Women's Medical Association of New York City Records

The Women's Medical Association of New York City is an organization of female physicians and medical students. WMA-NYC grew out of the alumnae association of the Women's Medical College of the New York Infirmary for Women and Children (the first woman-staffed hospital in the United States). The Alumnae Association was formed in 1870, and included both graduates of the Medical College and other female physicians in the New York City area. This association became WMA-NYC in 1899 with the closing of the Women's Medical College. WMA-NYC was chartered by New York State in 1909 and became branch #14 of the American Medical Women's Association in 1933. Its mission is to "provide communication, information, and educational programs for women in the medical professions, along with financial assistance to women medical students and researchers."

WMA-NYC's Board of Directors includes its officers and committee chairs. This board meets monthly to shape organizational policy, monitor committee activities, and evaluate and implement new projects. WMA-NYC includes many committees, which are aimed at strengthening the role of women physicians: - the Professional Development Committee organizes programs on management, financial, and political skills; - the Program Committee maintains the speakers' bureau, organizes the biannual meetings, and plans smaller social gatherings; - the Legislative Committee monitors city and state legislation pertaining to women physicians, medicine, and women's issues in general; - the Liaison Committee maintains a medical school and a hospital network; - the Membership Committee recruits new members and maintains and updates membership data; - the History and Archives Committees initiate, develop, and implement projects related to WMA-NYC's past.

Two separate financial aid programs support many women in New York City medical schools and in post-graduate research projects. The Financial Assistance Fund selects third and fourth year women medical students from the eight medical colleges in the New York City area as recipients of loans, and the Mary Putnam Jacobi Fellowship is awarded biannually to a graduate physician for medical research, clinical investigation, or post-graduate study.

WMA-NYC also produces a referral directory for all of its members who wish to be included. Biannual membership meetings traditionally featured a social hour, a dinner, and an educational program. Recently these meetings have been held in the morning and feature breakfast and an educational program. At other times during the year, informal gatherings at members' homes provide an opportunity for women in medicine to meet and exchange information.

Since its beginning WMA-NYC was operated out of members' homes, offices, and places of business. Beginning in 1983, WMA-NYC was housed in the offices of the national headquarters of the American Medical Women's Association (AMWA) in New York City. Here it shared secretarial services and other office accommodations with the national parent organization. In 1988, AMWA moved its national office to Alexandria, VA. WMA-NYC currently shares office space and executive services with the Committee of Interns and Residents. During the 1980s and early 1990s, WMA-NYC members and leaders were also extremely active in AMWA. In 1989, Dr. Lila Wallis (former president of WMA-NYC, 1974-1978) became president of AMWA. Dr. Susan Stewart (WMA-NYC president, 1984-1988) followed Dr. Wallis as president of AMWA in 1990.

Three organizational histories of WMA-NYC have been written. A history of WMA-NYC from 1870 to 1984 entitled Young at 75: History of the Women's Medical Association of New York City written by Barnard College student Barbara E. Lewis was published in 1984; a history of WMA-NYC from 1909 to 1959 was printed in 1959 for WMA-NYC's golden anniversary; and a booklet documenting additional WMA-NYC history from 1974 to 1988 was printed in 1988. Copies of these histories are located in the "Historical Committee" file.