Orthopaedic Surgery

**Euro** · 01-05-2006, 06:56 PM

Some of you need to get a life. I am a female orthopod and the sexist attitudes ebing displayed by those of you who have not evenmade it yet is quite sad.
Yes, there is sexism in orthopaedics but I have expereinced more sexism from non pods, nurses and physios than from my fellow pods. If you are interested in it as a career, being a woman is no bar, strength is not the issue, technique is.

As forgetting all my medicine - no not really but I have yet to meet a medic who can have a conversation about the relative merits of MOM bearings versus MOP and how they have a huge effect on the patient!!

**pilly84** · 02-05-2006, 12:07 AM

Originally Posted by Euro

Some of you need to get a life. I am a female orthopod and the sexist attitudes ebing displayed by those of you who have not evenmade it yet is quite sad.
Yes, there is sexism in orthopaedics but I have expereinced more sexism from non pods, nurses and physios than from my fellow pods. If you are interested in it as a career, being a woman is no bar, strength is not the issue, technique is.

As forgetting all my medicine - no not really but I have yet to meet a medic who can have a conversation about the relative merits of MOM bearings versus MOP and how they have a huge effect on the patient!!

Ermmm I don't think the people on here were being particularly sexist at all. They were merely stating that it is a male dominated specialty.

**FionaS** · 03-05-2006, 01:09 PM

I've never had any problems as a female wanting to go into Ortho - except for being told I'm far too clever and nice of course

There are quite a lot of potential female surgeons in my year - even if we lose 50% of them along the way, that'll still be quite a redress of the balance.

**pilly84** · 03-05-2006, 01:17 PM

Originally Posted by FionaS

I've never had any problems as a female wanting to go into Ortho - except for being told I'm far too clever and nice of course

There are quite a lot of potential female surgeons in my year - even if we lose 50% of them along the way, that'll still be quite a redress of the balance.

LOL - it's the same in my year. Most of the girls I know want to be surgeons. I think orthopaedics is really interesting although I do like the look of other types of surgery.

**Euro** · 30-05-2006, 02:40 PM

particularly sexist or sexist - it either is or it isn't and that depends on the interpretation of each individual.

Last male bastion etc etc Hard for women, strength issues etc, etc

The uneducated harping on about some very outdated views.

And as the only one on this who is one - am quite sick of the sexist attitudes exhibited by the med students sitting in clinic.

" do you assist the men"
" are you capable of doing surgery"
" do the men do the hard bits for you"

Like I said I would not worry about the old boys, they have been hugely supportive, it is more your fellow students that have a problem.

**sweetie-pie** · 30-05-2006, 06:21 PM

Euro, I get what you are saying, but I've had negative experience during rotations about women in surgery, and not a lot of support from females in training either, possibly a form of backhanded support in teaching me to fight my own way up, but still not overly positive, but yes the men amongst the student population do their best to conform to older stereotypes and perpetuate them.
I personally want to get in there and change things, admittedly though over the past year my interests have changed (as they tend to in medical school) and I'm going towards O&G instead.
On a lighthearted note, i still enjoy all the orthopod jokes!!

**Euro** · 26-06-2006, 11:42 PM

do not go bra burning!

slow and steady is the way. Attitudes have changed since I started and there is no doubt it is easier for women than it was,but we are not helped by some of our female colleagues who then ask for special dispensations because they are women.

In my view you are either good enough for the job when compared to the competition or you are not. Women are at an advantage at this point because we are better organised. I made sure I ticked all the boxes and then some so there was no chance of me being told to go and do something else or not yet ready enough.
It was annoying to see of my male colleagues get jobs with less on their CVs, but I knew when I was ready for the next step up and I made it when I was ready.

And now my revenge is having some poor bloke call me because they got the femoral nail stuck half way in and half way out and they hate calling a woman ot bail them out on what they percieve is a strength issue, when all it is, is their lack of technique!!!

sad thing is the sexism you will experience is from the younger guys more than the older ones. have had some fantastic old foges support me and had some appalling sexism from med students FY1 and SHO, nurses, physios and physicians.

**ALOHA** · 26-08-2006, 11:43 PM

Hello. I am a female med student (well... in three weeks)

, and I am really interested in sports medicine and orthopaedics.
Having played sports at a good standard, and having observed an orthopaedic surgeon perform a few operations, I am even more interested.
I personally think that there will be more and more female orthopaedic surgeon in the next 10 years.

**89laura89** · 27-02-2007, 04:17 PM

I did work experience at bupa and male surgeon came along when i was with the nurses and they told me to tell him i wanted to be an orthopaedic surgeon to wind him up because he thinks they have too much money etc. When I mentioned orthopaedic surgery it did wind him up but on a completely different rant. Without a moments thought "a WOMAN!!!!"