The mission of the Gender Equity in Academic Radiology (GEAR) group is to advance goals of gender equity across Radiology, providing solidarity, camaraderie, and mentorship to women and gender diverse residents, fellows, and faculty and their allies within the Department of Radiology.  GEAR programs are designed to enhance and support professional development and collaboration as well as broaden knowledge on how to achieve gender equity at all levels. Additionally, this group provides outreach to medical students in order to promote and increase consideration of radiology as a prospective specialty choice by women and gender diverse individuals, as well as engaging with the larger community on efforts to achieve gender equity goals.

Upcoming Events

GEAR hosts multiple events throughout the year in collaboration with other DEI & Belonging efforts. Each event has a different purpose while maintaining the same underlying goals of our mission of Gender Equity.

Stay tuned for upcoming events!

Past Events

Previous GEAR Events

• American Heart Association Heart Walk | Tom McCall Waterfront Park | June 3, 2023
• Birdie Time Mini Golf | 925 SW Main St, Portland, Oregon | August 4, 2023
• Winter GEAR potluck & Welcome Party | Portland, Oregon | January 21, 2024
• GEAHM Leadership Conference | Portland, Oregon | February 6, 2024
• Pizza and Ponderings: GEAR book club | Late Winter 2024
• Educational speaker | March 15, 2024
• DEI&B and GEAR Faculty Lunch | May 30, 2024
• American Heart Association Heart Walk | Tom McCall Waterfront Park | June 1, 2024

Additional examples of past events include:

• An invited speaker on a topic relevant to Women in Radiology
• A charity event in a social setting, benefitting a program for women in the community
• Medical student outreach event to rectify the gender disparity in radiology
• Informal social event (e.g. hiking, beach, bowling) for development of camaraderie
• Formal social event (e.g. dinner) to celebrate our accomplishments
• Holiday event
• Book club
• Community outreach (including talks and events at local schools on the topics of radiology, medicine, and STEM)

Resources and Community Engagement

The American Association for Women in Radiology (AAWR) is an organization founded in 1981 to provide a forum for discussion on a national level. The mission of the AAWR is to sponsor programs that promote opportunities for women, facilitate networking amongst members and other professionals, and provide mentorship opportunities for the next generation of women radiologists. Many articles have been published addressing the gender inequalities in radiology. We recommend these articles:

• "A Mentorship and Networking Group for Women in Radiology" published by JACR in 2017
• "Women in Radiology Leadership" published by Applied Radiology in January 2020
• "Women in pediatric radiology: a call for gender equity" published in July 2022
• "Gender Diversity in Academic Radiology Departments: Barriers and Best Practices to Optimizing Inclusion and Developing Women Leaders" published by The Association of University Radiologists in 2018

The OHSU’s Women’s Imaging Section and the OHSU Breast Center actively participate in community outreach, particularly in October during Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  This involves community lectures, booths to disseminate information, and participation in the Susan G. Komen run.

OHSU Diagnostic Radiology participates in the American Heart Association Heart Walk annually. Heart disease and cardiovascular related issues are the leading cause of death for women in the United States and can affect women at any age. The CDC states, “Over 60 million women (44%) in the United States are living with some form of heart disease. Heart disease is the leading cause of death for women in the United States and can affect women at any age. In 2020, it was responsible for the deaths of 314,186 women—or about 1 in every 5 female deaths. Research has shown that only about half (56%) of US women recognize that heart disease is their number 1 killer."

Getting Involved

For more information and to get involved in the GEAR group, please contact Jaclyn Thiessen.

Members and leadership

Formally established in 2020, GEAR is comprised of residents, fellows, and faculty within the Departments of Diagnostic Radiology and Interventional Radiology at Oregon Health & Science University and is inclusive of our non-physician radiology partners within the department, including research, nursing, administration and technological groups. We also seek to collaborate with our multidisciplinary colleagues across the institution on gender equity issues.  In the spirit of inclusivity, this group is open to everyone regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, age, or any other personal identifying factor. Radiologists throughout the Portland metropolitan region are welcome to join larger events, such as those with national speakers.