Dara Kass, MD: Founder of FeminEM

Editors Note: I strive for the highest audio quality possible so I apologize in advance for the audio quality of this podcast. Both Dara and I were having technical issues, but the content is AWESOME!

In this podcast I speak with the amazing and multitalented Dara Kass, MD. Dara is the founder of FeminEM. a group group dedicated to advancing women physicians in the field of Emergency Medicine. We discuss work-life balance, and all of Dara’s activities including starting FeminEM, Telemedicine, Medical education and being a living liver donor.

Dr. Dara Kass is an Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center in NYC. A graduate of SUNY Downstate Medical School and Kings County Hospital’s EM residency, she has spent her entire clinical career working in within the 5 boroughs of New York. Upon completion of her residency, Dr. Kass joined the fledgling faculty Staten Island University Hospital, where she helped start its EM residency. Dr. Kass left Staten Island 4 years ago to join the faculty at NYU as their director of undergraduate medical education. During her tenure in that role, she introduced longitudinal career advising, innovative educational modalities and numerous new clinical experiences.

Most recently, Dr. Kass stepped back from her defined title at NYU to focus on FemInEM, an open access resource for women in EM. As the founder and editor in chief of FemInEM, Dr. Kass has overseen the growth of a site from a content focused blog to a multi-faceted resource for women in our field. Dr. Kass is currently planning FIX2017, the first in-person FemInEM conference, which will take place in October in NYC.

Dr. Kass lives in Brooklyn NY with her non-doctor husband, Michael and 3 kids, Hannah, Charlie and Sam. Her non-EM hobbies include real estate brokering, long walks in the park and organ donation. Okay, organ donation isn’t really a hobby, but it is something she did once, and she is very proud of the outcome.

Dara is planning FeminEM’s first conference:

The FeminEM Idea Exchange (FIX 2017) Conference: October 4-6^th

Registration is open until August 15, 2017.

FeminEM:

Resources mentioned by Dr. Kass:

FOAM=Free Open Access Medical Education
The SMACC DUB Talk (June 2016): The Story of FeminEM
Hala Sabry, DO– Founder of Physician Mom’s Group on Facebook
Feminem.org is an amazing blog hosting posts focused towards women’s issues in medicine. FeminEM.org is an open access resource where we discuss, discover, and affect the journey of women working in emergency medicine. Through deliberate conversation and engaging dialogue, members explore a variety of issues that support the development and advancement of all women in medicine. FemInEM aims to address gender disparities in a positive way, empowering physicians of both genders.

Telemedicine:

Dara references Anne-Marie Slaughter. Here’s a great article written by her for more info. “Why Women Still Can’t Have It All” –The Atlantic

Mentoring Women in Medical Education:

Dara refers to an article in the Journal Academic Medicine regarding the perception of work-life balance on specialty choice. Get the full article here. The stuffy academic reference is noted below.

Dorsey, E. Ray, David Jarjoura, and Gregory W. Rutecki. “The influence of controllable lifestyle and sex on the specialty choices of graduating US medical students, 1996–2003.” Academic Medicine 80.9 (2005): 791-796.