Editor’s Note: This is an insightful description of the ingredients necessary to build an orthopaedic surgeon. It also describes the beauty inherent in the craft.
I had been educated in the arts and had the manual dexterity of an artist, yet I did not see art as a viable career for me. I had acquired the skills of sewing from my mother who felt they were necessary in every woman’s life. My father taught me the skills of carpentry. He saw to it that I learned how to handle a drill and knew how to secure a plate. Together, these were skills necessary to prepare me for a career in orthopaedic surgery.
Orthopaedics appeals to my love of mathematics. It is solid geometry. It is sculptural reforming of the human body. It allows the surgeon to take the crooked and make it straight. Then God allows the bone to heal without a scar. The bones mend and function returns. For the surgeon, viewing the final x-ray provides great satisfaction. Witnessing a person regain their purposeful function is divine!
As a medical student I was required to do surgical rotations. While in the operating room with general surgeons and surgical subspecialists, I felt tension in the room and often witnessed disrespectful treatment of staff who were working to assist them. I found this very unappealing. When I scrubbed in on an orthopaedic surgery case, I was impressed at how pleasant the surgeons were. They truly seemed to enjoy their work. What a contrast!
When I told a senior male orthopaedic resident of my impressions, he said, “There is no reason why you can’t do this.” What a revelation at a time when there were only 25 practicing female orthopaedic surgeons in the country and none of them of minority status! He served as one of my earliest orthopaedic mentors.
I was also blessed by my contact with Drs. Liebe Diamond and Mary Morden who served as superb role models. My professional direction was set, and I was entering a field that I would continue to love for decades.
As a lovely coda to my career, the J Robert Gladden Society has honored me with an award in my name which was given to the first recipient in 2024. To qualify, the Gladden Society member recipient must have been practicing for at least 10 years, have exemplified excellence in mentorship and demonstrated tenacity, grit and resilience in the practice of orthopaedic surgery. These are all the ingredients required for a successful and productive career. My parents would be very pleased.