The FORUM Fellowship: Learning, Leadership, and the Power of Women in Orthopaedics

Claudia Arias, MD, PERU Camila Cohen Kaleka, MD, PhD, BRAZIL

ISAKOS eNewsletters   Current Perspective 2026   rating

The FORUM: A Space Where Women in Sports Medicine Never Walk Alone

A fellowship created by women for women, designed to support, inspire, and pave the way for the next generation in sports medicine.

In sports medicine, every achievement is built on years of hard work, discipline, and dedication. For many women, however, the journey has also meant navigating spaces where there have not always been enough role models, support networks, or voices saying clearly: “Yes, you can—and you do not have to do it alone.”

Orthopaedic surgery has historically been a male-dominated specialty, and women remain underrepresented, particularly in leadership positions. For this reason, seeing women lead sports medicine programs, academic departments, research initiatives, and professional communities has an impact that extends far beyond representation itself.

It was in this spirit that The FORUM Fellowship was created: an initiative by women, for women, that seeks to do much more than strengthen professional careers. Its purpose is to foster a space of trust, belonging, and growth, where new generations of specialists can find guidance, inspiration, and a community that understands their challenges and celebrates their achievements.

The FORUM brings together women leaders in orthopedic sports medicine who have transformed mentorship into a way of building bridges. Through the fellowship, participants can connect with role models who have already traveled part of the path, learn from their stories, ask honest questions, and discover new possibilities for their own futures.

In 2025, The FORUM opened its traveling fellowship to international participants, creating an extraordinary opportunity for women like us to meet, learn from, and work alongside remarkable mentors who have made history in sports medicine around the world.

Our First International Fellow

Claudia Arias Calderón — Lima, Peru

When I received the email from Dr. Jo Hannafin telling me that I had been selected for The FORUM Fellowship, I felt not only pride but also an enormous sense of responsibility. I wanted to represent my country well and, above all, make the most of the opportunity to spend time with incredible women who had long been my role models.

I could not have asked for a better gift: my “godmother” none other than Dr. Mary Lloyd Ireland. We attended The FORUM Annual Meeting in Savannah, Georgia, an absolutely incredible place. I had the opportunity to present my medial patellofemoral ligament reconstruction technique, listen to outstanding lectures, hear inspiring stories, and participate in meaningful discussions—all while surrounded by more than 90 women!

Then our journey truly began. We traveled to the amazing city of New York, where my “godmother” and I enjoyed its streets, theatres, and wonderful winter atmosphere. Seeing snow for the first time was an entirely new and unforgettable experience for me.

At the Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS), I spent time with Dr. Beth Shubin Stein. What an incredibly hardworking and skilled surgeon! I joined her in the operating room and clinic, and we ended the visit with a wonderful dinner alongside many successful women from New York.

One of the things that surprised me most was their extraordinary sense of camaraderie. They support one another, ask each other for advice, and help each other grow—as though they were one united force. I was deeply impressed by the empathy and sisterhood I witnessed, and every day left me even more inspired to keep moving forward.

Our next destination was Duke University in Durham, surrounded by breathtaking scenery. There, we spent time with Dr. Jocelyn Wittstein, the current President of The FORUM. We shared wonderful meals, worked in the operating room—where I learned about the bridge-enhanced ACL repair (BEAR) technique—and spent time in clinic. Their outpatient surgery team was so dedicated and efficient that I returned home motivated to do even more in my own country.

And the Following Year, the Journey Continued

Camila Cohen—São Paulo, Brazil

In January 2026, I had the privilege of taking part in The FORUM Fellowship, an experience that became much more than an international observership. It was an opportunity to learn from exceptional orthopaedic sports medicine surgeons, experience different academic and clinical environments, and, above all, witness the impact of female leadership in our specialty.

Visiting each center and experiencing its unique environment was one of those rare opportunities that expands not only your knowledge but also your perspective. It allowed me to build friendships that I believe will last a lifetime and created the kind of professional network that can only develop through traveling, meeting people, and sharing experiences.

