Tag: women in medicine

Melissa Huddleston, MD Melissa Huddleston, MD (3 Posts)

Contributing Writer

University of Florida


Melissa went to medical school at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso. She is currently a PGY-1 at the University of Florida Pediatrics Residency Program. She is not quite sure where she will end up after residency but has thought a lot about pursuing fellowship training in infectious disease. In her spare time, Melissa enjoys going to local parks and farmer’s markets with her husband and baby. She also enjoys reading sci-fi, writing letters to her awesome pen pal (her 8-year-old nephew), and Facetiming friends and family.




Contemplating Death with New Life

Very early in the morning on Wednesday, October 18th, 2023, I stumbled into the emergency department with my hair in a tangled mess and accidentally still wearing my house shoes. It was my older brother’s birthday, but I wouldn’t end up having time to send him a happy birthday message. It was my baby boy’s third day of life, but I wasn’t going to be able to hold him in my arms that day. Instead, …

Resident Physicians as Leaders in TIME’S UP Healthcare: Changing the Narrative for the Next Generation

In 2019, sexual harassment and discrimination in medicine prevent patients from receiving the best possible care. We all deserve better. Not only do all who practice medicine and care for patients deserve an equitable workplace, patients deserve optimal care provided by medical teams in which all members are respected and valued. This is why I’m proud to be a founding member of TIME’S UP Healthcare.

Two Oceans: Rape Culture in Medicine

The sky angry. The waters murky. The fear that at any moment a sudden undertow may drag you deeper into violent waters. A creature brushes your leg, friend or foe unknown. You become paralyzed by fear, anxiety and hypervigilance. You hear someone shouting to you from somewhere far into the distance, “Get out of the water!” But you cannot see the shore. Women live in a world of fear.

Handshakes and Shaking Doubt: Reflecting on Being a Woman in Medicine

In the 1950s, my grandmother wanted to be a doctor. She asked her father for her dowry money, wanting to use it instead to get her medical degree to become the first female doctor in her hometown. She married another doctor and practiced from an office below her home, accepting vegetables and dry-cleaning services as pay.

Romela Petrosyan, MD (1 Posts)

Editor-in-Chief Emeritus (2019-2022) and Former Managing Editor (2017-2019)

University of South Carolina School of Medicine - Greenville


Romela is an Internal Medicine resident physician at Greenville Health System. She was born in Yerevan, Armenia and grew up in Moscow, Russia until the age of 15 at which point she immigrated to the United States. She is quadrilingual and has completed her undergraduate education at the University of California, Irvine with Summa Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa in Biological Sciences. Romela is a graduate from University of Central Florida College of Medicine and has extensive experience in clinical research, medical education development, publication, and community service. In her free time, she enjoys cross-fit, long-distance running, painting, and choreographing.