There is nothing quite like training to be a doctor. It is a rigorous process with a learning curve as steep as a NASA shuttle’s trajectory into outer space. Not only are the hours long but the breadth and depth of the knowledge gained are over the moon, knowing that someone’s life may one day lie in your hands.

Wonder Woman in Training

When I graduated from my family medicine residency program in 2006 (go UConn!), I had run the gauntlet. I was chief resident that year and had also given birth to my first child. Pregnant and running around a hospital with my swollen belly, literally running to every “code blue”, let me know I had the strength and stamina to get through anything life threw my way.

The graduation ceremony had its serious moments, but it also had its playful ones, where the attendings gave each senior resident a special award. There were awards for “The Home Improvement Shopping Diva Award” and even “The Ralph Lauren Best Tie Award”. To my surprise, they presented me with the “Wonder Woman Award”. Little did they know how much it meant for them to give me THAT award.

Wonder Woman Growing Up

What little girl didn’t want to be Wonder Woman growing up? I was mesmerized by the image of Lynda Carter spinning around, disappearing into a cloud of poof, and BOOM!, suddenly wearing her red, yellow, and blue costume. I confess I always wanted the Underoos as a kid, but my mom never got them for me. I know some friends who still have them!

Back in the 80s, we did not have many female superheroes to look up to, and not all that much has changed today. I am sure you could easily drop the name of 10 male heroes without batting an eye, but if I asked you to name 5 female superheroes off the top of your head, not including any with the word “girl”, could you do it?

This is why Wonder Woman has such an important role in pop culture. She is one of a kind. She is the only female hero who has stood the test of time. She is every woman’s hero.

It is no surprise women (and men) went to theaters by the bus load to see Gal Gadot bring our hero to the silver screen, and yes, I did join the melee. The movie is female empowerment at its best.

Wonder Woman as a Role Model

It is not that we need superheroes per se. It is that we look for role models. Of course, we have role models in everyday life. Our grandmothers, mothers, and sisters. Amazing women have also inspired us through history like Amelia Earhart, Elizabeth Blackwell, Golda Meir, Julia Child, Malala Yousifazi, Maya Angelou, Marie Curie, Mother Theresa, Oprah Winfrey, Princess Diana, and Serena Williams among others.

Wonder Woman, however, is universal.

She is appealing because she is as brave as any of her male counterparts, and quite frankly, more effective than a good lot of them when it comes to getting things done. She plays with the big boys and doesn’t let being a girl get in the way. Growing up, I literally heard, and saw with my own eyes, that boys had more opportunities than girls. I was led to believe that boys could be faster, stronger, and more powerful. The media spoon fed that to you back then, but Wonder Woman taught us better.

Our hero is elegantly beautiful but physically strong. She is nurturing but fierce when it comes to standing up for what she believes in. She is honorable and true. She is clever, witty, and smart. She is empathetic and kind; hard-working and focused; loving and playful. Simply put, she kicks ass. Wonder Woman is a reminder that despite having two X chromosomes, you really can have it all. She reminds you that you can be strong and win battles, not only with strength but with love.

Wonder Woman NOW

We all strive to be our best selves, and we all try to resist whatever tries to keep us down.

In America, land of the free and home of the brave, men in suits, our so-called political leaders, demean women by grabbing them by the p—-, by decreasing their right to choose, by cutting access to birth control, by defunding access to health care (Planned Parenthood), and by threatening to cut maternity care from essential health benefits. It doesn’t matter that an emergency C-section saves the life of a child. A woman will forever be branded with a pre-existing condition because, after surgery, she could develop scars and adhesions that could increase her risk for abdominal pain and other complications.

It is not only in health care. Whether it’s marching in Washington, demanding equal pay, or fending for ourselves in male-dominated fields, like medicine, women are standing up and fighting the good fight. That war cry is heard around the world.

In a man’s world, women are doing more than playing catch up.

Wonder Woman in You

As a family medicine resident, I worked tirelessly to become the best doctor I could be, and it didn’t matter that I was a woman. My “Wonder Woman Award” meant everything to me. I drove myself not just to graduate but to be a leader, to be “chief”, and like Wonder Woman, maybe I saved a life or two along the way.

We do not need to save lives to be heroes. There are so many ways that we can leave our imprint on the world. We can speak up when we see a wrong. Voice our opinions. Reach out to those in need. Help a stranger. Hold a hand. We can all make a difference.

In times like these, we need Wonder Woman now more than ever. She is an emblem of our hope and a sign of our progress. Truth be told, we all have a bit of Wonder Woman inside us.

Now let’s step up and put on our tiaras.