Dr. Valerie Gilchrist, chair of the Department of Family Medicine at the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University, will speak about "Images of Women: A View from Medicine" Monday, March 26, at 4:30 p.m. in the McKelvey Campus Center Mueller Theater.

"In this opening session for the 25th anniversary of the first women's symposium at Westminster, Dr. Gilchrist will address women in medicine and medical issues for women," said Dr. Barbara Faires, Westminster College professor of mathematics and coordinator of this event.
Gilchrist is the keynote speaker at the Westminster College Diversity Symposium, "Images of Women: Choices for Women and Men," which is a week-long event. A native of Canada, Gilchrist earned her undergraduate degree in physical therapy and then decided to pursue a medical degree, which she earned in 1977 from the University of Toronto. While at Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine, she developed and directed one of the first practice-based research networks in the country. These networks study primary health care problems at the practice level in collaboration with patients and health care providers.

Highlights of her career thus far include being one of the first two master teachers at NEOUCOM, being named a memorable teacher of excellence in Ohio Magazine in 2004, and receiving an honorary degree at Pecs University in Hungary in recognition for helping develop its Department of Family Medicine. She serves on the board of directors of the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine and the North American Primary Care Research Group. She is a representative member of the Council of Academic Societies for the American Association of Medical Colleges, has published numerous peer reviewed papers, and has been co-editor of four books.

All events are free and open to the public. Contact Faires at (724) 946-7293 or e-mail faires@westminster.edu for more information or visit http://www.westminster.edu/news/releases/release.cfm?id=1964 for a complete listing of Diversity Symposium events.

Dr. Valerie Gilchrist