Herstory
"Mentors That Change Our Lives"

Herstory this month features Dr Maria Boulton, General Practitioner business owner, QMWS / AFMW Committee. Many of us have seen Maria speak on behalf of GPs through her AMA role in QLD, making numerous media appearances throughout COVID-19 pandemic. Maria has contributed to Herstory in this week’s eBulletin and describes how and why she became GP in QLD, after having migrated to Australia from El Salvador in her teens. Maria talks about the role of clinical mentors and advocacy mentors in her life and how they have helped shape her career path.

Herstory this month features Dr Rosalind ‘Ros’ Terry, Surgeon, Victorian Medical Women’s Society Seniors Rep and Constance Stone Award recipient. Dr Ros Terry has been a valued member of the Victorian Medical Women’s Society (VMWS) since she graduated from medicine in 1973 and to this day remains the VMWS Senior Member’s Representative.

Herstory this month features our own Dr Sandra Hirowatari, our esteemed Rural and Remote AFMW Council member. Sandra’s challenge to herself has been, “I wanted to be a person I admire” and ‘face your fear’.
Upon reading Sandra’s story, my immediate response was ‘wow’, and after digesting it all, letting the emotional impact settle, and speaking from the perspective of an urban doctor who experiences rural and remote only as a transient observer on holidays, I am filled with a sense of awe and gratitude that doctors like Sandra exist.

Herstory this month features our own Dr Desiree AM, specialist gynaecologist in cervical dysplasia, esteemed AFMW member, current Vice President of Western Pacific MWIA, past President of AFMW and VMWS. Many years ago, Desiree called me at my practice and invited me to attend the WP MWIA regional conference that was taking place at the Sofitel Hotel in Melbourne. That was my first introduction to VMWS, AFMW, MWIA and the beginning of many wonderful experiences. Hopefully by reading these vignettes, you enjoy learning something new about career development and aspects of mentoring.

Please meet Associate Professor (Dr) Vicki Kotsirilos AM, esteemed AFMW member and inaugural contributor to ‘Herstory’. We hope that you enjoy learning something new about aspects of mentoring through Vicki. You are also invited to learn more about her amazing career by connecting directly with her on LinkedIn. Vicki’s generous contributions continue to make an impact in medicine and the environment. Read about her mentoring journey, as she kindly shares her wisdom with us in our first AFMW Herstory contribution.

The AFMW is creating an online AFMW “Herstory” E-Book, giving the AFMW members the opportunity to contribute to the AFMW oral tapestry, by forming a compilation of  ‘our mentoring stories’ in which we  honour those who have changed our lives. We invite you to add your story.