While IR is among the most competitive specialties in the Residency Match process, there is very low female representation in the ranks of attending physicians. A 2019 study published in the American Journal of Roentgenology (AJR) determined that only 8.2% of active attending IRs were women.
In 2015, the SIR Women in IR (WIR) Section gained a critical mass and organized to increase the presence and numbers of women in IR attending physicians. This year, the WIR Awards Committee created the annual Women in IR Champion Award to recognize the contributions of seasoned SIR members in active practice who have exemplified mentorship, sponsorship, promotion, teaching, advocacy and recruitment of women in our specialty. The inaugural recipient is Meridith Englander, MD, FSIR.
Dr. Englander has had a remarkable career journey. She was raised by a single mother and received her undergraduate degree at Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts, where she was first introduced to issues regarding gender inequality. These early experiences shaped her interest in supporting the aspirations of other women. “I read articles about women making less than men, not being promoted, not achieving at the same rate as men,” Dr. Englander said. “But I knew women were super-capable. These outcomes were not just by chance.”
Meridith Englander, MD, FSIR
After college, Dr. Englander worked for the New York State Division of the Budget as an outpatient Medicaid budget analyst. She then fulfilled her childhood ambition of becoming a physician, graduating from Albany Medical College in 1997. Dr. Englander began her postmedical graduate education training in orthopedic surgery. However, it wasn’t a good fit and she left her orthopedics program and transitioned into a radiology residency with a special interest in musculoskeletal radiology. Almost predictably, her background in surgery sparked a previously unknown passion for the practice of minimally invasive procedures. She completed a vascular and interventional radiology fellowship at the Massachusetts General Hospital in 2003.
Currently, she practices IR at the Albany Stratton Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Albany, New York, and is an Associate Professor at Albany Medical College. Her practice has focused on venous interventions, and she has published in both the Journal of Vascular and Interventional Radiology (JVIR)and AJR on topics including chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency, embolization therapy and gender disparities in IR.
Dr. Englander has paired her clinical expertise with an innate sense of service. During her career, she has focused on gender equity and diversity and inclusion issues. She holds several leadership positions in SIR, including chair of the Government Affairs Committee, and she represents SIR at the ACR and the AMA House of Delegates.
She was the inaugural chair of the WIR Section from 2015–2018. Under her leadership, the WIR Section has formed the WIR governing council, created the SIR Speakers’ Bureau and online pregnancy toolkit, published the SIR position statement on parental leave, and developed robust WIR resources within the SIR website. Equally important, Dr. Englander has worked outside her role as chair to personally connect with many early-stage women IRs to catalyze and promote their development. She strategically seeks female talent, helping them find their first meeting lecture opportunities. “I feel like whenever I can help anybody, it’s the right thing to do,” Dr. Englander said. “I’m such an introvert, but I’m also an awesome cheerleader. I love having the ideas and the strategy and finding others to help execute them.”
Women in IR section at SIR 2018.
“There is no one who has moved women in IR forward as much as Meridith” said Aneesa Majid, MD, MBA, FSIR, chair of the WIR Awards Committee. “Meridith is a very quiet, strong leader. Her leadership style is very effective and brings everybody together. She takes the time to make a personal impression on those who seek her guidance and has made herself a mentor for women in IR who are early in their career to be successful.”
In her nomination letter, Teresa Sclafani, MD, acknowledged, "There would be no Women in IR Section or council without Dr. Englander. She is an incredible interventional radiologist and person and serves as a role model for up-and-coming female fellows and young female IR attendings. I could not think of a more perfect pick for the inaugural recipient of this award."
While the process for the Champion Award was rigorous and highly competitive, with numerous nomination letters, Dr. Englander’s candidacy stood out. The WIR Awards Committee found that her works exemplify the traits and spirit this distinction was intended to embody.
When asked what motivates her to do this important work, Dr. Englander said, “You want everyone to succeed and grow as much as they can. You want everyone to live up to their fullest potential. It seems like the right thing to fight for.”
Dr. Englander demonstrates that great leaders never stop striving to be even better leaders. Her career is a service-driven mission dedicated to excellence in clinical care with a clear sustained vision for empowering and advancing women in IR.
