Circle of Kindness – AFMW Fireside Chat 7 Sept 2023

We invite you to attend the next session in our regular series “Circle of Kindness: AFMW Fireside Chats”. Our next ‘chat’ will be held Thursday 7 Sept 2023, 8:00-9:00PM AEST, hosted by Associate Professor Magdalena Simonis AM. Please join us if you are a medical woman – non-members welcome!

About The Host

A/ Prof Magdalena Simonis is the President of the Australian Federation of Medical Women (AFMW) and a mentor for the National Women in Digital Health Mentoring and Leadership program. Magdalena is a full time general practitioner, government health advisor, board director, and researcher, examiner, educator with the University of Melbourne Department of General Practice and a leading women’s health expert and gender advocate.

Her other appointments include the National Endometriosis Expert Advisory Group, the National Cervical Cancer Elimination Strategy Expert Advisory Group, and a member of the Technical Expert Advisory Group to review the regulation of Cosmetic Surgery. She is Board Director of the Melbourne Teaching Health Clinics (MTHC) University of Melbourne and a member of the Breast Cancer Network Australia ( BCNA), Strategy and Policy Advisory Group.

Magdalena is a life member of the RACGP and longstanding member of the Expert Committee for Quality Care for RACGP. In 2022, she was elected the Australian Medical Association (AMA) Federal Council Representative for General Practice.

About Circle of Kindness: AFMW Fireside Chats

We all have moments in life when we need a listening ear and sometimes, it’s easier to share with someone you don’t know that well.

I’ve been asked several times by members and non-members if we provided peer group sessions to support this, and recently invited members to meet and set our parameters. We all agreed that there is a need for a safe space filled with kindness and trust where you can meet other medical women and talk about the challenges you’re facing, so we formed the Circle of Kindness: Fireside Chats.

As President of AFMW it gives me great pleasure to launch these monthly sessions. Times will change so that no one misses out so watch out for our eBulletin and website. Come, bring a friend who is not a member but would benefit from having access to our Circle of Kindness.

This event is open to all AFMW members and non-member guests.

Please share event with friends and colleagues.

In Kindness,
Magdalena Simonis
President AFMW

What It Is

• Peer support for women doctors
• Kindness centred
• Informal advice – sharing lived experiences
• Reflection – making time for this
• A safe space
• Sessions never recorded
• No guest speakers
• Confidential
• Sessions run for up to 60 minutes – as required
• Kindness centred
• Trust
• Respect – intersectionality
• Fun & Relaxed
• Camaraderie / friendly
• Eat your dinner with us, enjoy a drink, it’s casual!

What It Isn’t

• Counselling
• Mental health support
• AFMW related – we do not discuss AFMW activities nor decide on AFMW issues outside of Council meetings
• There is no formal meeting agenda

When & who runs them

• Monthly
• Interested members take turns hosting a session

Attend

Registration to this Fireside Chat is free. Please join us on the evening via this Zoom link.

More Information

Please forward any queries to

• [email protected]