A Fresh Look at Culture Could Increase Female and Underrepresented Minority Orthopaedist

Carrie Kollias, MD, FRCSC

The recent article “The Pregnant Orthopaedic Surgeon: Risks and Precautions” rightly addresses that pregnancy is not an insurmountable obstacle for women choosing a career in orthopaedics. I am a practicing orthopaedic surgeon and mother of two children, and pregnancy did not factor into my career choice in my mid-20s. After reading this article, I am curious to know how many surgeons have used pregnancy to justify the lack of gender diversity within orthopaedics.

Exposure: Radiation Is the ‘Invisible Enemy’ of Female Orthopaedic Surgeons

Sravya Vajapey, MD; Julie Balch Samora, MD, PhD

Marie Curie, a brilliant physicist, was the first female to win the Nobel prize for her pioneering work on radioactivity. She is a role model for her groundbreaking contributions to science. It’s ironic that the same research that brought her such well-earned recognition eventually led to her demise: aplastic anemia secondary to radiation exposure. Adverse events associated with radiation include deterministic (e.g., hair loss, skin burns, nausea, cataracts) and stochastic (i.e.

Women in Orthopaedic Leadership Pave the Way for Future Generations

Jothi Murali, MD

I first met Lisa K. Cannada, MD, an orthopaedic trauma surgeon, when I was a medical student at Emory University in Atlanta. Dr. Cannada always reached out to younger generations of students pursuing careers in orthopaedic surgery, and she was the faculty advisor to my interest group. When she brought me into the operating room (OR) for orthopaedic cases as a second-year medical student, I knew it was the career I wanted.

Female Sports Medicine Physician Is an Orthopaedic Leader and Pioneer in Her Field

Betsy Nolan, MD

Robin West, MD, is the only female physician serving as head team physician for both a professional football team and a professional baseball team, making her a pioneer in sports medicine. Furthermore, the fellowship-trained, board-certified orthopaedic and sports medicine surgeon is founding chair of Inova Sports Medicine in Fairfax, Va. Dr. West currently serves as head team physician for the Washington Nationals and head team physician for the Washington Redskins.