The American Medical Women’s Association has created this fund honoring Dr. Brodsky’s memory by endorsing her passions for gender equity, medical student success, clinical research and the advancement of women physicians. Funds will be used to support the Brodsky Memorial Scholarship and related initiatives promoting gender equity in medicine including but not limited to medical student projects, relevant research and quality of care. AMWA is a 501(c)(3) organization so all donations are tax deductible to the extent allowable by law.

The American Medical Women’s Association is accepting gifts in memory of Dr. Linda Brodsky.

Donations can be made using the link below

www.amwa-doc.org/donate/dr-linda-brodsky-memorial/

Or you can mail your donation to:

American Medical Women’s Association (AMWA)
12100 Sunset Hills Road, #130
Reston, VA 20190

Checks should be payable to AMWA

“How did you do it all?”  That is the most common question I am asked.  And I give the usual answers of being efficient, needing less sleep than most, and having lots of help.

But truly, there is more to it than that.

When I was given a most unusual assignment as a visiting professor to talk about some research topic with some “women in medicine” stuff thrown in.  So I looked at my research career in a new way.  I started to see themes that would have relevance to how women in medicine can do meaningful research using their special gifts, their own ways of working and strategies that could be capitalized on.  Here are three examples of what I mean.  (Shouldn’t give away the whole lecture in one short blog post, now, should I?)

Three months after starting to work as an academic pediatric otolaryngologist, I was faced with a parent who asked a very legitimate question.  I recommended a tonsillectomy for her child due to airway obstruction.  ” But Dr. Brodsky, my child has never had a sore throat.  Why are her tonsils so big?”  And I had no answer for this mother because I did not know.  And as it turns out, neither did anyone else.

Lesson # 1.  Look to your patients who have seemingly simple questions for a rich source of material to study.  Combine common clinical problems with sophisticated research questions.  Make it easy on yourself.  The more your learn the “sexier” the research will become.

So I thought about why these tonsils got big.  I started by looking at the bacteria and viruses that might cause problems that weren’t recognized.  So I went to some of the infectious disease people and teamed up with them.  They needed mucous that I was suctioning from the middle ear for some funded research they were doing, and I wanted quantitative core cultures of the tonsils.

Lesson #2.  Give help to get help.  As it turned out, I then became a co-investigator on the next (very large) otitis media grant and have collaborated with these wonderful colleagues for 30 years, as we embark on another study of the tonsils.

The lack of knowledge of the clinical behavior of the tonsils (and adenoids–sister organs, also much ignored and major players in sinuses and ear problems) was almost as serious as the lack of consensus about their removal–from the techniques to pre-operative evaluation to post-operative recovery.

Lesson #3.  Multi-task whenever possible.  The same patients, operation, literature reviews, IRB approvals, and all the other infra-structure that has to be set up can be used all at once, and again and again.

So to wrap this up–women physicians tend to be good listeners.  We work well on teams.  And we can do several things well at once, concentrating on each one at a time.  And now you know a few of my secrets as to how I was able to become a successful researcher.

August, 2008.  All I wanted to do was write a book about my adventures in gender discrimination.  That’s how it all started 5 years ago.

“First, create an audience.  Write a blog,” was the advice I received and took from my public relations/image creators.  At first it was scary and hard.  Then as time went on it became easier and more satisfying.  Audience growth hasn’t reached the 40,000 per month that are necessary for any one to seriously consider me having a vigorous enough audience to support traditional print book publishing.

So five years later, still no book and by the numbers, not much of an audience.  Blogs are ranked and I am somewhere in the top 250,000 when it comes to “most read blogs,” last time I looked about one year ago.  But what I lack in quantity, I enjoy in quality. My readers are caring (thank you all for the comments on line and off line about my Dad), loyal, interactive and are steadily increasing (this is a thinly veiled plea for you to share this blog with all your friends on face book, linked-in, Google + and Twitter @lindabrodskymd just for starters.)

What do the more successful bloggers do?  Shameless promotion (as I tried to do above).  Also most write everyday.  They write shorter pieces.  They are already famous and build on that audience.  Or they might have themes–take Gretchen Rubin and the Happiness Project or Julie Powell and Julie and Julia. (I had secretly hoped that Meryl Streep would do the movie version of my book.  I will not give up on that hope, never, never.)

So at this juncture, I have decided to write something (almost) everyday about what I think–about medicine, about my friends/family and about my inner and outer challenges.  And as I weave my way through authentic feelings, silly troubles, major catastrophes, or mundane observations, I hope you, the reader will continue to engage me with your comments/criticisms and support.   And for the more serious treatment of “my book theme”–gender bias and discrimination experienced by women physicians, visit (and sign up for our newsleter and posts) Women MD Resources.  Lots going on there, too.