Carmen Tong, D.O., an assistant professor of urology specializing in pediatric urology at the UAB Heersink School of Medicine, recently gave a panel lunch discussion to the UAB chapter of the American Medical Women’s Association (AMWA) about her experience as a female in urology. Tong explains to us why it’s important to promote gender diversity within a traditionally male-dominated specialty.
The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) reported that the percentage of female medical school applicants jumped from 46.2% to 56.8% from 2013-2022. However, women only comprised about 9.5% of urology specialists per the latest AAMC 2021 reports.
After receiving an undergraduate degree in performance music, Tong decided to attend the Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine at Midwestern University after being inspired by her physician grandfather to pursue a path in medicine.
“What initially drew me towards this career was the altruistic aspect of medicine and the idea of just simply being with people,” says Tong.
After completing a pediatric rotation at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia during her residency with Einstein Healthcare Network, Tong says she felt that pediatric urology was her calling. She is now an assistant professor in the urology department and specializes in the care of pediatric patients at Children’s of Alabama.
Tong explains that while some urology programs may still promote traditional methods, a lot of change has been enacted within the UAB Department of Urology as it has grown in diversity. Despite being one of only three female clinical faculty members, she affirms that their “seats at the table” uphold the department’s desire for equity, especially since all three of them belong to different underrepresented groups.
The UAB urology department has strived to build inclusion amongst its faculty, staff, and trainees, a mission of both its inaugural chair, Dr. Dean Assimos, and the newly elected interim chair, Dr. Soroush Rais-Bahrami. Both endeavor to foster and support diversity, equity, and inclusion within the department and the urologic field overall. Tong serves as co-director with Dr. Tracey Wilson of a department committee dedicated to these efforts which they helped establish alongside Assimos.
According to Tong, there is a feeling of fellowship when having men and women make decisions as a team, which in turn endorses the idea of improving work-life balance, especially within the medical field.
“Urology can sometimes be challenging for female urologists because people typically associate the specialty with male issues only. However, we also treat female patients with certain conditions,” says Tong, “Sometimes patients can feel alienated, which is why it’s important that both patients and the community see diversity among their healthcare providers.”
Furthermore, as a female in urology, Tong attests she has developed even more awareness and sensitivity toward male patients by allowing her male associates to be systems of support. Therefore she says that having gender representation among faculty is important because it leads to both genders providing insight and support to one another.
When asked what advice she would give to aspiring female urology specialists, she says that more programs are actively pursuing females, and students should know that they also have a lot of power in choosing.
“More (representation) leads to more acceptance, which in turn leads to better leadership. This allows voices to be heard. It’s important to include underrepresented groups at the table as well because it leads to more diversity in thinking when approaching various issues within both the department and the community,” says Tong.