Alana Munger, MD, PGY-3, has been named the new host of the Ruth Jackson Orthopaedic Society’s new podcast. Munger, who also started her own podcast last year, She Can Fix It, says the RJOS podcasts further delves into the women of orthopaedics and tells their stories of struggle and success to carve out their place. We spoke with Dr. Munger about the new work.
Tell us about the Ruth Jackson Orthopaedic Society and how the podcast fits into their mission.
The Ruth Jackson Orthopaedic Society is dedicated to promoting women's professional development in orthopaedic surgery - throughout all stages of their careers. I view RJOS as committed to supporting female surgeons and allowing them to realize that orthopaedics can be a career for them. In this podcast, I wanted to share the "untold stories" of orthopaedic surgery. This season focuses on women who have taken more non-traditional paths. I think that surgeons can be dissuaded many times from a particular career trajectory because it has not been done before or is atypical. My hope for this podcast is to provide hope for surgeons who plan to take more non-traditional paths and inspire them to realize that just because a route has not been taken before, does not mean that it cannot be taken. The surgeons in this season have not only taken a "Road Less Traveled,” but they have also been successful by taking this path.
You have experience with launching your own podcast in the past with She Can Fix It. What makes the RJOS different from the one you currently run?
I have loved creating the She Can Fix It Podcast. I have been fortunate to meet so many amazing women and be inspired by their stories. That podcast is meant to highlight various women each month who are taking charge in orthopaedics and speak about current topics – such as medical ethics during the coronavirus pandemic with Dr. Casey Humbryd or the state of graduate medical education with Dr. Lisa Taitsman.
The RJOS Podcast will be released in seasons – with each season having a different theme. All seasons will be dedicated to telling the untold stories within the field of orthopaedics. I have ideas of what I would like the other seasons to entail – the main message I want to drive home to listeners is to create their path in orthopaedic surgery. No matter who they are, what they look like, or their passions, they can carve their unique path and be successful within orthopaedics.
Please give us a preview of some of the guests and what to expect for the upcoming season.
My hope for this podcast is to provide hope for surgeons who plan to take more non-traditional paths and inspire them to realize that just because a route has not been taken before, does not mean that it cannot be taken. The surgeons in this season have not only taken a "Road Less Traveled,” but they have also been successful by taking this path.
Alana Munger, MD
The first season of the RJOS Podcast is about not holding back! We have eight exceptional surgeons that I truly enjoyed speaking with. I honestly learned something new with each surgeon that I talked to. I love making these podcasts – I feel as though I learn and grow with each episode that I do. Below is a preview of the eight surgeons in the first season of the RJOS Podcast:
- Bonnie Simpson Mason, MD, and I discuss racial and ethnic diversity in orthopaedics and her creation of the Nth Dimensions Educational Solutions organization.
- Reid Boyce Nichols, MD, and I discuss her path to become a surgeon after being an intensive care nurse and how leadership training influenced her career.
- Coleen Sabatini, MD, and I discuss her passion for global health and her work to eliminate health disparities.
- Robin West, MD, and I discuss her journey to become the Lead Team Physician for the Washington Nationals and the Head Team Physician for the Washington Redskins
- Deborah Fabian, MD, and I discuss her story of being a successful orthopaedic surgeon and a male to a female transgender person.
- Taryn Rose, MD, and I discuss how she transitioned from being an orthopaedic surgeon to an entrepreneur and creating her own namesake luxury shoe company
- Christine Ho, MD, and I discuss how she accomplished so much in pediatric orthopaedics while working as a part-time orthopaedic surgeon.
- Jasmin McGinty, MD, and I discuss racial and ethnic diversity in orthopaedics and her role as Vice President of the J. Robert Gladden Orthopaedic Society.
In your own experience, how have these interviews helped you as an orthopaedic surgeon? Have they shaped your approaches or changed how you view a situation with a patient and colleague?
I believe that I learn and grow with each episode that I do. It is so hard to pick out examples because there are so many. I remember speaking with Dr. Serena Hu about my reservations about spine surgery. She talked about how her thorough understanding of anatomy allowed her to gain confidence as she operated. I also remember speaking to Assistant Professor Elizabeth Gardner, MD, about imposter syndrome and realizing that it affects us throughout our careers. And with Claudia Thomas, MD, I remember feeling so fortunate for the surgeons who have already blazed the trail for the women in orthopaedics and feeling a sense of responsibility for carrying the torch and pushing the path toward a more diverse field. It truly has been such an honor to speak with these surgeons and I hope to continue to share their incredible stories.
Is there anything I haven’t asked you about that is worth mentioning or considering?
I do want to thank the surgeons who have been a part of the She Can Fix It Podcast as well as the RJOS Podcast. I have gotten such fantastic feedback from listeners, and I am so grateful that folks have tuned in to listen to these conversations. Right now, young women are told that the field of orthopaedics is not for them because they are not strong enough, or it is not conducive to a family lifestyle. In the future, I hope that when a woman expresses interest in orthopaedics, someone will tell her to check out these podcasts, and she will realize that she can in fact, be