‘I was shocked at the risks’: Dr Kate Stannage on life as a pregnant orthopaedic surgeon
As just the third female orthopaedic surgeon in WA, she is now working to improve conditions for the trainees coming in her footsteps.
As an orthopaedic trainee, Dr Kate Stannage says she just wanted to blend in with the blokes — even through her two pregnancies.
The gender bias in orthopaedics is notorious, of course, but it still comes as a shock to discover that she was just the third female orthopaedic surgeon in WA when she secured fellowship in 2008.
As such, she is a trailblazer not only in her field but also as an advocate for the female trainees now following in her footsteps.
The consultant orthopaedic surgeon at Perth Children’s Hospital has been in the news recently following the release of Australian Orthopaedic Association (AOA) guidelines on the risks to pregnant orthopaedic surgeons.
