Behind the scenes with Dr. Wendy Wolfman

Get to know Dr. Wendy Wolfman, the inaugural director of the Centre for Mature Women’s Health and Carol Mitchell Chair in Menopause.

Learn how the woman who truly pioneered mature women’s health care in Canada almost became a concert pianist before landing on a career in medicine, and how an early childhood experience with polio in the family led her to make that decision.

We also debunk some of the top myths about menopause, talk about what women can do if they experience symptoms of menopause, how employers can support their female staff, and discuss what health-care providers can do to improve their own education in mature women’s health.

My father was mobility impaired, having contracted polio at 28 years old before I was born. That had a huge impact on my parents’ quality of life. Witnessing the hardships my parents endured, and the sacrifices they made, fueled my desire to alleviate the impact of disease so other families didn’t have to suffer like we did.

I was a pianist in the scholarship program at the Royal Conservatory of Music, which is a very prestigious program. It’s a very intense program plus two hours a week of performance, and I even played with a symphony when I was 16. Education and music were integral to our household, but it was that need to relieve suffering through my family’s experience with disease that drew me toward medicine. Music actually trains a certain part of your brain that has a lot in common with medicine!

I specifically became interested in menopause when I was recruited to Toronto Western and Toronto General. They had a very small menopause clinic, and no one wanted to do the job – but I agreed anyway. In that role I attended one of the first meetings of the North American Menopause Society, and I was totally blown away. I thought, ‘this is where I belong: menopausal medicine’. It's the niche I fit in exactly with my background in internal medicine and gynaecology, and my love of the science behind it. 

It’s difficult for me to convey how I feel about the centre – to have your dreams realized toward the end of your career. It’s truly the culmination of my professional life. To have the opportunity to improve the quality of care for women as they get older is a deep feeling of gratification, satisfaction and inspiration. I’m fortunate to have met Carol Mitchell, who recognized my dreams and helped me build the menopause program at Sinai Health through the Carol Mitchell Chair in Menopause. To really take this next step in changing women’s lives, and as a result their family’s lives and their partners lives, is both humbling and exhilarating. 

Philanthropy is vital to the development of the centre. I am so grateful to all the generous donors who are helping us to reach our fundraising goals. Without the donors, we could not be able to fund our fellows, enlarge our clinical space or initiate research in a field that has been ignored by the usual funding sources. I hope all women will consider donating to an area of health that will affect themselves, and potentially their daughters and granddaughters.

With women comprising 51 per cent of the population, menopause will touch the lives of nearly every family, workplace and community. Severe symptoms can impair work performance, so it affects employers and the economy too. Many women reach the peak of their careers when menopause symptoms strike. Even for someone who is young and symptom-free, aging is a universal experience that everyone should care about. The silent problems of aging, such as cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis and Alzheimer’s disease, disproportionately affect women. While quantity of life is important, my goal is really to improve quality of life as women age.

Families can play a crucial role by providing understanding and support, but women educating themselves about menopause and its symptoms is the first step. Employers also have a vital role in supporting menopausal women in the workplace. Formalized guidelines, like those seen in Britain, can provide a framework for creating supportive environments. Simple accommodations, such as accessible bathrooms, breathable uniforms and flexible break times, can make a significant difference.

First of all, you should seek out a physician who is knowledgeable in this area. There are many family doctors who are. There are several organizations providing reliable information about menopause and aging, including a guideline developed for the Gynaecology Quality Improvement Collaboration by Sinai Health’s Dr. Lindsay Shirreff. The Canadian Menopause Association also has a great video series about various topics related to menopause. Through the Association of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada, there is also a website called MenopauseAndU. Make sure what you’re reading is from a credible source. When in doubt, see your family doctor.

One common myth is that postmenopausal women are no longer interested in or capable of having fulfilling sexual lives. This is simply false. Another myth is the notion that older women are unattractive or less desirable. Older women are often portrayed as villains, and I think we should supplant those images and change the narrative with terms such as wise, experienced and empathetic. The contributions of older women are often overlooked. I think that menopausal women are a silent force in this world who are providing wisdom and contributing a great deal. They should be championed for that knowledge and experience just as aging men are.

Yes! At Sinai Health we run a yearly education symposium through the University of Toronto for more than 500 physicians a year. I also helped develop a menopause toolkit for the Canadian Menopause Society, which they can also join, where there is a chat forum for difficult cases.

The biggest challenge is meeting the overwhelming demand for patient care. With thousands of patients waiting to be seen, accommodating this need is a major challenge. The most rewarding aspect of my role is witnessing the clinical improvement in patients and nurturing the next generation of menopause specialists. Training fellows across Canada and seeing them thrive and succeed in this field is immensely gratifying – it’s like watching my own children grow.

Looking ahead, I hope that increased funding will enable more research opportunities in mature women’s health. There’s still much to explore, and I believe research holds the key to advancing the field and improving outcomes for women.

Spending time with my husband, my four children and four grandchildren. I also still play the piano, but not seriously – just casually and not enough – but it’s something, if and when I ever retire, I’d like to do again!