6 minute read
Paving the Road Less Traveled
There is something extraordinary about being the first. Neil Armstrong is celebrated as the first man on the moon. George Washington was the first U.S. president. As the first woman in the Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine’s history to enter into an orthopedic surgery residency, a traditionally male-dominated field, Haley Sernandez ’15, KYCOM ’19, is adding her name to the impressive list of firsts.
Across the country, women account for only 14 percent of orthopedic surgery residents, with less than five percent becoming actual attending physicians, making it the medical specialty with the least amount of female representation. Despite the odds stacked against her, Haley put in the work and never gave up.
Haley knew she wanted to be an orthopedic surgeon early on. After high school, she was part of a program introducing incoming firstyear students to the field of medicine.
“I saw my first surgery at 18, a leg amputation. I knew right then I was going to become an orthopedic surgeon, no matter what it took,” remembered Haley. “I had a lot of discouragement along the way, but I persevered to realize my dream. Everything works out how it’s supposed to.”
She is now finishing her third year of residency at Nassau University Medical Center in New York, where she describes the culture as being more progressive and welcoming to women. The residency program she is part of is now one-third women, despite Haley being the only female her first year.
“New York is very diverse and open to women in this profession. It’s more welcoming, and you don’t have to look one certain way to be accepted,” said Haley. “When I started here, I was the only woman, but I was glad to get in because some other hospitals I interviewed with automatically excluded me because I was female.”
There is a well-documented disparity of women applying for and training in orthopedic residencies, despite women making up nearly 50 percent of medical students. In explaining the nature of this profession, Haley discussed the gender imbalance in orthopedics, stating that women are often warned about how this specialty is too physically demanding for a woman and the long hours required are not conducive to raising a family.
“Early in my training, many people commented how they had never seen a woman in orthopedics before. Sometimes they acted nervous about accepting me into the ‘boysʼ club’ because they thought I would be too sensitive,” said Haley. “I believe if you can do the job, you should be accepted, no matter your race, gender or ethnicity. If you are a hard worker and willing to learn, you should be considered.”
Not everyone in Haley’s life tried to talk her out of the challenging career that lay ahead. Her most significant source of support came from her husband Marcos Sernandez Fondelius ’15, MBA ’17. The two met while on the tennis team their freshman year at UPIKE. Marcos came to the university from Spain after his high school coach encouraged him to create a YouTube video that UPIKE’s tennis coach saw.
“It’s like the universe had plans for us,” said Haley with a smile. “Both of us were set to attend other schools and came here and found each other. We owe UPIKE so much.”
After being accepted into UPIKE’s Osteopathic Medical Scholars Program, Haley completed her undergraduate degree in biology and was accepted into KYCOM, and Marcos graduated with his business degree, minoring in accounting. While Haley was finishing medical school, Marcos went on to earn his MBA and became a professor at the Coleman College of Business.
Haley recalls the intense scienceheavy workload needed to prepare her for medical school. Thankfully, she used music as a creative outlet and a way to manage stress.
“My favorite memories at UPIKE involve the choir because it was my stress reliever! I remember fundraising to take a trip to Ireland after my freshman year. It was a lot of fun, and we had the opportunity to sing in beautiful old Irish churches,” said Haley. “Even after I left the choir and started medical school, I would make time to catch their performances. The choir still holds a special place in my heart.”
As Haley’s professor, KYCOM Dean Joe Kingery, D.O., KYCOM ʼ06, MBA ʼ18, FACOFP, FAAFP, impacted her education by implementing alternative learning methods.
“Dr. Kingery was working at KYCOM in the clinical labs when I was a student. He helped give us more hands-on learning and not just textbook learning,” said Haley. “KYCOM prepared me for my career by teaching me not only the basics of medicine but also how to carry myself. Not only did I learn how to interact with mentors and professors and to be a better speaker, but I also experienced a lot of personal growth and was prepared in so many ways.”
Kingery says while KYCOM’s focus is on training future primary care physicians, Haley is an excellent reminder that students can excel in any specialty of medicine they choose.
“The fact that Dr. Sernandez was accepted to one of the most competitive and historically maledominated specialties shows the dedication she had for her future career,” said Kingery. “And that is what we saw with her during her training at KYCOM.”
While diversity in orthopedic surgery has grown over the last decade, women still face opposition to entering this specialty. Haley is proud to be part of the progress and hopes to be the example she did not have for other women choosing this field of medicine.
“I think historically there has been a picture of what orthopedic surgeons should be. It’s hard when you don’t have a role model in your field, and you have to carve your own path. I remember being so excited the first time I met a female attending orthopedic surgeon. It was like seeing a unicorn!” said Haley.
After Haley completes her fellowship in orthopedic trauma surgery to further specialize her training, she plans to return to Pikeville to fulfill KYCOM’s mission of medicine in the mountains in her own way as an orthopedic trauma surgeon.
Her advice for others who might be embarking on a career path out of the norm is to take the road less traveled. Her mother always told her that you only need one person to say yes to make your dreams come true.
“It’s important to keep pushing through the no’s and not let people discourage you, making you feel that you can’t do it just because you don’t look the part,” said Haley. “Others recognize when you have that grit in you. Eventually, you find the person who gives you your yes, so never give up.”
By Amy Charles
