Growing up in a totally non-medical family and in high school thinking I would go to university to become a physicist, I sometimes come up short when people ask how I came to the decision to become a physician, let alone an orthopedic surgeon. When I really think about it, I suppose it all makes sense - to be an orthopedic surgeon is to be a master of anatomy, a sawbones carpenter, a problem-solving artist, and a physicist (of the human body, at least). And frankly put, it just feels “right”.
My first exposure to the field was through my position as a medical scribe, spearheading the position in the orthopedics department at my local hospital in Ottawa, Ontario. At the time, there were no other scribes in orthopedics, which not only gave me the opportunity to establish the role, but also to learn as much as I could each week in the clinic. On the day I finally joined my attending in the operating room, all I could think was: “I can’t believe this is your job.”
Fast forward to my pre-clinical years of medical school at UNECOM, when I began taking on leadership roles to further my interest in orthopedics. My position as President of UNECOM’s Orthopedics and Sports Medicine club and local Chapter President brought me to my very first American Osteopathic Academy of Orthopedics (AOAO) conference in October 2022. This was my inaugural immersion into the national orthopedics community, and I knew then that I wanted to get even more involved.
This year, the 2023 AOAO fall conference in Colorado Springs surpassed all expectations and was one of the most pivotal experiences in my trajectory through medical school. From networking to meeting some amazing UNECOM alumni, learning about advances in orthopedics, attending sawbones labs, and exploring beautiful Colorado Springs – this conference was memorable to say the least. But the highlight was undoubtedly being elected as the new Vice President of the Student AOAO (SAOAO) and meeting so many incredible students and future colleagues.
I recognize the immense privilege and responsibility that come with holding a national position. It enables me to work closely with osteopathic leaders in orthopedics and to make a meaningful impact in the community. I plan to continue supporting the ongoing efforts of the SAOAO in offering travel scholarships and hosting hands on sessions for our students. Additionally, we hope to make local events, mentors, and resources more accessible to students around the country to keep aspiring surgeons engaged.
My personal project for this coming year focuses on increasing opportunities for women in orthopedics, a traditionally male-dominated field of surgery that is steadily becoming more welcoming of females. A big part of empowering women to be trailblazers is mentorship and community. My goals this year are to create a travel scholarship to help a female student attend the upcoming conference, to establish a student component of the Women in Orthopedics section of AOAO, and finally to host a women’s networking event at each of our future conferences to build community. Throughout the year, our executive board will be hosting monthly virtual events, which will hopefully feature a diverse panel of female orthopedic residents and attendings.
I am excited to be representing UNECOM at a national level and look forward to the year ahead!