As a young woman at the very beginning of her career in medicine, I am well accustomed to learning about the inequities, barriers and difficulties faced by women in both the medical and surgical fields. During university, we had many lectures on the topic that spelled out all the ways things were more restricted, difficult and isolating for women in healthcare - but never what things we could do to try and deal with these issues ourselves. The LIONZ conference was the first example I’ve seen of a by-women-for-women initiative aimed to inspire and support the next generation of women in orthopaedics. Where a number of young female medical students, house officers and registrars alike can learn from and build connections with the amazing women that paved the way for all the rest
In most surgical departments there are a handful of female consultants -but it’s luck of the draw as to whether you are allocated to the same team as them. As such, there can sometimes be distance between yourself and potential mentors that can be hard to overcome. LIONZ provided a unique opportunity where there were a large number of female surgeons from all over NZ who were more than happy to chat and give advice about a career in orthopaedics. The usual barriers presented by the hospital environment were removed and we were able to more easily connect with one another. Given all the surgeons at the conference are incredibly busy with their own professional demands, it was a real pleasure to have their time and attention at the conference
The conference itself was initially a bit daunting as it was my first one and I didn’t know any other house officers going. Although initially feeling out of place, I was quickly and warmly welcomed into the fray by other house officers from South Island hospitals and registrars/consultants from across the country. The whole tone of the conference is relaxed, friendly, inviting and inspiring - everyone is happy and open to chat regardless of what role they have in the surgical hierarchy
Aside from building connections, the conference provides an incredible opportunity for learning - both personal and professionally with amazing guest speakers talking about resilience, burnout and managing stress (themes I have become very accustomed to whilst being a house officer) to industry reps letting you hit the tools and practice surgical steps - the opportunities for growth are considerable. From learning grounding techniques to practicing doing a revision hip arthroplasty, the whole conference is set up to both inspire you and give you the tools to deal with the inevitable stresses of working in surgery. Furthermore, a lively dinner at Larnach castle with amazing food and company provided an excellent closing ceremony to the conference
I am so grateful to have been able to attend the LIONZ conference as it gave me hope for a positive future in surgery. I feel confident to commit myself to the surgical pathway knowing there will be so many amazing women on the same path alongside me and that there are so many great female surgeons who have paved the way for us
Without the support of Medtronic & LIONZ I would not have been able to attend and make the most of this amazing conference and as such I am incredibly grateful for both their support. With opportunities for funding from my hospital limited to flights, It would have been difficult to manage the remaining logistics costs, registration fees and accommodation (I hadn’t had that many actual doctor pay checks at that stage) and as such I feel incredibly lucky to receive their support. I cannot recommend the LIONZ conference enough to any girl considering a career in orthopaedics and if possible I will definitely be an annual long-term attendee
Links to other 2025 student/HO recounts: