How to Be a Professional Woman with Dame Jane Dacre

 In this episode, Rachel is joined by Dame Jane Dacre, Ex-President of the Royal College of Physicians, Consultant Rheumatologist, Author of the Gender Pay Gap in Medicine Report and President of the MPSWe talk about the gender pay gap, why it has happened and what effect this has on us. Being a professional woman in medicine (and other professions) is easier than it used to be but there’s still a lot of inequality in the system. We talk about the societal expectations that there are on women and the micro and macro changes that people can make both in their own lives and in the system. Changing the system makes it better for EVERYONE. As doctors and professionals, we’re not necessarily expected or trained to change the system, but we need to look up and operate at a higher level. Jane talks about the need to stand back and think about how we can all do things in a better way.  ‘Isn’t it time you became a full-time skiver rather than a part-time matryr’. This was said to Jane when she was training, and it had a huge effect on her. This prompted her to make changes in her life. We chat about how we can be patronised by all sorts of people (including John Humphries!) and how to respond by calling it out with zero tolerance.Jane’s top tips areBe assertive without being strident or aggressive Hang on in there – it will all be alright in the endIf you don’t make mistakes you don’t learn.Find a non-confrontational way to fix systems that are unhelpfulRecognise change happens slowlyEncourage women to step upYou can download our Stop Start Continue Checklist tool here We are sending out a regular email with new resources, tips and useful content especially for doctors and healthcare professionals throughout the COVID-19 crisis. If you’d like to receive this and other resources about thriving at work then please sign up here You can watch this podcast episode on YouTube here Sign up for the Preparing for Life After VTS for GP Mums: Getting the Balance Webinar here https://event.webinarjam.com/register/31/k3r5li2q Podcast linksGender pay gap in medicine interim reportFollow Jane on Twitter  @DacreJaneYou can download our Stop Start Continue Checklist tool here You can download our Thrive Week Planner here View our recent Shapes Webinars on how to support your teams through the COVID crisis and sign up for the forthcoming webinar here https://www.shapestoolkit.com/support-your-team-webinar24 hour support for NHS staff: Call 0300 131 7000 between 7am and 11pm or text FRONTLINE to 85258 24/7.BMA Wellbeing Service - https://www.bma.org.uk/advice/work-life-support/your-wellbeingThe NHS Practitioner Health Programme - https://www.practitionerhealth.nhs.uk/Sign up for downloadable CPD reflection forms plus more tools and resources For more episodes of You are not a frog, check out our websiteMentioned in this episode:Download Your Free Overwhelm SOS Guide Discover the simple, step-by-step process you need to calm your mind, take control of your tasks, and get yourself out of overwhelm.⭐️ Book Your FrogFest Ticket Now