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By Sarah E. Ballatori, MD, MS “Hand Surgery is good for women. No matter what, the children run to the mother, not the father. It’s just human nature.” As a lesbian resident who is narrowing in on Hand Surgery as a potential career, this statement is, quite simply, irrelevant. He did not have any malintent […]
By Cesar J. Bravo, MD Diversity is often defined as the presence of differences within a given setting, and Equity is frequently defined as the process of ensuring that processes and programs are impartial and fair. Finally, Inclusion is often defined as the practice of ensuring that people feel a sense of belonging in the […]
By Wendy Chen, MD I am a female Taiwanese American plastic surgeon and hand surgeon. I was born in Northern California to immigrants, and as far back as I can remember, I have always wanted to help people. A century ago, I would not have been allowed in this country. I would have lived in […]
By Megan Conti Mica, MD A classic choice in my daughters’ bedtime reading rotation is We’re different, We’re the same. It reviews how things that define us may seem different but in reality, they are the same. For example, our noses may look differently but all noses smell and help breathe air, so they are really the […]
By Dana L. Cruz, MD I had not met him before, but his soft smile and relaxed demeanor seemed kind. After a long day, I was not feeling especially chatty, but as he attempted to make small talk in the elevator of my apartment building, I engaged. Taking notice of my dark blue scrubs he […]
By Marvin E. Dingle, MD Creating opportunities is the key to achieving diversity, equity, and inclusion in hand surgery. Specifically, to create opportunities for people from racial, gender, and socioeconomic backgrounds that have historically been kept from pursuing higher education and therefore unable to become hand surgeons. The past laws and practices in America that […]
By Jeff Friedrich, MD, MC, FACS It has been awhile since I grappled with a writing assignment more than I have with this one. The huge array of varied thoughts I have about diversity, equity and inclusion have made it difficult to know where to begin. On the one hand, I think the very frank […]
By Michael G. Galvez, MD FACS Dr. Sterling Bunnell, the founding father of hand surgery, introduced the concept of bringing together several surgical specialties to take care of all the tissues of the hand and upper extremity to repair and reconstruct all the necessary structures in a coordinated fashion. To become a hand and upper […]
By Catarina Gulledge, MD “No one told me you were a lady doctor.” I heard variations of this comment multiple times from patients in my first couple months in practice. Each time I was taken aback. My photo was available online for them to review and my biography used she/her pronouns. There had been advertisements […]
By Helen G. Hui-Chou, MD, FACS “Does your family own a restaurant?” “Nope,” but being one of a very few Asian families in growing up in York, Pennsylvania, that is the assumption. But is that just the ignorance of teenagers? This was 1991. “Are you married to an Officer?” “Nope, I am the Naval Officer, a Lieutenant […]