Stereotypes ....

Its odd how stereotypes creep even into medicine. A week or so ago I had an appointment at my local orthopaedic clinic to discuss my hip. The traditional view of orthopaedic surgeons is that they are male and built like prop-forwards since only males have the physical strength to disarticulate a hip or to hack through bone (orthopaedics has been described as the closest thing to carpentry in medicine btw!) and so I was rather surprised to see a young (well compared to me anyway!), slim and elegant female doctor come in to examine me.

After a thorough examination of my leg, I discussed with her about orthopaedics. She then admitted that she intended to specialise in hand-surgery and not hips (although she mentioned that she there is a knack to wrenching a femur out of its socket. Something which in my present condition I was trying not to imagine) .....