Dr Marí Thiart – Paediatric Orthopaedic Surgeon – Stellenbosch University: Diversity and Inclusion

This week on Womanity-Women in Unity, Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka talks to Dr Marí Thiart who is a Paediatric Orthopaedic Surgeon based at Stellenbosch University and Tygerberg Hospital in Cape Town, South Africa. She is President of the International Orthopaedic Diversity Alliance (IODA) and founder of the South African Female Orthopaedic Surgeons' Society (SAFOSS) In South Africa only 5% of orthopaedic surgeons are female; unfortunately this is a global trend. One of Dr Thiart’s objectives is to promote diversity and inclusivity in the field. These ideals are advocated by IODA and SAFOSS. Industry partners are also helping to evolve the discipline by making tools and instruments more women friendly to accommodate their physiology. Dr Thiart shares some of her passion for pursuing orthopaedics as a specialisation, noting that in this discipline she aims to treat and cure patients rather than manage a condition. She has a special interest in treating children, addressing conditions like bone and joint infections, cerebral palsy and limb reconstruction. She describes how rewarding it is to see children transition into better versions of themselves after treatment. Dr Thiart closes the discussion with a few words of wisdom that encourages women to believe in their natural talents and develop them and to look for allies to help open doors to opportunities to help you reach your goals. Tune in for more…