27/02/2024
Women in Healthcare.
Professor Catriona McLean (Neuropathologist, Director of Anatomical Pathology at The Alfred and Director of the Victorian Brain Bank at The Florey Institute) and Ms Emily Galea (Registered Nurse and Founding Director at Medical Sphere).
In 2019, Emily and Catriona worked side-by-side with the rest of the team to set up the first Brain Cancer biobank at The Alfred. In 2023, they worked together to establish the first national biobank for patients with a Genetic Muscle Disease.
With International Women’s Day approaching, we asked Catriona (who has worked for 40 years as a doctor) and Emily (who has worked for 10 years as a nurse) what this day means to them.
Catriona: I think women make fantastic leaders and doctors. They listen, they work well as a team and have the ability to reach a common goal. In medicine there are often many clinicians involved in patient care, so it is important to have clear communication and work to achieve the best possible outcome for our patients.
Emily: when women support each other, incredible things happen. I feel lucky to work with and be mentored by Catriona. I agree that women work well as a team (particularly in a medical crisis) and are great communicators and listeners. I have seen huge compassion shown to the patients and families that they care for.
What does International Women’s Day mean to you? Comment below ⬇️.