I will always be grateful for the opportunity to meet such powerful women, whose example inspires others to become better. I completed this experience with more goals, more dreams, and, above all, a renewed desire to inspire future generations to continue growing and believing that anything is possible.

The fellowship took me through three cities—Denver, Phoenix, and Madison—each offering a unique perspective on orthopaedic sports medicine, education, innovation, and leadership.

My journey began in Denver, my host were Drs. Rachel Frank and Michelle Wolcott, where I was immersed in an intensive clinical and surgical experience. Over two days, I observed more than ten surgical procedures and participated in discussions that went far beyond surgical technique. We talked about decision-making, indications, challenges, and the realities of everyday clinical practice.

I also had the opportunity to visit an orthobiologics center and discuss current applications, scientific evidence, and one of the most important challenges in our field: how to translate innovation responsibly into clinical practice.

From Denver, I traveled to Phoenix for The FORUM Annual Meeting, one of the most remarkable parts of the experience. Being surrounded by approximately 95 women in orthopaedics and sports medicine—from different generations, career stages, institutions, and practice models—created an environment unlike any other meeting I had attended.

As a fellow, I had the opportunity to present and discuss my own cases, but some of the most valuable lessons came from listening. The discussions were rigorous and scientifically grounded, yet remarkably open. Women shared not only their successes, but also their challenges, difficult decisions, career transitions, and experiences as surgeons and leaders. That openness created something very powerful: a space where professional excellence and personal experience could coexist.

The fellowship continued in Madison, adding another academic and institutional perspective to the journey. Visiting different centers showed me that there is no single pathway to becoming a leader in orthopaedics. Leadership can take many forms—through clinical excellence, research, education, mentorship, innovation, or the ability to build strong teams and create opportunities for others.

This was perhaps one of the most important lessons I brought home.

The experience was not limited to hospitals, operating rooms, and conference halls. Shared dinners, conversations, laughter, travel, and even a Colorado Avalanche hockey game became part of the fellowship. Those informal moments were equally meaningful because they transformed professional connections into genuine relationships.

I returned home with new surgical insights, thought-provoking scientific discussions, and ideas for my own practice. But I also returned with something broader: a renewed understanding of how powerful a professional community can be when women actively support, challenge, and mentor one another while creating opportunities for others.

The FORUM Fellowship reminded me that leadership is not only about attaining a position. It is also about what we do once we get there—how we share knowledge, open doors, make others visible, and help build the next generation.

I am deeply grateful to all the women who welcomed me, generously shared their knowledge and experiences, and made me feel part of this extraordinary community.

The fellowship may have lasted only a few days, but its connections, lessons, and inspiration will remain with me for much longer.

The Power of Feeling Supported

Mentorship among women has profound value. It does more than transmit knowledge: it also provides perspective, confidence, and a sense of possibility. Hearing another woman speak about her decisions, doubts, lessons, and accomplishments can provide the encouragement a fellow need to imagine herself in positions of leadership, research, education, or high-level clinical practice.

Through every conversation, the program reminds us that excellence is not achieved in isolation. It is built through support, generosity, networks that open doors, and women who are willing to share what they have learned so that others can go even further. This is one of The FORUM’s greatest strengths: transforming individual experience into collective opportunity.

A Community That Paves the Way

The FORUM Fellowship is an invitation to look toward the future of sports medicine with hope and commitment. It reflects a vision of a specialty in which more women can feel represented, heard, and supported; where talent is met with genuine opportunities; and where every step taken by one woman helps illuminate the path for those who follow.

This matters for younger surgeons who need to see that these paths are possible. It matters for patients who benefit from a profession that reflects greater diversity. And it matters for the future of orthopaedics, because talented women doing excellent work should not remain invisible. Their achievements, ideas, scientific contributions, and voices deserve to be seen and heard.

Because when a woman finds a network that believes in her, her story changes. And when women choose to support one another, they do more than change their individual stories—they help change the future of sports medicine.

Please note: ISAKOS Newsletter Current Perspectives are not peer-reviewed articles. For peer-reviewed articles, please visit the Journal of ISAKOS at jisakos.com.