2025: LIONZ are roaring in Dunedin this year! 
The pride gathers June 7 & 8 at the Fable Hotel - CLICK HERE for the registration & information website

1 March 2025 LIONZ worked with Ngā Rata Kōiwi to mark the fellowship of the first two Māori female orthopaedic surgeons in NZ. 
For Blogspot CLICK HERE

LIONZ 2024 in Auckland
And the momentum just keeps growing! This year there were a 100 delegates, 50 of them medical students.
Thank you to all our sponsors & colleagues for your support in making this another memorable meeting.
You can see a gallery of the meeting at this link.
This year industry partners sponsored three med students attendance - click on their names for insights into their experiences & thoughts. Libby Holdaway,  Juliette Newman & Sam Summerfield.
 

LIONZ 2023 in Wellington
There's a gallery of this amazing opportunity to share, learn & catch up at this link 
The number of subscribed male LIONZ Society members is growing rapidly every year. We also need our male colleagues assistance & support at the annual forums...please come to the next one!
Education, teaching & connection combine in an endorphin boosting experience that challenges & engages in a dynamic fun atmosphere.  Student Claire Ma recounts her LIONZ Forum experience at this link & here's what two of our colleagues said after 2023...

 

LIONZ 2022 in Christchurch ( with OWLS!)
Gallery from the LIONZ 2022 meeting at this link 

LIONZ are committed to supporting female surgeons, breaking down barriers, promoting diversity and being advocates for cultural change.

LIONZ events feature practical workshops, support networking and mentoring while also creating opportunities for our female registrars to take a leading role in teaching and inspiring future surgeons.

In 2019 LIONZ became part of the International Orthopaedic Diversity Alliance (IODA) an international collaboration advocating for gender and cultural diversity in orthopaedics across the globe. It has been a stimulating and thought-provoking entity to be involved with and we look forward to sharing information and ideas with this group & others such as OWL in Australia or WOW.

Orthopaedics is sometimes still regarded as a specialty requiring bulk, so by sharing our stories and shining a light on the highs & lows - we can be agents for meaningful change and hopefully inspire female medical students & registrars to explore orthopaedics as a rewarding option. Check out the insightful blogs by students & registrars (links are higher up by associated conference year)

LIONZ 2023

Building on the success of 2022 in Christchurch, in 2023 LIONZ Co-Chairs Nikki Hooper & George Chan hosted the annual forum in Wellington. The workshop for female delegates in the morning gave everyone an opportunity to get hands on & a highlight was trialing tools designed specifically for smaller hands.
In the afternoon there were concurrent sessions: one supporting interview preparation & the other moderated by Southern Cross Healthcare on setting up private practice. Both sessions received very positive feedback.

LIONZ 2023

At the end of the 2023 forum LIONZ held their AGM & completed the administration needed to become an incorporated society.

Industry Sponsored Students

In 2024 the forum expanded to 1.5 days to give delegates the longer time they'd requested. First up was the hands on workshop. As evident in the gallery, this was superbly supported by industry & colleagues alike.
In the afternoon we enjoyed a stimulating & thought provoking line up of speakers:
Michelle Dickinson: Inspiring the next generation - why it matters
Melanie Johns: Professional Supervision: What is it and why should doctors use it?
Lily Garcia: Occupational hazards and pregnancy in Orthopaedics
Phill McChesney-Fertility Associates: The ins and outs of reproductive technology. 
Dinner that night (with photobooth fun) was in the Maritime Room on Princes Wharf and on Sunday morning Sue Stott guided delegates through the research process and the meeting then concluded with an interview preparation session. Roll on 2025 7+8 June in Dunedin... Registrations are now open!

To be added to the LIONZ Newsletter list, please email your details to vanya@nzoa.org.nz 
Request to join LIONZ on Facebook here     LIONZ Instagram here

If you want to know more about LIONZ or to share some thoughts and ideas - please contact the chair(s) or student rep.
Current LIONZ Committee:
Co-Chairs: Emma Lacy & Jillian Lee  (Immediate past Chairs: George Chan & Nikki Hooper)
Secretary & Treasurer: Carrie Lobb
Trainee Rep: Darina Gilroy  (Immediate past Rep: Teriana Maheno )

Here's a link to a 8 min animated clip  - diversity and inclusion in action & the future is woven!