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© 2011 Women in Medicine
email: wim.doctors@gmail.com
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is WIM?
WIM (Women in 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization
incorporated in the purpose of conducting an annual
Continuing Medical Education Retreat for lesbian
physicians, medical students and their families.
Will I get CME (Continuing Medical Education) credit
for WIM?
The annual retreat is sponsored by the CME
Department of the University Of Vermont College Of
Medicine, a fully accredited CME organization.
How can I join WIM?
We are not actually a "membership" organization. Our organization exists to provide continuing medical
education conferences to physicians and medical students, and our mailing list is only for lesbians eligible
to attend our conferences. We are simply a group that runs a once-a-year retreat for lesbian physicians
and medical students.
How can I be involved with WIM?
If you are a lesbian physician or medical student, you may volunteer to work on one of WIM’s committees
– Program (which determines topics and speakers for each conference), Development (fundraising),
Student Scholarship, or Lesbians of Color. You may also donate money for WIM Operations, for our
student scholarships or for our LeClair Bissel Honorary Lectureship. Contact our Board for more
information.
Are donations to WIM tax deductible?
As a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, WIM is recognized as a charitable organization, and your
donations ARE deductible to the extent allowed by current tax law.
Who runs WIM?
WIM is run by a 30 member all volunteer Board, each member elected for a three year term.
Why can’t I attend WIM? ( I’m a lesbian dentist, chiropractor, P.A., nurse, nurse practitioner,
veterinarian, psychologist, etc.)
We acknowledge that there are dozens of other related health care fields where lesbian health care
providers work. Women from many of these areas have, year after year, expressed interest in coming to
our retreat. Our Board has decided that WIM is NOT a lesbian healthcare provider meeting. Our topics,
workshops and overall structure are designed to reach out to lesbian physicians and medical students
(and our families) only. We choose not to place ourselves in a position of being more than that. While
acknowledging that there are vast similarities amongst all lesbians in healthcare, we create this space
(our retreat) to specifically address lesbian physician topics. We refer other lesbian healthcare workers
to organizations such as GLMA (the Gay & Lesbian Medical Association) that has a much broader mission.
What is the "Special Needs Fund"?
WIM established the "Special Needs Fund" in 2004 to decrease conference costs for partners of medical
students, residents and their partners, partners of WIM attendings, attendings in their first year or two
of practice, disabled WIM members, retired WIM members with limited income, and other WIM member
with special financial circumstances. Partial grants are typically awarded. Applications need to be
submitted at least 8 weeks prior to the conference and can be found on the website. If possible, re-
payment of the grants is encouraged when and if personal circumstances allow, so the "Special Needs
Fund" can continue to assist those in need. Once an application is submitted, an answer is usually
available within 1 -2 weeks.
