  It's called 'sticking with it', whilst keeping an open mind.

Congratulations to our current secretary, Dr. Linny Kimly Phuong, who was short-listed for the Young Australian of the Year Award for her work on the Waterwell Project, which she founded and chairs.

Congratulations also to one of our former presidents, Associated Professor Jan Coles, for securing a Federal grant to further the work kicked off by the Happy Healthy Women (HHW) project here at VMWS by VMWS, in the area of improved education for all health professionals to assist in dealing with victims of sexual abuse.  We at VMWS come up with some excellent recommendations, it seems, around our committee meeting dinners, which we host at the Lyceum Club, that merit deeper research and expansion.  Long may this continue.

March 2013 brings with in International Women's Day, and this year, the United Nations summit on the status of women in New York is focussing on the eradication of violence against women and children.  I will be attending, along with Dr. Raie Goodwach, who will be delivering a paper on the HHW project.  It is important to state that these opportunities exist for all members of VMWS.

Our MWIA conference is at hand already, and on July 31 it will be hosted in Seoul.  A large contingency from VMWS and AFMW will be attending.  I encourage medical women to attend this conference.  It's an opportunity to learn, to meet new wonderful medical women from around the globe and to experience the kindred-ship that exists when medical women get together.  Interestingly, effective collaboration often evolves from social mingling at such events.  It's going to be a great year for such opportunities both here with VMWS and abroad.

Keep up to date with VMWS news and events with the April 2013 Newsletter

History of Victorian Medical Women's Society

The Victorian Medical Women’s Society (VMWS) was founded in September 1896 with the aim to further the professional development of medical women by education, research and improvement of professional opportunities. It promotes the health and welfare of all Australians, particularly women and children.

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