Editor’s Note: This account underscores that positive relationships built at all levels can lead to career-related rewards.
Early in my career, a residency colleague of mine asked me to participate with him in teaching at a respected location. I, of course, accepted and later realized that I was the only woman on the faculty.
While teaching, it became clear that I knew almost none of the men acting as instructors there. I did not reach out to them. However, I did befriend a nurse who helped coordinate the programming. She paid attention to me and ended up promoting me to other individuals who acted as instructors even when I was not in attendance. I truly believe that her “sponsorship” opened some additional teaching and organizational doors for me. The lesson here is that “You never know who will be important to your career.”
The spin-off of this was that I became a role model for women who followed me. I rose to organizational leadership positions and received a prestigious teaching award. I was also an example of a female orthopaedic surgeon who could be successful professionally and have children while in practice. In addition, one of the men I taught with now has a daughter who is an orthopaedic resident. He has asked me to be a resource for her.
What can be learned from this account?
• There is no one person you meet professionally who should be discounted. Each person’s role in the medical care or educational system is important and may play an unimagined positive role in your future career.
• Be one of those people who serves as a role model and opens doors for others.
• The orthopaedic culture may be changed in a positive way as we begin to mentor the daughters of our colleagues who aspire to follow us as orthopaedic surgeons.
My other bit of advice is that every environment you enter is different. If you see deficiencies and want to make positive changes, do it in small increments. To be effective, you must gradually try to promote your ideas. This approach will be accepted more readily by those you need to make your innovations possible.