International Day of Women & Girls in Science
2023 THEME: IDEA
INNOVATE DEMONSTRATE ELEVATE ADVANCE
BRINGING COMMUNITIES FORWARD FOR SUSTAINABLE AND EQUITABLE DEVELOPMENT
In honour of the International Day of Women & Girls in Science, we’ve interviewed three of our lab members about their experiences as women in orthopaedics, and their advice for those interested in a career in healthcare or orthopaedics.
Alyssa Robinson
I am a Nurse Practitioner (NP) in the Orthopaedic Department.
I worked as a Registered Nurse in the clinic and saw the impact NPs could have in this capacity.
We NPs function as apart of the team in order to provide our patient’s the best possible outcomes.
I was really drawn to orthopaedics because it truly combines medicine with functionality.
A large part of our focus is how people function and how we can help support them to do the things they love. Being apart of this “function junction” for children and their families is so rewarding.
What advice can you give to women and nonbinary people wanting to pursue a career in healthcare or orthopaedics?
The health care system has been challenged and pushed to its limits in recent years. I think we’ve put a lot of work in, but there’s still a lot of work to be done to make health care equitable and sustainable. I encourage you to consider the impact and perspective you could bring to our healthcare system, and how your personal experiences could help drive some of the innovative ideas needed to transform how we deliver healthcare.
Ashley Munoz
Hello! My name is Ashley and I am a Clinical Research Coordinator for the Hippy Lab.
Some of my responsibilities include meeting with and onboarding participating sites onto our Hippy Global Registry Program, completing ethics applications/amendments, handling research contracts, assisting with grants, and building databases.
Previously, I worked closely with individuals facing mobility challenges.
Working in orthopaedic research allows me to contribute to studies with potential to improve patient outcomes, such as mobility, on both a local and global scale.
What advice can you give to women and nonbinary people wanting to pursue a career in healthcare or orthopaedics?
To those who are wanting to pursue a career in health care, get involved at a health care facility! This could be through a volunteer position or co-op student position, for example, and interact with those around you. You can see whether health care is a good fit for you and learn about various health care careers.
Dr. Bryn Zomar
I was introduced to orthopaedics at a young age as my mom worked as a research coordinator for 25 years. I was aware of many of the large clinical trials she worked on and always found her work very interesting.
I also interacted with orthopaedic specialists through various injuries I sustained as a gymnast growing up. I personally experienced the impact orthopaedics can have on patients’ quality of life.
What advice can you give to women and nonbinary people wanting to pursue a career in healthcare or orthopaedics?
Build yourself a support network that you can rely on and confide in. Even if it’s just one person, find someone in a similar position or that followed a similar path whom you can connect with and support each other.