T&O Pride Month 2021

What advice would you give to your younger self?

“Don’t box yourself in. You can pursue any career you want. Live your truth earlier. Your friends and family will always support you. Worry less, because it’s exhausting. Everything will be okay.”

What do you enjoy most about your job/career?

“I love the fact each day is different and that it’s never boring. With trauma and orthopaedics you can create a sense of order from a chaotic situation such as organising the care of a multiply injured patient or identifying the care needs of an injured frail elderly patient and getting them back on their feet. The operations are interesting and varied and I love working with an excellent team of colleagues from a variety of disciplines.”

Why did you choose orthopaedics?

“Orthopaedics chose me! I had such a positive experience when I was a Foundation doctor working in a great department with brilliant mentors who encouraged me to pursue this career. These experiences made me realise that I belonged in this specialty because it aligned so closely to my personality. It’s an immensely visual specialty which I really respond to as I am a very visual person. I love problem solving, the operations and the fact we see patients across the whole life span.”

What advice would you give to your younger self?

“Speak up and show up. Be courageous - use your voice and stand up for the change you want to see, you are stronger than you believe!”

What do you enjoy most about your job/career?

“Being able to interact with and care for patients, whilst contributing to the improvement of their quality of life. I love Orthopaedic surgery as you can bring change to patients almost immediately - it is an extremely rewarding and fulfilling job. I also really enjoy being part of the orthopaedic community, everyone is welcoming, fun and collaborative.”

Why did you choose orthopaedics?

“I love Orthopaedics because it is creative and innovative – every fracture is different and can be approached in a myriad of ways to fix it. The ability to treat patients’ injuries and chronic conditions to help them regain quality of life is extremely rewarding. Orthopaedics also has the most fun surgeries!”

What advice would you give to your younger self?

 “I would tell my younger self to not give up and hope that someday I will be able to be my true self and no one will think twice about it.
Orthopaedics would one day be diverse and open enough that I will not have to worry about professional repercussions for being me.”

What do you enjoy most about your job/career?

“I take great satisfaction in helping people have less joint pain, getting their function back as a joint surgeon, and fixing broken bones.”

Why did you choose orthopaedics?

“I chose orthopaedics because I love working with my hands and the musculoskeletal system was the subject I liked the most.”

What advice would you give to your younger self?

“Your choice of partner shouldn’t affect your choice of career. Be who you are and do what makes you happy. You’re rarely the only gay in the village – being visible can help you realize that. Don’t be put off by assumptions or stereotypes - if it’s what you love you’ll fit. You are just as good as everyone else - go for it.”

What do you love most about your career?

“I have always loved all things orthopaedic - the patients, the job satisfaction, the biomechanics, the research and, of course, all the toys. I love my job as I expected to. What I didn’t expect was how much *more* I love my job since we increased the diversity within our own department. Diversity and inclusion betters us all.”

Why did you choose orthopaedics?

“I chose Ortho for the variety, the mechanics, the anatomy, the surgery, the tools and for the awesome patients and what we can do for their pain and function.”

What advice would you give to your younger self?

“T&O is for everyone. Be yourself early on and you’ll thrive on your ortho journey. LGBTQ+ visibility is key. It is the gift we can give to ease the journey of those who follow us.”

What do you enjoy most about your job/career?

“As I approach my consultant post, hindsight confirms that I made the right career choice! I am thrilled to be part of such a dynamic surgical specialty.”

Why did you choose orthopaedics?

“Orthopaedic surgery is creative, practical and transformative. It enhances the quality of life for people of all ages. Musculoskeletal anatomy is fascinating. However, it was a supportive FY2 placement that convinced me to pursue orthopaedics.”

What advice would you give to your younger self?

“'Relax and enjoy your training'. I’ve probably known I was gay for as long as I knew I wanted a career in medicine. When my passion eventually settled on Orthopaedics my biggest worry was how would I fit in. Would I lose out on a job for who I am? There were years of anxiety and over-applying myself so that I could overcome any attempt at prejudice. Now that I’m a consultant I’ve realised Trauma & Orthopaedics has changed vastly since I started training and maybe a lot of the anxiety wasn’t necessary. I know work to ensure an inclusive environment for future trainees and for patients.”

What do you enjoy most about your job/career?

“I really enjoy the way I am able to transform lives, restore function, relieve pain and let people get back to their careers or recreational activities. The results from treatment can be instantaneous and very rewarding.”

Why did you choose orthopaedics?

“I chose orthopaedics for its variety. As a specialty it covers most of the body, all age groups, and people from all walks of life. A specialty that is focused on treating a diverse range of people and problems should also be inclusive and diverse and I look forward to more LGBT+ visibility in T&O.”