The Defiant Career | Career Strategy for Women in Medicine

Go straight to the heart of danger, for there you will find safety. ~ Chinese Proverb

Explicit bias continues to be a huge issue that needs to be addressed head-on. We think we've dealt with it but the sad truth is, it's still a daily encounter for many.

Join us today as we talk about a relevant subject that needs more attention. In this episode, we discuss the topic of diversity and inclusion, as well as intersectionality. Dr. Hussein also shares a recent experience she had at a women's conference, why implicit bias is gaining so much interest nowadays and what we can all do to take action over this negativity.

In this Episode, We Talk About:

• What is "intersectionality"?
• Why all this talk about diversity and inclusion is more of a lip service
• Explicit and implicit bias
• Dr. Hussein's experience in a recent women conference
• How do we address the main issue, which is the system
• Sexism in the field of medicine
• Knowing other's experiences preps us to be in a better situation
• Why it's important to take the time and educate yourself to know what your rights are
• The vulnerability of Muslim women

Mentioned from this episode:

• Suffrage Rights Movement in the U.S.
• Black Civil Rights Movement in the U.S.
• Marthin Luther King Jr.

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Professional career advancement for women, especially women of color, can be slowed by many factors. Whether it is the responsibility of parenthood, cultural barriers, or overt discrimination, our guest today, Sahra Noor, has not only overcome these obstacles but has become an exceptional change agent. With her leadership skills, she has made a lasting impact in transforming dysfunctional health systems into something that benefits her patients.

Sahra Noor is the founder, and principal of Grit Partners, a women-owned consulting firm that places collaboration, inclusion and community wellbeing at the forefront of everything they do. She is also an executive coach, facilitator, and health strategist with 20 years of experience in the health and medical fields. Her consulting work focuses on strengthening health systems, training the workforce, and helping them improve their performance.

In this episode, Sahra shares her journey on how she became a health executive and starting up her own health and leadership consulting firm. Being a former CEO, Sahra and I also touch on the issues of institutional racism, systemic racism, as well as the challenges Muslim women face in the workplace.

In this Episode, We Talk About:

• Sahra's journey to becoming a health executive
• Dealing with motherhood, married life, and college
• The importance of having a network to support you in accomplishing your goals
• Sahra's transition from nursing to leadership
• Systemic racism and dysfunctional health systems
• How to serve the people who are underserved
• From CEO to running a Health + Leadership consulting agency
• How staying focused and doing the right thing can lead you to better opportunities

Where to reach Sahra Noor:

• LinkedIn

Sahra's Bio:

Sahra Noor is the founder and principal at Grit Partners. Recently she has served as an award-winning CEO of People's Center Clinics & Services, a network of integrated community clinics providing medical, dental, mental health and social health services in Minnesota.

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The hijab is a veil worn by Muslim women in public to cover their head down to their chest as a form of modesty and religious code. But nowadays, wearing a hijab has more connotations than simply religious observance.

This topic has always been a sensitive issue especially for hijab-wearing women, and we're going to try to unravel this topic today!

Join us in this honest discussion about the hijab. Learn why some Muslim women opt to wear it despite the prejudice and racial comments of society and why some women choose not to.

Should you wear the hijab? Whatever your decision may be, tune in as we talk about comfortability, sexism, and spirituality.

In this Episode, We Talk About:

• Should you wear a hijab or not?
• When Dr. Hussein started to wear the hijab and why she decided to wear it
• Obstacles hijabis are faced with
• How Dr. Hussein manages to get through the criticism of wearing a hijab
• How struggles and hardship can mold you into a better version of yourself
• Being open and having an honest discussion with people
• Misconceptions people have when it comes to Muslims
• Dealing with sexism
• Being comfortable with yourself
• Wearing a hijab is a spiritual decision
• Advice for young women on wearing hijab

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As underrepresented minorities in many fields, Muslim women find it difficult to maintain their authenticity and are expected to fit into a system. In this episode, Dr. Nusheen Ameenuddin, a Pediatrician at Mayo Clinic joins us to share her story of maintaining her authenticity throughout her journey. Aside from being a pediatrician, Dr. Ameenuddin is also chair of the Council of communication and media at the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Today she will share why she chose to become a pediatrician and what drew her close to pediatric medicine. Dr. Ameenuddin also shared her thoughts on the wearing of hijab. Moreover she wants us all to be more intentional in our work and more authentic to ourselves.

