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BRING IT ON

G. Arce
Asking Questions of Orthopaedic Leaders
General Orthopaedics was often seen as a tough
Why there are so very few female Ortho specialty where you need to be strong enough
surgeons and how we can improve this?
to reduce a dislocated hip or a femoral fracture.
N. Maffulli
Nowadays the number of female orthopaedic

The traditional model of training surgeons was surgeons is increasing. Foot and Hand surgery,
established at a time when the expression ‘equality sports and arthroscopy are sub-specialties where

of the sexes’ was not invented yet. Hence, the they can compete with men with even conditions.
apprenticeship model, with long hours long years of Research is another topic where they can do a great

training and little time for anything but orthopaedics. job, much better than men. Promoting these issues
Now things have changed: the number of women as an option for residence and fellowship programs
entering medical school has increased, and at least
are the way to include more women in orthopaedics
in the UK some medical schools have a majority
of female entrants. This has not translated yet in a J. Espregueira-Mendes
Traditionally, females do not choose orthopedics. The
corresponding increased number of female trainees in
the traditionally male dominated specialties. However, reason was that our specialty was correlated with
the need of physical strength. This was changed by
things are changing. When I was a Senior Registrar,
there were probably less than 10 women in higher sports and hand surgery. Nevertheless, the number
of female orthopaedic surgeons is increasing every
surgical orthopaedic training. Now, each program
has a bunch. In Europe, with the implementation of year and it reflects the increased number of female
doctors that graduate. In my university, in the last
the European Working Time Directive, from more years, we had 90% of female surgeons! So we do not
than 100 hours of work per week we have gone
down to a maximum of 48. Structured teaching and need to do anything. Time will do it for us.

assessment have come to the forefront, and lady
orthopaedic surgeons seem to prosper and flourish.

Although there has not been a centrally concerted

drive to recruit more women in our specialty, this
seems to have happened by default. The more Why there are so very

humane working conditions favor the entry of women few female Ortho
in Orthopaedics, and career breaks, though still

difficult to plan and obtain, are at least contemplated. surgeons and how we
Many of these women will have doctors as partners,

and will have families, to have nurseries at work can improve this?
would help. There are now several prominent female
Orthopaedic Surgeons in leading positions, and

the British Orthopaedic Association has had its
first female President. They will act as mentors and To take or not

catalysts for the junior members of the profession,
and help their recruitment.
take the family to

J. Lubowitz
a scientific meeting?

Female medical students must be encouraged and
actively recruited by orthopaedic surgeons and

trainees with whom they interact.
What is the

importance of

academic day in

a weekly working

schedule?

ISAKOS NEWSLETTER 2014: Volume II 45