So Long 2020
Wow! What a year we have all been through. Willingly or not, we’ve absolutely pushed ourselves out of our comfort zones. One major positive is that 2020 has connected the entire medical world in the shared fight against the Pandemic of COVID 19 and rallied to promote the unprecedented creation of the COVID 19 vaccine.
Here at the Spartanburg Women In Medicine, we brainstorm and strategize ways to keep our community of physicians connected and moving forward on projects with a positive local impact.
The pandemic has placed most social gatherings on hold, and virtual meetups have become the new normal. Zoom has been SWIM’s primary platform to meet new members and hear from long standing ones, share local happenings, network and casually catch up with our physician colleagues and friends. In place of our annual Women in Medicine month event that takes place every September, SWIM hosted our first Facebook Live that was well attended, full of energy … and even included a few technical mishaps, just to remind us we’re all still learning to navigate life during COVID-19! While working out a few kinks, Dr. Blair Clementson was our completely impromptu FB Live guest and absolutely gifted us with her jovial nature and innate sense of humor! Please check your email and social media pages for upcoming notifications on the next SWIM Zoom Meet Up or Facebook Live. And don’t be shy, the SWIM virtual meetings are purposefully scheduled on different days and times during the week to allow and encourage everyone to join in!
During the FB Live, SWIM admin Dr. Jasjot Bhullar shared news about the inaugural episode of The SWIM Podcast! This endeavor was pursued specifically to continue our community building efforts as connecting in person is simply not an option. Jasjot diligently worked on this project over the summer and perfectly timed the release on International Podcast Day. You can anticipate monthly episodes where our own local women in medicine take a moment to share a bit about themselves. We’ll discuss: leadership roles, hobbies, parenting children, taking care of our own parents, favorite shops, relevant news, clinical guidelines, self-care tips, personal or practice challenges and successes and some “SWIM Wisdom”; topics important and relevant to all SWIM members. We appreciate the support and constructive feedback so far. Please subscribe to The SWIM Podcast and like the SWIM YouTube channel, where full interview videos can be found, along with timestamps, show notes, and extra resources related to each episode. Interested in being a guest, suggest an episode topic or assist with production? Simply send an email to admin@swimphysicians.com. We would love to hear from you!
SWIM congratulates Dr. Dawn Bingham on her inspiring and groundbreaking run for SC Senate for District 12. Although she did not win, Dawn thanked supporters who helped make sure voters had a choice. She encourages us to “push forward and advocate for leadership that represents the people they serve”. Dawn shared “we must listen to one another … and fight for healthcare, education, jobs, infrastructure and all of the other important issues in our state”; “this race has paved the way for the next election and those who continue to fight the good fight and be good trouble!”
SWIM Co-Founder, Dr. Amy Baruch is the local board member for Girls On The Run, a unique program that promotes social-emotional learning and mental well-being concurrently with physical activity in girls in grades 3-5. This month, Amy will be running a virtual 5K in support of this program’s initiatives, but we can all participate by following this link to learn more about Girls On The Run and donate https://www.gotrupstatesc.org/fundraiser/Amy-B-GOTR-Council-Name-Match-38576. Everyone who gives at least $20 before December 31st will receive a special “Joyful” Girls on the Run tote bag as a token of appreciation.
SWIM Chair, Dr. Octavia Amaechi wishes to voice her immense appreciation to everyone who helped plan and attend her virtual Baby Sprinkle in August, hosted by our SWIM admin. Your warm wishes and extremely thoughtful gifts were received in love. Her newborn son Pascal is doing amazingly well. God bless him!
Lastly, SWIM congratulates Dr. Jasjot Bhullar for taking on the role of SWIM Chair from January 2021. SWIM plans to expand its online presence in 2021, with lots more ventures in virtual spaces. There will be more to follow about this in the New Year’s Newsletter.
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a great deal of strain and stress for many of us and our loved ones. Battling both the illness itself, along with pandemic fatigue and frustration in the community, can wear out even the most steadfast physician. Especially now we are making sure SWIM is a place of support and encouragement for the female physicians of Spartanburg County and surrounding areas. So, in this unique holiday season, and continuing into 2021, we encourage all to remember to extend grace and kindness to others as we pursue the same for ourselves.
- SWIM Team.