Dr. Simone Thavaseelan

My story is a little bit similar. I had heard of SWU, but I had never attended a meeting. And it had been typically on the West Coast, which had been a logistic barrier for me to attend. But one of the meetings came around to Fort Lauderdale. And so I registered and I specialized in endourology. And the meeting was run by Dr. Suzette Sutherland that year in 2017.

My story is a little bit similar. I had heard of SWU, but I had never attended a meeting. And it had been typically on the West Coast, which had been a logistic barrier for me to attend. But one of the meetings came around to Fort Lauderdale. And so I registered and I specialized in endourology. And the meeting was run by Dr. Suzette Sutherland that year in 2017.

My story is a little bit similar. I had heard of SWU, but I had never attended a meeting. And it had been typically on the West Coast, which had been a logistic barrier for me to attend. But one of the meetings came around to Fort Lauderdale. And so I registered and I specialized in endourology. And the meeting was run by Dr. Suzette Sutherland that year in 2017.

And she had done a meeting focused on female urology. And despite being an endourologist, I was still seeing a lot of women patients in practice and feeling like, I needed to increase a little bit of my kind of clinical expertise surrounding the care being delivered to women neurologists, even though it was outside of my subspecialty expertise. And I found it super useful clinically.

And she had done a meeting focused on female urology. And despite being an endourologist, I was still seeing a lot of women patients in practice and feeling like, I needed to increase a little bit of my kind of clinical expertise surrounding the care being delivered to women neurologists, even though it was outside of my subspecialty expertise. And I found it super useful clinically.

And she had done a meeting focused on female urology. And despite being an endourologist, I was still seeing a lot of women patients in practice and feeling like, I needed to increase a little bit of my kind of clinical expertise surrounding the care being delivered to women neurologists, even though it was outside of my subspecialty expertise. And I found it super useful clinically.

I got to meet Ann Cameron and ask her how she manages recurrent urinary tract infections, which was something I was seeing at practice all the time, whether I wanted to or not, but I still wanted to be able to successfully, you know, manage. And I ended up meeting some of the godmothers of urology, you know, Dr. Martha Terrace, one of the first women chairs I'd ever met was there.

I got to meet Ann Cameron and ask her how she manages recurrent urinary tract infections, which was something I was seeing at practice all the time, whether I wanted to or not, but I still wanted to be able to successfully, you know, manage. And I ended up meeting some of the godmothers of urology, you know, Dr. Martha Terrace, one of the first women chairs I'd ever met was there.

I got to meet Ann Cameron and ask her how she manages recurrent urinary tract infections, which was something I was seeing at practice all the time, whether I wanted to or not, but I still wanted to be able to successfully, you know, manage. And I ended up meeting some of the godmothers of urology, you know, Dr. Martha Terrace, one of the first women chairs I'd ever met was there.

And I found it easier to network there than at some of the other national meetings that I was attending where I wanted to meet folks, but maybe just didn't feel quite the same level of ease in doing so. I'd also connected my PGY-3 at the time. One of my residents attended the meeting to a future sponsor when two years later, she was applying for fellowship. And

And I found it easier to network there than at some of the other national meetings that I was attending where I wanted to meet folks, but maybe just didn't feel quite the same level of ease in doing so. I'd also connected my PGY-3 at the time. One of my residents attended the meeting to a future sponsor when two years later, she was applying for fellowship. And

And I found it easier to network there than at some of the other national meetings that I was attending where I wanted to meet folks, but maybe just didn't feel quite the same level of ease in doing so. I'd also connected my PGY-3 at the time. One of my residents attended the meeting to a future sponsor when two years later, she was applying for fellowship. And

I knew that women in urology were my people. I was looking for them. And when I got to the SWOO meeting, I realized I had found them. I felt like a fangirl in some sense because there was a generation ahead of me that was small, but I recognized them. And then I'd go to the AUA and see them walking down the hallway and be like, you know, I met them at SWOO.

I knew that women in urology were my people. I was looking for them. And when I got to the SWOO meeting, I realized I had found them. I felt like a fangirl in some sense because there was a generation ahead of me that was small, but I recognized them. And then I'd go to the AUA and see them walking down the hallway and be like, you know, I met them at SWOO.

I knew that women in urology were my people. I was looking for them. And when I got to the SWOO meeting, I realized I had found them. I felt like a fangirl in some sense because there was a generation ahead of me that was small, but I recognized them. And then I'd go to the AUA and see them walking down the hallway and be like, you know, I met them at SWOO.

that's who this is, you know, and I'd be telling my colleagues. I'm really blessed that I found Sue because I think sometimes you feel alone, I think, being a woman in neurology, or at least unique, right? And that some of the challenges and disparities you face within practice can feel overwhelming.

that's who this is, you know, and I'd be telling my colleagues. I'm really blessed that I found Sue because I think sometimes you feel alone, I think, being a woman in neurology, or at least unique, right? And that some of the challenges and disparities you face within practice can feel overwhelming.

that's who this is, you know, and I'd be telling my colleagues. I'm really blessed that I found Sue because I think sometimes you feel alone, I think, being a woman in neurology, or at least unique, right? And that some of the challenges and disparities you face within practice can feel overwhelming.

And what I quickly realized was my experience was very common to women in neurology, and that really created community for me.

And what I quickly realized was my experience was very common to women in neurology, and that really created community for me.