In 2024, EPOS invited leading female members in orthopaedic paediatrics to share their stories. Conducted in the spirit of International Women's Day, the Women of EPOS podcast series offers an intimate and inspiring window into what drew these women to this demanding specialty, the challenges they faced along the way, and how they are paving the way for others entering the field.
This article draws on those conversations to explore four key themes: the different pathways leading into paediatric orthopaedics, career challenges for female surgeons, how to attract and nurture the next generation of female surgeons, and the role EPOS plays as a community for all.
The different paths leading into paediatric orthopaedics
Everyone has a slightly different story of how they ended up working in paediatric orthopaedics, whether that's a key moment in their early career, an inspiring teacher, or a door opened by a supportive mentor.
For Dr. Marta Salom of Valencia, the decision came from witnessing the passion of the specialists around her during her residency rotation: she wanted to join a team whose commitment to children was palpable. Dr. Ana Presedo, who works in Paris and specialises in neurodisability, traces her path to a single inspiring mentor in Barcelona – Dr. Julio González – whose skill and warmth made her think: 'I want to do what he does.'
"It happened very quickly. I just wanted to follow him. He was a nice person, but also an excellent surgeon."
– Dr. Ana Presedo, Paris
Dr. Flavia Alberginha from Dublin tells a different story. Directed by a professor towards either hand surgery or paediatric orthopaedics – because, as a female student, those were deemed 'more appropriate' – she initially resented the guidance, but quickly found her passion. 'At the start I wasn't very happy, because I thought it was quite discriminatory,' she recalls. 'But then I got very passionate, and here I am.'
Others describe a more gradual progression towards paediatric orthopaedics. Dr. Cristina Alves, head of the paediatric department in Coimbra, Portugal, began her training interested in hand surgery, but found herself drawn into paediatric clinics by her department head – and her interest grew from there. For Prof. Catharina Chiari in Vienna, the foundations were laid during a fiercely competitive residency at the Medical University of Vienna at a time when orthopaedic surgery was both male-dominated and oversubscribed.
Several surgeons describe a defining moment – a particularly rare case, a child who defied the odds, a night on call that changed their perspective – as the crystallising point. Dr. Marie Friedberg from Copenhagen describes being called at night to a maternity ward where a baby had been born with a forearm rotated 180 degrees in the wrong direction. Nobody in the world had seen this condition before. She reached out to her international network, operated at three months, and the child is now thriving.
"We all carry these stories where we were in doubt, it was challenging, and it went well. Those are the stories that make us proud."
– Dr. Marie Friedberg, Copenhagen
Overcoming barriers as female surgeons – then and now
The stereotype problem
In several countries, the cultural assumption that an orthopaedic surgeon is male remains deeply ingrained – in patients, in families, and sometimes within the profession itself. Dr. Vasiliki Chatziravdeli, a consultant in Thessaloniki, describes how patients and parents in Greece still expect to see a male doctor. 'You have to convince them,' she says, 'and gain their trust.' Yet she also notes a generational shift: some mothers now actively prefer a female surgeon, feeling they can relate more readily.
Dr. Alberginha describes similar experiences in Italy, where she trained: even after introducing herself as the doctor, patients would call her 'the lady, the girl, the nurse, the plaster assistant.' The fight against stereotype, she says, is the main challenge.
Dr. Melinda Witbreuk of the Netherlands recounts a subtler but equally telling experience. When she applied for a surgical rotation in her home country, she was told the department was 'looking for a different kind of person' – a phrase she understood to mean 'a man.' She went to the UK instead, completed her FRCS exams, and returned years later with her qualifications in hand to apply again. Despite her excellent qualifications and in-depth experience, she was first questioned about her views on children, and how she would be able to manage balancing work and family life – a question that rarely gets asked of male applicants – before being offered the role.
The dual challenge of career and family
There is of course no denying the additional pressures of juggling family life and building a career, particularly when childcare responsibilities still disproportionately fall to women. Ms. Anna Bridgens, a consultant at St George's Hospital in London and a mother, is direct: 'I don't want to be negative, but there are challenges. If you have children, that adds time and expense to your training.' She describes studying for her FRCS exams with a two-year-old and a one-year-old at home while working full time at a major trauma centre – a period she recalls as bleak, but ultimately worth it.
Dr. Stefana Carp in Bucharest frames the societal expectation more broadly: 'Society has this idea that women can do it all – we have to raise kids, care for parents, and have a career. This is not always true.' She argues that the conversation should be less about motivating women to do more, and more about creating conditions where the right people – empathic, child-loving doctors – can thrive, regardless of gender.
The number of female paediatric orthopaedic surgeons are rising steadily
Despite these challenges, every surgeon interviewed was optimistic about the direction of travel. In Spain, Dr. Salom reports that female residents now represent around 50% of those joining her department – in one year, all four new residents were women. In Austria, Prof. Chiari observes that nearly half of her department is now female. In the UK, Ms. Yael Gelfer notes that the proportion of female orthopaedic trainees is rising steadily. Paediatric orthopaedics is outpacing most other surgical specialties in attracting women, although this trend is not homogenous across Europe.
