It is great pleasure that we congratulate Harbor Hills's own Dr. Claudia L.Thomas on her recent Diversity award from the American Association Of Orthopaedic Surgeons.
Those of us that live and work at Harbor Hills that have known her both as a resident of our community and that have seen her as a patient are very proud of her.
First black U.S. female orthopedist receives AAOS diversity award1st on the web (March 7, 2008)
March 2008
SAN FRANCISCO — From an orthopedic residency that began more than 30 years ago, Claudia L. Thomas, MD, has risen through the ranks of her profession to receive an honor bestowed on only a few individuals.
Claudia L. Thomas
She was presented with the 2008 Diversity Award here at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons 75th Annual Meeting. Thomas was the first black female orthopedic surgeon in the country when she started practicing medicine in 1982.
Nominated more than once for the award, she told Orthopedics Today that her effort finally paid off. "It's wonderful and a very very positive thing," Thomas said.
Thomas admits she has surmounted many obstacles along the way and today helps men and women of all backgrounds seeking entrance not only into orthopedic residencies but into medical careers of all kinds, especially when their path is ridden with barriers. In an academy press release, she said, "I am still sought out by young people who are interested in pursuing orthopedics. This has given me the opportunity to mentor, encourage and 'prop up' those who may have felt discouraged along the way."
Her career and life have been varied. "My career has been all over the place, I guess you can say," she noted. Now in private practice in Florida, she has practiced at Johns Hopkins Medial Center in Baltimore and in St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The field is more diverse than when she entered it, Thomas noted. "Those of us who were female and minority who came through the specialty made an effort to attract medical students who would diversify the field of orthopedic surgery," she told Orthopedics Today.
Statistics from the AAOS show the increase in female orthopedists now exceeds that of black surgeons
