Dear Colleagues,

Recent events, including the tragic deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor, have shaken the foundation of our country. As board members of the Society of Gynecologic Surgeons we felt that we should not let these tragedies pass without some reflection and communication regarding the Black Lives Matter movement.

As board members we strive for inclusion and mentorship of future leaders of SGS and within the broader field of gynecologic surgery. The membership demographics of SGS do not represent the demographics of our nation very well. This is likely a result of complex educational pipeline issues that limit equal entry into medicine in general, rather than a specific failure of SGS’s application process alone. SGS demographics underscore how important it is that we acknowledge that implicit biases exist in our country, are manifested in our society and that we continually endeavor to confront inequalities at all levels.

Recent tragic events in the United States underscore how important it is for us to be vigilant in recognizing and addressing any underlying racial prejudices that weaken us as a society and as a nation. In the words of Martin Luther King, “Every society has its protectors of status quo and its fraternities of the indifferent who are notorious for sleeping through revolutions. Today, our very survival depends on our ability to stay awake, to adjust to new ideas, to remain vigilant and to face the challenge of change.”

We want our members, our guests, and our patients to know that SGS condemns racism in all forms. As board members of the Society of Gynecologic Surgeons, we stand in support of justice, peace, cooperation, and equality.

Please reach out to us with any comments at [email protected]

Sincerely,
Miles Murphy, MD, SGS President 

SGS 2020-21 Board of Directors:
Carl Zimmerman, MD, President Elect
Cheryl Iglesia, MD, Secretary-Treasurer
Rosanne Kho, MD, Assistant Secretary-Treasurer
Peter Rosenblatt, MD, Past President
Nicole Donnellan, MD, Director
Cara King, DO, Director
Ernest Lockrow, DO, Director
Kate Meriwether, MD, Director
Michael Moen, MD, Director
Rebecca Rogers, MD, Director
Megan Schimpf, MD, Director
Nancy Frankel, PhD Executive Director