Founder's Story
Breaking the Scalpel Ceiling: Dr. Paula Ferrada’s Trailblazing Journey in Trauma Surgery | Ep. 189
15 Mar 2025
Dr. Paula A. Ferrada, MD, is a trailblazer trauma surgeon who has shattered barriers in a traditionally male-dominated field. Hailing from Colombia, her remarkable journey to becoming a leading surgeon in the U.S. exemplifies resilience, innovation, and unwavering determination. Her groundbreaking work redefines trauma care and paves the way for future generations of women in medicine.HER JOURNEY: FROM HUMBLE BEGINNINGS TO THE OREarly Life & Inspiration:Born in Colombia, where her nurse mother and surgeon father introduced her to medicine at a very young age.“Surgery picked me,” she recalls, having witnessed deliveries and surgeries as a child.Path to the U.S.:Moved to the United States to train at renowned institutions such as Emory, Grady Memorial, and eventually Harvard—becoming the first Colombian woman to graduate from a Harvard surgery program.Further honed her skills through fellowships in Pittsburgh, Maryland’s Shock Trauma center, and over a decade of practice at Virginia Commonwealth University.BREAKING BARRIERS & LEADING WITH EMPATHYOvercoming Challenges: Latina physicians represent only 6.3% of the U.S. physician pool, with Latina female physicians making up less than 2.4%. Dr. Ferrada’s achievements speak volumes about perseverance in a challenging field.Leadership Style: Believes in vulnerability, teamwork, and creating a culture where every team member feels empowered to speak up.Asserts that true leadership in trauma is about trusting your team and maintaining a patient-centered focus, even under pressure.PASSION FOR RESEARCH & MENTORSHIPAdvancing Medicine: Authored over 130 peer-reviewed articles, driving forward innovation in trauma care by challenging old paradigms.Empowering the Next Generation: A dedicated mentor whose guidance has inspired many young surgeons to achieve their goals.Passionate about building a legacy based not on accolades but on the lives she’s helped shape.THE HUMAN SIDE OF TRAUMA SURGERYThriving Under Pressure: Embraces the intensity of trauma surgery, where split-second decisions make a life-or-death difference.Wellness & Resilience: Focuses on gratitude, maintaining autonomy, and cherishing the little moments of joy (like catching a glimpse of the sunshine) as key elements to avoid burnout and keep passion alive.Learn more at: https://www.inova.org/doctors/paula-a-ferrada-mdOur Sponsors:* Check out Indeed: https://indeed.com/FOUNDERSSTORY* Check out Northwest Registered Agent and use my code FOUNDERS for a great deal: https://northwestregisteredagent.com* Check out Plus500: https://plus500.com* Check out Rosetta Stone and use my code TODAY for a great deal: https://www.rosettastone.com
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Hey, everyone. Welcome back to Founders Story. Today, we have a very special guest. And I've really been interested to learn more about what is it like to be a trauma surgeon. So we wanted to get an incredible, inspirational person, Dr. Paula Ferrata. You are a trauma surgeon. You were born in Columbia. And I know you're going to share your whole story.
And you are now one of the few doing what you do with the background that you have. And it's amazing. I mean, a trauma surgeon has to be one of the most complex jobs in the world. I mean, I can't wait to dive in. But let's begin with your story. How did you and why did you want to become a surgeon?
Dan, it's a pleasure to be here. Thank you for having me. As you said, I was born in Colombia, South America, and I had the privilege of having a mom that was a nurse and a dad that was a surgeon. And I'm going to be honest and vulnerable. When they didn't have health, when they didn't have child care, it just brought me to work. So I saw babies being delivered when I was 11 years old.
I started watching my dad in the operating room when I was 12 years old. And it was more like surgery picked me than the other way around. Now, how I made it to the United States is like doing training. In Colombia, we would go straight from high school to medical school and doing training. There was a gap. So I came to the United States to Emory Grading Memorial to do a rotation.
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