Reversing the barriers to females becoming orthopaedic surgeons

27 May 2021



Date recorded

7.30pm-9pm AEST, Thursday 27 May 2021

Description

Progress with gender diversity in orthopaedics has been slow both in Australia and internationally. Research has shown there are clear advantages of a diverse physician population, not only in medicine and patient care but in commercial industry as well. The proportion of female orthopaedic surgeons – one underrepresented group – is increasing; however; the rate is slow compared to the growth in other surgical specialties.

Speakers and panellists discussed the barriers that women in orthopaedics encounter, and those that female medical students see as blocking their path to the specialty, and explored targeted efforts to promote gender diversity in orthopaedic surgery both within the Australian and international context.
 

Chairs

Dr Juliette Gentle (Orthopaedic Women's Link Chair)
Dr Andrew Wines (Champions of Change Chair)

Speakers and panellists

Dr Kristy Weber
  • Penn Medicine physician and past (2019) American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) president
Dr Matthew Schmitz
  • Department of Orthopaedics at San Antonio Military Medical Center chair and International Orthopaedic Diversity Alliance (IODA) member 

Dr Erica Taylor

  • Diversity and Inclusion at Private Diagnostic Clinic, PLLC (Duke Health) associate chief health officer, and founder and CEO of Orthopaedic Diversity Leadership Consortium (ODLC)

Dr Christine Lai

  • breast, endocrine and general surgeon, diversity and inclusion advocate and RACS Women in Surgery Committee chair
Dr Jennifer Green
  • hand and wrist surgeon, International Orthopaedic Diversity Alliance (IODA) vice-president
Dr Lily Garcia
  • orthopaedic trainee and OWL Australian Orthopaedic Registrars' Association (AORA) representative
Dr Kathlyn Andersen
  • Ballarat Health Services intern and OWL Essay 2020 winner