#21 Karen Sutton - Surgical Competitor

Karen Sutton.
2015.
Boston.
I am competitive.
I am passionate.
I am a closer.
BE calmly intense.

Badass Quotes:
> “I’m very intense and deliberate in my actions.”
> “On paper, a lot of other people were better than I was, but on the field, I didn’t           realize how key of a player I was.”
> “In the classroom, I had a quiet intensity.”
> “How can I take this challenge and morph it into something spectacular?”
> “I do better with physically getting some nervous energy out.”
> “I like to push myself to succeed with the tools I’ve been given personally.”
> “I like to have things in order.”
> “I’m just going to do the best my hands are capable of doing.”

Podcast Intro:
Dr. Karen Sutton was once a fierce defender from Duke University and now she is among the 3-6% of female Orthopedic Surgeons in this country. She is pint-sized. She is a mother of four. She is fueled by intensity. And she is so competitive, she might just call a timeout and rip you a new one if you’re not IN it to win it. Dr. Karen Sutton is a strong woman who knows her strengths, is constantly looking for ways to increases her competencies and step out of her comfort zone. She is a persistent persister who persists.

Official Bio:
Dr. Sutton is a board-certified sports medicine surgeon with surgical expertise in arthroscopy of the shoulder, knee and hip. She is an Associate Attending Orthopedic Surgeon at Hospital for Special Surgery and Head Team Physician for United States Women's Lacrosse. [more ...] 

Biggest Takeaways:
> How her coach at Duke pushed her to lead differently
> Comparing her on-field and in-classroom self
> Practicing Craft vs. Expanding Knowledge
> Hardest time during medical school
> What women bring to Orthopedic Surgery vs. men
> Being a female team doctor to men’s professional sports teams
> What is it like when you are rejected because of your gender
> How your biggest loss can become your favorite failure
> How to hide fear in the operating room 
> How reaction time slows down for girls due to hormones
> Why she is scared of success

Major Conversation Highlights:
> Her timeout speech when her team was down
> What were her long-term goals in college 
> A mentor who helped her find her way to Orthopedic Surgery
> Dissecting a Cadaver 
> Hardest thing about being a women in male-dominated field 
>  When Patriots refused to work with her because she was a woman
> What she learned from playing competitive piano 
> How failure in piano led to strong public speaking 
> The story of a most memorable patient
> What they don’t teach you in medical school 
> Karen’s 7-line pitch 
> Why women tear their ACL more frequently
> Karen’s self-evaluation 

Social Media:
Instagram - @karensuttonmd
LinkedIn
Facebook - @karensuttonmd
Twitter - @ksutt001

Science & More Info:
Girls Tearing ACLs More Than Boys
Girls Psychological Recovery from ACL

Additional Links:
Karen’s Website
Personal Blog
Hospital for Special Surgery