Several people at the American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA) conference this year told me they felt out of place and not part of the group, and I thought, “Huh, I felt so at home this year.” I’ve been going to AMIA since 1998 when I presented my first paper. It hit me that I feel at home now, because I am part of that more senior club that many people feel excluded from. I love this organization and see it becoming more inclusive and diverse. But there's still room for improvement.
The comments reminded me of a childhood event that has stuck with me since 5th grade. We played kick ball during recess. A small group of popular kids always banded together and challenged the much larger group of us, and they always won. Being an oldest child obsessed with what’s fair and self appointed as the voice for the mistreated, I proposed that the popular and athletically gifted group split up so it would be a more fair competition. Instead, they invited me onto their team. The memories are hazy here, but I accepted and played one glorious game where I was on the winning team and was accepted by the cool kids. My guilt won, though, and I went back to the side of the common kids.
I wonder if a professional organization and the annual conference isn’t similar to the childhood playground--I have now been recognized and it feels so inclusive and like coming home to attend the conference. I am a respected member of the organization. With two others I received a Distinguished Fellow award this year from the American College of Medical Informatics (ACMI), and I feel really grateful.
Most of the senior people in our field, myself included, do not purposefully make people feel excluded, and in that group you will meet some of the warmest people who believe their greatest accomplishment is the younger generation they have mentored. The people who gave me this award are my mentors.
I’ve nominated people to ACMI who have dedicated their entire lives to informatics and haven’t been elected, and I know people who don’t have the sponsorship needed to even be nominated. Formal recognition by the organization eludes many many people doing impactful informatics work.
Understanding Social Hierarchies reinforces the primitive reality that “social groups across species rapidly self-organize into hierarchies, where members vary in their level of power, influence, skill, or dominance.”
From childhood sports competitions and spelling bees, to grade point averages and prom kings and queens, we learn early in life to view our social world in terms of who is better, smarter, or more favored than everyone else…The ease with which we perceive status cues and assign rank to others reflects a general preference for a hierarchical social organization.
My daughter--a new skier at 19--led efforts to help women feel more included on the mountain. This year, some of the people she skied with were invited to be part of a new ski movie, but she was left out. I learned a lot from her attitude when she told me that not everyone can be included--perhaps all we can hope for is that there are representatives of our diversity in those who are selected.
My colleague from Argentina was elected to ACMI this year, and she told me "I am so excited about the ACMI dinner! I ordered a handmade Mexican dress. I don’t think that many Latinas have received this recognition before and I wanted to celebrate our culture." The face of AMIA and ACMI are definitely expanding beyond the stereotypical white, male doctor. And there are many exciting member-led programs to shephard the next generation into this organization I love. Is there room for loving critics?
P.S. In St Augustine, Florida and New Orleans, Louisiana (middle), I found reminders of Australia.
It cannot be denied that there is a hierarchy at a conference such as the AMIA annual symposium. The meeting is a busy event and attracts a lot of people who not only attend sessions but equally is a place to talk with colleagues in person to cement relations and discuss collaborations and work in progress. If you are an occasional attendee, you will be feeling overwhelmed and usually focus on sessions to attend and perhaps a presentation to be given. If you as a young scientist intend to stay in the field, then hard work is facing you. The name of the game is creating a network that will help you to thrive and move forward in the field.…