The Forum is a private, not-for-profit organization for board-certified, fellowship-trained, female orthopaedic surgeons. Founded in 1999, The Forum was conceived as a partnership with women in industry, designed to support women orthopaedic surgeons by providing a place to share research and practice ideas and to stimulate interest and research in arthroscopic surgery. Membership has grown from a handful of founding members to nearly 100 strong in 2021. An annual meeting is held over Martin Luther King, Jr., weekend each year, combining scientific and social programs and highlighted by the Sandy Kirkley Memorial Lecture. The Forum has recently gained notoriety through the work of some of its members in advocating for the protection of athletes from sexual abuse and the publication of the first position statement on the topic, subsequently endorsed by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. A recent partnership with the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine and the Arthroscopy Association of North America to provide concurrent sessions at the 2021 combined annual meeting has increased the visibility of the society and its members.
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