Shasta Henderson, MD, of Trident Orthopedic Specialists in Charleston, S.C., regularly meets with Black female orthopedic surgeons like herself.
Dr. Henderson is one of 50 Black female orthopedic surgeons in the U.S. and one of 10 trained in orthopedic trauma, The Post and Courier reported Oct. 10. While women have made strides in medicine overall, many specialties have been slower to diversify, and white men make up the majority of orthopedic surgeons.
Dr. Henderson told The Post and Courier she enjoys working in her specialty but also said she has felt alone at times.
"Certainly, it's always interesting and a little uncomfortable being the Only in the room," Dr. Henderson said in the report. "You feel it yourself, even if they don't purposefully point it out, you feel that you know you're different. That can be a little intimidating."
Isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic motivated Dr. Henderson to form a network of other Black orthopedic physicians, and the Black Women Orthopaedic Surgeons group began meeting virtually.
About 70 physicians, who include residents and medical students in orthopedics, are in the group. The group provides mentorship and encouragement for younger members.
"There's so few of us that it is helpful to keep those lines of communication open, as well as there are shared experiences," Dr. Henderson told the publication.
Dr. Henderson is continuing her mission of bringing other Black women into the orthopedic field. She told The Post and Courier she believes visibility is important.
"If you don't see a number of people who look like you or someone who has similarities to you, then it's hard for you to see yourself really achieving it," she said. "All of us by default have fallen into mentorship roles and it's been a blessing that I have been able to have conversations with medical students about how to make it successfully in orthopedics."