Esther Nissen

Convergent Science
Expert Assignment
Dr. Dawn LaPorte, M.D. currently works as a professor of orthopedic surgery at the

Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. She works for the Orthopedic Surgery Training Program as

the residency program director. Dr. LaPorte received her undergraduate degree from the

Massachusetts Institute of Technology and then went on to complete her orthopedic surgery at

Johns Hopkins University. At the Curtis National Hand Center, she then finished her hand and

upper extremity surgery fellowship training. Dr. LaPorte currently is a Member-at-Large of the

American Society of Surgery for the Hand (ASSH) and serves on many ASSH committees, like

the Diversity and the Resident Education Committees. During 2020, she was also the ASSH

Annual Meeting Program Chair and serves on the Governing Council of the Nation Council of

Orthopedic Residency Directors. Some of Dr. LaPorte’s publications include “MDCT of hand

and wrist infections: emphasis on compartmental anatomy”, “Reliability and Validity of 3

Methods of Assessing Orthopedic Resident Skill in Shoulder Surgery”, and “Hand Problems

Related to Chemotherapeutic Agents.” Dr. LaPorte’s expertise will be useful in my research

because as a female orthopedic surgeon for many years, she has seen the industry grow over the

course of her career and has also seen and experienced subtle sexism in this male-dominated

field. She will provide first hand evidence of what it is like to be a successful woman in the

industry and provide more insight on how to bring more women into the field today.
January 6, 2021
Dawn LaPorte
10803 Falls Road
Pavilion III, Suite 2100
Lutherville, MD 21093

Dear Dr. Dawn LaPorte,

My name is Esther Nissen and I am currently a senior at Glenelg Country School, a college
preparatory school in Maryland. As part of the senior curriculum at my school, I have decided to
write my culminating paper on a topic that I am interested in: orthopedics, or more specifically
the gender inequality within the industry since it is a male-dominated field. As a female
orthopedic surgeon, I would love to have your help and insight in my research paper.

In my senior research paper, I plan on analyzing the economic impact of the orthopedic industry,
how it has grown into large corporation that it is today, and how it has become such a male-
dominated field compared to other medical specialties. The question that I currently have
propelling my paper is that even though the industry lacks diversity, why has orthopedics
developed into the massive corporation it is today in the United States? Having you as a source
will give me an expert view on what it is like for a woman to work in the industry and will allow
me to get specific information about any sexism that women may experience in the workplace
environment. Any insight you can offer would be greatly appreciated! I believe that with your
expertise, my paper will be able to reach its highest potential and answer my essential question
as adequately as possible. I can be reached at esthern@glenelg.org at your convivence. Thank
you for your time and I hope to hear from you in the future.

Sincerely,
Esther Nissen
Glenelg Country School
12793 Folly Quarter Road
Ellicott City, MD 21042
 Expert Questions
1. How long have you been an orthopedic surgeon in your field?
2. Where and what did you study in college to get you to where you are today?
3. What made you choose orthopedics when you were deciding on a medical profession?
4. Do you have any regrets in your decision to choose orthopedics?
5. What is your specialty within orthopedics?
6. What made you decide you wanted to pursue this specific specialty compared to another?
7. When you were choosing a medical specialty, did you have a mentor or teacher to guide
you?
8. How impactful was having a mentor when deciding on a medical profession?
9. Have you experienced firsthand any sexism towards you while you have worked in the
industry?
10. If yes, how do you handle these sexist encounters?
11. Is there anything you wished you could go back in time to change about your experiences
in orthopedics?
12. How important do you think women are to the orthopedic industry – should more of an
effort be made to attract them to it?
13. What do you believe are reasons that women are not as drawn to orthopedics as they are
to other medical professions?
14. Why do you think orthopedics became such a male-dominated field to begin with?
15. What is your favorite part of working in orthopedics?
16. What is your least favorite part of working in orthopedics?
17. What are challenges you face in orthopedics and how do you manage them?
18. Have you found it difficult to maintain a good work-life balance as an orthopedic
surgeon?
19. What are your thoughts on the gender wage gap apparent within the industry?
20. What are the biggest challenges facing the orthopedic industry as a whole?
21. How would you say the orthopedic industry has developed or changed as you have been a
part of it?
22. Are there any misconceptions around the industry that you would like to clear up?
23. Where do you see the orthopedic industry going in the future?
24. Would you recommend people in joining orthopedics and choosing it as their specialty?
25. What might you tell a prospective medical student looking to choose orthopedics as their
specialty?