Editor’s Note: Resilience, generosity and grit are superpowers. This piece provides beautiful examples of each.
Doors began to open for me in high school with the help of my guidance counselor recommending a 6-year combined college/medical school program, continued during my military career and extended to national orthopaedic leaders. All this is quite ironic since I did not match into orthopaedics TWICE.
I was told by a mentor that the first time was because I was too quiet and did not tell others how good I was. The second time was a glitch concerning my recommendation letters. A key supporter sent his letter to only one program instead of all of them which was necessary “back in the day.” He chose the program he felt I was most likely to get into. He was wrong.
With the encouragement of a strong mentor, I accepted a diversified medical intern position. After that I was stationed served overseas as a General Medical officer where I learned how to manage patients. From there I applied for an orthopaedic residency for the third time and was accepted into a program in the States. It was worth the wait. I had learned general medicine and then earned a position where I could “see it, fix it and make it better” in orthopaedics. It was truly the only specialty I was interested in doing.
Later, in private practice, I became aware of an opportunity within my specialty to do humanitarian volunteer work in a third world country. When this opportunity was announced at a national meeting, I grabbed an application and followed the speaker, a member of my specialty society, to the men’s room. He dashed in and I waited outside impatiently tapping my foot! When he emerged, I told him “I want to go.” He loved my enthusiasm, and I was accepted for my first mission in 2001. Up until the Pandemic, I went back 1-2 times per year. I continue to do mission work of a different sort now in various locations around the world.
One final door I will mention was opened by a prominent women’s group. I was nominated for a high-profile board of directors’ position that further widened the breath of my career and knowledge base.
I will finish with a humorous anecdote from my residency interview experience. I interviewed in a notorious region of the country and was the only woman among a field of male candidates. We were housed the night before the mass interview in a fairly “rustic” establishment. The next morning, we were split into two groups of 20. At each segment of the interview, I was asked if I felt I was “strong enough” to do orthopaedics? Finally, my last stop was to speak with the chairman who appeared to be an overweight, beady-eyed, skeptic who sat back in his chair and asked if I was strong enough to dislocate a hip? I stood tall and said, “I’m smart and I can hire a dumb, fat and stupid person to pull.” No, I was not accepted into that program.
My advice to those early in their training and careers is as follows:
- Breaking up training can have its benefits and will help you “get out of student” mentality and prepare you more thoroughly for your career as an orthopaedic surgeon.
- By choosing the military as a route to pay for medical school and to becoming an orthopaedic surgeon, you can avoid the hassles that interfere with non-military training and practice such as insurance issues, prior approval for surgery, etc.
- Learn the BUSINESS of medicine.
- Don’t let setbacks take you out.
- When a door opens, step through and see what can happen.
- Pay attention to the people who are showing you doors.
- The way you treat people will influence how they see you.
- Try to be a good listener with patients. Ask questions and get to know them.
- You get more back by giving.
- Volunteering can make you a better surgeon, person and physician.
- Humanitarian and voluntary work can lead to immense career satisfaction.