ONS shoulder, elbow and knee specialist, Dr. Katherine Vadasdi, received the 2017 Female Trailblazer Award at the annual Fairfield County Doctors of Distinction Awards ceremony held in Darien last week. The award recognizes female doctors who make great strides in empowering other women to advocate for themselves and be aware of their specific medical needs.

Dr. Vadasdi was praised for her role as director of the ONS Women’s Sports Center, where she treats female athletes of all ages.  She empowers them to make sound, healthy choices for athletic participation, injury prevention and/or recovery by educating them about the conditions and risks unique to their physiology.

She guides them not only as a physician, but as an accomplished triathlete, having completed Ironman competitions, as an alpine climber who has ascended Mount Kilimanjaro, Mount Rainier and the Grand Teton, among others, and as someone who enjoys less demanding sports including squash, skiing and sailing.

In addition, Dr. Vadasdi was also commended as an important role model to female medical students considering a career in orthopedics. Currently, only 14 percent of all orthopedic surgeons are women.

In accepting the award, Dr. Vadasdi advised young women to pursue their dreams, regardless of any obstacles.  “I never let the fact that I was a female serve as a barrier to achieving my goals,” she said. Unconditional support and encouragement of family members, friends, and colleagues is of paramount importance, she said. “I wouldn’t be here without that support.”

Dr. Vadasdi graduated from Dartmouth College and earned her medical degree at Dartmouth Medical School. She served her residency in orthopedics at the Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS), and completed fellowship training in shoulder, elbow and sports medicine at Columbia University Medical Center.

As a member of the Board of Directors at the ONS Foundation for Clinical Research and Education, Dr. Vadasdi is active in ongoing research, including the current groundbreaking study to curb opioid addiction among teens and athletes.  She has published articles in numerous medical journals and has been identified by Castle Connolly annually since 2013 as among the best in her specialty in Fairfield County.  Additionally, Dr. Vadasdi serves as a mentor through the Foundation’s Research and Summer Internship Programs. She also serves as a mentor during the Mini-Med School program. It which provides 15 high school students with the opportunity to participate in a one week long workshop in orthopedics.

Dr. Vadasdi has been in practice with ONS since 2010. She treats patients at the ONS offices in Greenwich and Stamford, CT.