UCI School of Medicine Recognizes Women's History Month

Women’s History Month was officially started in 1980, when President Jimmy Carter issued a statement asking Americans to recognize the first week in March as “Women’s History Week.” Two years later, President Ronald Reagan echoed President Carter’s sentiments as he issued a presidential proclamation stating that “American women in every race, creed and ethnic background helped found and build our Nation in countless recorded and unrecorded ways.”

In 1987, after another five years of lobbying and joint resolutions passed by Congress, the month of March was officially designated as Women’s History Month. The annual observance celebrates the unique contributions of women to our society.

This year, Women’s History Month comes at a time when the health and well-being of women and female-identifying persons are under intense scrutiny in almost every aspect of American life. Policies regarding reproductive health, parental leave, transgender rights and pay inequity are contested every day in federal, state and local courts. As a result, people who work in all sectors of healthcare are faced with unique professional and moral challenges. However, we must also celebrate the opportunities that our UCI School of Medicine community has capitalized upon to spread education and awareness about these pressing social issues.

The sentiments expressed by UCI Health CEO Chad Lefteris in celebration of International Women’s Day convey the integral role of women in building and upholding UCI’s position as a leader in the healthcare industry. Additionally as previously stated by Dean Michael J. Stamos, the UCI School of Medicine is dedicated to upholding California’s commitment to women and families of our state and beyond. This professional and moral call to service builds upon a foundation established by our predecessors like M.Joycelyn Elders, MD, a trailblazer for women in medicine and the health sciences. 

Joycelyn Elders, MD

In 1978, Dr. Elders made history as the first person in the state of Arkansas to become board certified in pediatric endocrinology. In 1987, Dr. Elders was the first African American woman appointed director of the Arkansas Department of Health. She was also the first African American person and second woman appointed surgeon general of the United States in 1993. Dr. Elders earned the rank of full professor at the University of Arkansas Medical School with more than 100 publications on topics such as juvenile diabetes and sex education. Her research placed particular emphasis on the inequitable health outcomes of young Black women.

DR. Elders' Profile

Maria Victoria Peralta, MD

We also celebrate the work of those at the UCI School of Medicine who are working to rewrite a better history in the name of a greater good. First, we commend Maria Victoria Peralta, MD, clinical assistant professor in the Division of General Internal Medicine and Primary Care. Dr. Peralta’s research interests include LGBTQIA+ health and women’s health.

DR. PERALTA's Profile

Nimisha Parekh, MD

We also commend the blossoming legacy of two programs led by Nimisha Parekh, MD, MPH, Clinical Professor in the Division of Gastroenterology, for women in medicine. First, the School of Medicine’s Women’s Leadership Academy, which was launched in 2021. This program was designed to increase the percentage of women in leadership roles, part of the School of Medicine’s strategic plan to increase diversity.

DR. Parekh's Profile 

In preparation for Women’s History Month, we received the most detailed and passionate nominations that we have ever seen. Here, we would like to offer additional recognition to individuals who were celebrated by their peers in the School of Medicine community. These women make valuable contributions to the advancement of women and female-identifying persons in medicine and the health sciences through mentorship, clinical care, professional service, community outreach and academic research.

• Alexis Seegan, MD, Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior

• Amber Leis, MD, Department of Plastic Surgery

• Autumn Ivy, MD, PhD, Department of Pediatrics

• Candice Taylor Lucas, MD, MPH, Department of Pediatrics

• Elena Rhoads, MD, PhD, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology

• Emily Dow, MD, Department of Family Medicine

• Geeta Grover, MD, Department of Pediatrics

• Kamilah McGuire, Office of Medical Education

• Lisa Flanagan, PhD, Department of Neurology

• Lisa Gibbs, MD, Division of Geratric Medicine & Gerontology

• Lori Alejo, Department of Urology

• Paramjit Joshi, MD, Department of Psychiatry & Human Behavior

• Rebecca Ahdoot, MD, Division of Nephrology, Hypertension & Kidney Transplantation

• Sahar Amoozadeh, MD, Division of General Internal Medicine & Primary Care

Moving forward, it is part of our mission as an institution of higher education to not only do our part to record the diverse history of our School of Medicine community, but to further support and amplify individuals and programs that offer opportunities for all people to engage with history to fulfill our mission: Discover. Teach. Heal.