Section spotlight
Owning success An interview with Nishita Kothary, MD, FSIR
Women in IR (WIR) Section Chair Nishita Kothary, MD, FSIR, spoke with IRQ about upcoming WIR events, her vision for the section and the Owning Success series, a new IRQ series launching this fall which focuses on sharing success stories from women in the specialty.
You are spearheading the new “Owning success” series of IRQ articles, which will be launching later this year. Can you tell us about the idea behind it? This new series will feature a panel of IRs who will discuss how they found their pathway to success. Each article will
feature different “How I did it” topics, such as becoming an SIR Gold Medalist or pioneering research. In my over years as an IR, I have come across many powerful women and underrepresented minorities who are not often showcased but have had tremendous success in their fields. However, when we think of luminaries in IR, so often our unconscious bias defaults to men, and women almost seem an afterthought. This series attempts to flip the narrative and change the “optics” by compiling a panel that will be predominantly female and/or underrepresented minorities. The series will focus on their success, rather than their struggles.
Tell us about the name. What does “owning success” mean? After the U.S. women’s national soccer team won the World Cup, Megan Rapinoe described her success and her state of mind as “unapologetic excellence.” That became a mantra for me. Too many women fall victim to the imposter syndrome–that somehow, they are undeserving of that success or that they were just “lucky”. The idea of the series is to own one’s success, to celebrate individual effort and to
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recognize the tremendous impact that each individual has had on society.
You mentioned including more women than men on the panel, but would nonbinary members be invited to participate? Absolutely. The series isn’t about perpetuating gender binaries or roles but rather about sharing the spotlight so that future IRs can learn from different kinds of leaders.
What new initiatives or programs does WIR have planned? We are currently working on several big initiatives:
• The Dream Big Book Club. Elsie Koh, MD, is organizing a book club that will feature six books, presented by their authors, that focus on leadership and inspiration. The program is geared toward mid- to senior-level women and will spark conversations about success, empowerment and overcoming imposter syndrome.
• Changing optics. There are not that many women in radiology, and it’s very easy to focus on the challenges and barriers we’ve faced. However, WIR is working to change the narrative and show the positives by showcasing how amazing and successful women can be as IRs. We will still discuss struggles—because everyone faces difficulties—but our goal is to have a more optimistic tone.
• Mentorship. Natosha Monfore, DO, is starting AFFIRM, a WIR-endorsed mentorship for first- and second- year female med students. AFFIRM will be a daylong program held at
2021 WIR governing council Chair: Nishita Kothary, MD, FSIR Vice Chair: Olga R. Brook, MD, FSIR Past Chair: Maureen P. Kohi, MD, FSIR Secretary: Natosha N. Monfore, DO Monica Uceda Arriola, MD Dania Daye, MD, PhD Anne E. Gill, MD Claire Kaufman, MD Elsie Koh, MD
Aneesa S. Majid, MD, MBA, FSIR Paula Novelli, MD, FSIR Ambreen Sattar, MD Miyuki Sone, MD Amy C. Taylor, MD
different sites across the United States to showcase what IR has to offer, featuring lectures and hands-on sessions. It’s an introduction to IR. What makes it different is that it is all staffed and run by women, for women. This is the first year of the program, and we hope to see it grow and become a successful series.
• Nominations for WIR Champion Award. Nominations for the 2022 Women in IR Champion Award are due by Sept. 30.
For more information on upcoming WIR events, or to join the Section, visit
bit.ly/WIR-SIR.
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