Katherine Chretien, MD, assistant dean for student affairs and associate professor of medicine at the George Washington University (GW) School of Medicine and Health Sciences, recently became president-elect of the Clerkship Directors in Internal Medicine (CDIM). Her term begins July 1, 2018, and she will serve as president the following year.
“It’s an honor to be elected by my colleagues in CDIM,” Chretien said. “This is a professional dream come true for me.” CDIM has been Chretien’s professional home for more than 12 years. She currently serves on the leadership council and has held several leadership roles, including as vice chair and chair of the research committee and grant review chair for the small grants program.
Chretien also recently published a book detailing her experience as a physician-mother. Her book, “Mothers in Medicine,” focuses on career, choice of specialty, practice issues, and work-life balance. Chretien said her book started as a blog in 2008 to “share the often messy, imperfect stories of motherhood in medicine, for and by physician-mothers.” The chapters of the book, which was edited by Chretien, were written by more than a dozen women in medicine who give advice on all stages of training and practice, and during all stages of life. It includes stories about infertility, negotiating workload, divorce, having children during medical training, and more. “I hope readers will find advice, guiding principles, and truth telling to support them and lift them up during their journey as a current or future mother in medicine,” Chretien said.