Attracting and nurturing the next generation of female surgeons
Early engagement is key
Ms. Gelfer of St George's Hospital in London argues that the window for influencing career choices is earlier than most people think. 'By the time trainees join as registrars, they've already decided their path and it's pretty hard to make a difference then,' she says. The key is early engagement: inviting medical students and foundation doctors into theatre, offering interesting research projects, and identifying obstacles before they become insurmountable.
Prof. Chiari makes a similar point about the later stages of women's careers: while representation at the junior level has improved significantly, women are still more hesitant to step into academic leadership roles, pursue PhDs, or take on positions of institutional responsibility. The goal, she says, must be to actively sponsor – not just mentor – women into those roles.
The power of mentorship and role modelling
Time and again, the surgeons describe specific individuals who changed the course of their careers: a superior who took them under their wing, a professor who encouraged them to travel, a colleague who sent an email to say: 'I think you can do this.' These moments were not always formal or planned – but they were transformative.
Dr. Presedo describes how her mentor, Prof. Alain Dimeglio in Montpellier, 'sent her to many places in Europe' and created a network of learning that eventually took her to train with Freeman Miller in the United States. 'Opening one door can lead to many, many other doors,' she reflects. Dr. Alves recalls how her colleague Anna flew to Portugal simply to assist with her first clubfoot tenotomy. 'She just put herself on the plane and came to help me.'
"A good mentor – what a good mentor can do for someone's career. I was very lucky to enjoy mentorship myself, and one of the most gratifying roles is to try to do the same."
– Ms. Yael Gelfer, London
Competency over quotas
Prof. Chiari raises a salient point about surgical training itself: the move towards competency-based assessment rather than merely fulfilling quotas. Each trainee has different strengths and develops at a different pace, she argues, and good training should recognise and accommodate this. 'One might need a longer time for a certain competency than for another. As teachers, we should take more account of individual strengths.'
Sustainability and wellbeing
Reflecting on the question of how orthopaedic surgeons can remain sustainable in a demanding, high-stakes profession, Dr. Friedberg's answer is practical: know yourself, build a diverse support network, and make time outside work for family, nature, sport, and friendship. 'We all have an individual recipe,' she says, 'because we are not all alike.'
Prof. Eastwood puts it simply: 'Be kind to yourself, look after your friends and family, and allow them to look after you.' The temptation to defer connection – to say 'I'll do it next week when I have more time' – is understandably easy to give into, given the busy lives of paediatric orthopaedic surgeons. It takes effort to maintain friendships and connections, but it’s vital to switch off from work, to be fully switched on at work.
EPOS: A society that feels like a family
Across the interviews, one community is mentioned again and again as a source of belonging, education, and opportunity: EPOS itself. The Women of EPOS podcast series was conceived not just as a celebration, but as a signal – that EPOS is a society in which diversity is valued, and where women have a full and equal place.
From the BAT courses that provide an exceptional foundation for young orthopaedic surgeons across Europe, to the advanced speciality courses, the fellowship programme, and the Annual Congress, EPOS offers a framework that – as several contributors note – has been genuinely career-defining.
Dr. Anna Breen from Oslo describes how the BAT courses introduced her to 'mainly the leading paediatric orthopaedic surgeons in Europe' without her even realising it at the time. Ms. Bridgens speaks of EPOS opening a network of colleagues who have become friends, and of travelling to Kraków and Washington for the joint meeting with POSNA. Dr. Alves praises the society's commitment to diversity of background, religion, and perspective – and the way that those differences make EPOS stronger.
Looking ahead, Dr. Stephanie Böhm, who leads paediatric orthopaedic research at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, hopes that EPOS will become even more open and inclusive for young people.
"It’s an amazing family, and everybody should be included. So I hope that we can all be mentors for younger people and inspire them to find their way into paediatric orthopaedics and move forward and believe in their dreams."
– Dr. Stephanie Böhm, Stockholm
What unites every voice in this series is not just a love of paediatric orthopaedic surgery – though that shines through every interview – but a conviction that the specialty and the society are stronger when they are more inclusive. As Prof. Eastwood puts it: 'To be part of a like-minded community which has its differences – that is the icing on the cake.'
On International Women's Day 2026 – and every day – join us in celebrating the Women of EPOS. As part of its continued commitment to building a diverse, equitable and inclusive community, EPOS has adopted the IODA Diversity Charter.
Dr. Darius Rad and Dr. Javier Downey were in conversation with Prof. Catharina Chiari (Austria), Dr. Ana Presedo (France), Ms. Anna Bridgens (UK), Dr. Flavia Alberginha (Ireland), Dr. Marie Friedberg (Denmark), Assoc. Prof. Eva Pontén (Sweden), Ms. Sara Dorman (UK), Ms. Yael Gelfer (UK), Dr. Cristina Alves (Portugal), Dr. Anna Breen (Norway), Dr. Sharon Eylon (Israel), Dr. Stefana Carp (Romania), Dr. Kerstin Schneider (Switzerland), Dr. Vasiliki Chatziravdeli (Greece), Prof. Deborah Eastwood (UK), Dr. Stephanie Böhm (Sweden), Dr. Marta Salom (Spain), Dr. Melinda Witbreuk (Netherlands), and Prof. Elke Viehweger (Switzerland/France).
You can listen to the full interviews on the EPOS Podcast.