The status of women in medicine at the Brown University School of Medicine.

Although the number of women medical faculty appointed and promoted at the School of Medicine has increased gradually since 1987, the extent to which women have advanced in academic medicine and the timeliness of their movement forward are of concern. With women constituting nearly 20% of the medical faculty at Brown, and comprising only 5% of professorial appointments, it is easy to see the disparities. While the Brown University School of Medicine stands out as one of less than a dozen medical schools with an Office of Women in Medicine, clearly there is still much to accomplish in this domain. Progress may be accelerated through networking and advocacy promoted by professional development programs sponsored by offices for women in medicine and organizations as RIMWA. Offering women medical faculty a forum to discuss issues as departmental promotion criteria in academic medicine and to link up with other women physicians, ultimately serves not only women faculty but their institution. Providing role models is critical to assist women medical students in looking well ahead to plan for their own career development. In creating opportunities for dialogue among women in medicine at all levels in the medical school environment and among women physicians in the nearby community, institutions take an essential step forward towards supporting women's advancement in medicine.