In this Episode, We Talk About:

• Dr. Ameenuddin's journey into medicine and pediatrics
• What drew Dr. Ameenuddin to the field of Pediatrics
• Doing things with the right intention
• The obstacles that Dr. Ameenuddin needed to overcome
• Embracing your story and being true to yourself

Where to reach Nusheen Ameenuddin:

• LinkedIn

Nusheen's Bio:

Dr. Nusheen Ameenuddin is a pediatrician at the Mayo Clinic. She's also chair of the council of communication and media at the American Academy of Pediatrics. She recently completed a fellowship in minority health policy at Harvard Medical School.

From Dr. Ameenuddin:

The opinions expressed on this podcast reflect my own and are not the views of Mayo Clinic or the American Academy of Pediatrics.

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While many find inspiration in seeing successful people they can identify with, the majority of people want to know the nuances of how to get through the various social and workplace obstacles we face. The most common feedback from our podcast launch has been how we've been able to accomplish our goals.

In response, we've identified three key factors which were essential in our journey to pursuing our passions: grit, sacrifice, and support.

Angela Duckworth, in her TEDx talk, defines grit as passion and perseverance for very long-term goals. It's that ability to become mentally tough and to persevere through tough circumstances.

Join us today as we discuss these factors and how they helped mold us into better versions of ourselves and learn how they can help you as well.

Listen on as we both share our experiences and how we overcame the many obstacles through grit, sacrifice, and support from our loved ones!

In this Episode, We Talk About:

• Dr. Hussein's grit and how she had no other choice but to persevere
• How to deal with failure from a surgeon's standpoint
• Finding success in your life through sacrifice
• Identifying your support network - who are the people in your circle?
• Mom-shaming

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Choosing a career path can be a difficult process to work through, especially when you don't know exactly what you want to do. A lot of people stress out over the fact that they don't have a straight path; which is a huge expectation society places on not yet fully developed 17 and 18 year old students. To get yourself where you want to be, it's important that you take the time to really think through your options.

In this episode of The Professional Muslim Women podcast, Fatima Hassan Ali, a strong professional who graduated from Harvard Law School will talk about her journey to finding her own career path. Growing up as an immigrant from Somalia, she always wanted to be in a profession that impacted people's lives. But before she became the wonderful lawyer that she is now, Fatima had no idea how to get where she wanted.

Join us as Fatima shares her story on how she found a pathway to her dream profession. She'll also talk about the important lessons she has learned from law school. Moreover, Fatima shares how having a mentor, network, and a community that supports you is vital in achieving success.

Tune in and be inspired by Fatima's unique journey.

In this Episode, We Talk About:

• How Fatima started her journey to law
• Participating in World Health Organization programs
• The importance of mentorship and growing your network of supporters
• How Fatima got into Harvard Law School after being a pre-med student
• The important lessons Fatima learned from Law School
• Not measuring yourself against someone else's progress
• Imposter syndrome and figuring out what you want
• Fatima's biggest obstacles and how she overcame it
• Having a balanced life and getting in touch with your mental wellbeing
• The 2 sets of mentorship circles you should have when you're planning to go into law school
• Fatima's awesome tip for success

Where to reach Fatima Hassan Ali:

• LinkedIn

Fatima's Bio:

Fatima Hassan Ali is an associate at Jones Day in Houston, Texas. Before private practice, Fatima clerked in one of the nation's busiest federal courts for Judge Micaela Alvarez of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas. Fatima is currently the co-chair of the Diversity Committee of the Houston Young Lawyers Association and member of the International Human Rights Committee of the State Bar of Texas.

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Welcome to the very first episode of the Professional Muslim Women Podcast!

There are many professional Muslim women role models to look up to but they're not visible. The stories and achievements of Muslim women are traditionally not highlighted in the mainstream media. And for young women who also aspire to be mothers, seeking a career is sometimes advised against.

So, Dr. Qaali Hussein (Trauma Surgeon and a mother of six) and Dr. Hani Ahmed (Internist and a mother of two) decided to create a platform. The Professional Muslim Women podcast is a place where working Muslim women can share their stories, struggles, triumphs, and lessons learned along the way in pursuit of their careers. It's a place where young aspirants can be inspired and learn from the experiences of the women who came before them.

We all have our own stories to tell and it's relevant that we tell those stories. The stories of Muslim women are usually told by others and are based on perceptions and prejudice. It's time for Muslim women to take control of our narrative, celebrate our achievements and how diverse we are!

Get ready to be inspired, be empowered, and break stereotypes.

In this Episode, We Talk About:

• How Dr. Hussein and Dr. Ahmed met and the reason why they started this podcast
• What to expect from the Professional Muslim Women's Podcast
• Workplace difficulties and Muslim women stereotypes
• A recap on the careers of Dr. Hussein and Dr. Ahmed
• Breaking the narrative outsiders have of Muslim women

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