'Walls Do Talk Challenge' Combats Gender Stereotypes in Medical Schools

Although 48 percent of current medical school students are women, the images they see in their classrooms, labs and halls�reinforce a stereotype of medicine as a male profession. Very often those images are on the so-called "honor walls" in which primarily male doctors are honored.

To help change that Julie K. Silver, MD, an Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School, has launched the "Walls Do Talk Challenge" in coordination with the�organizers of the 2017 Career Advancement and Leadership Skills for Women in Healthcare Conference, which will take place at the Fairmont Copley Plaza, Boston,�MA on Nov 2-4.

"Honor walls are commonplace in many higher learning institutions," says Dr. Silver. "Unfortunately, what they commonly reinforce are an image of the medical�profession as a bastion of male dominance. This, at a time when children's STEM learning environments actively focus on dispelling stereotypes and women make up�a significant proportion of doctors in America."

The Walls Do Talk Challenge asked medical students to take a "blank canvas and share their vision for the ideal learning environment by designing an alternative wall.�Eligible designs aren't limited to any format -- drawing, painting, using computer-generated images or photographs are all accepted -- and submit them for formal�review as part of the challenge at�www.SheLeadsHealthcare.com.

Eligible entries vie for a chance to win the $500 grand prize. The winner will be selected by a vote of more than 400 women physicians and leaders during the Harvard Medical School conference titled "Career Advancement and Leadership Skills for Women in Healthcare" at the Fairmont Copley Plaza, Boston, MA on Nov 2-4, and will be showcased via social media.

Dr. Silver is the director of the conference and is an Associate Chair for the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Harvard Medical School and Spaulding Rehabilitation Network. She is also on the staff at Massachusetts General and Brigham and Women's Hospitals.

Progress on the Walls Do Talk Challenge will be updated on social media, including Twitter using the #WALLSDOTALK hashtag