About AMWA at UCR

The American Medical Women’s Association (AMWA) is an organization of women physicians, medical students, undergraduate students, and other individuals dedicated to serving as the unique voice for women’s health and the advancement of women in medicine. The organization was founded by Dr. Bertha VanHoosen in 1915 in Chicago, at a time when women physicians were an under-represented minority. As women in medicine increase in numbers, new problems and issues arise that were not anticipated.

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For a century, the American Medical Women’s Association (AMWA) has been committed to the advancement of women in medicine. Although the number of women choosing careers in medicine has grown substantially, there has not been a commensurate increase in the percentage of women in senior leadership positions. To redress this situation, AMWA has carried out ambitious advocacy efforts including research, constituency building, mentoring, leadership development, and policy reform to enable environmental and institutional transformation.

AMWA functions at the local, national, & international level to advance women in medicine & improve women’s health by providing & developing leadership, advocacy, education, expertise, mentoring, & strategic alliances. As a pre-med branch of the nationally established American Medical Women’s Association at UCR, our purpose is to bring together those in medicine and health-related fields on campus to promote women’s health and to support members’ professional and personal development. We hope to provide all our members with philanthropic opportunities and events to help them become active members of the community and go on to serve as our future physicians.