Healing rather than curing
Former ARI fellow Maria Antonia Gomez-Sierra has found her vocation in orthopedic oncology. Although much of the surgery she does is palliative, she finds deep meaning in her surgical specialty and is determined to make a difference for her patients.
In early 2019, almost immediately upon graduating from the University of the Andes in Bogotá, Colombia, Maria Antonia Gomez-Sierra traveled to Switzerland to begin a one-year fellowship at the AO Research Institute Davos (ARI). Five years later, she has no regrets about having taken this audacious decision. Speaking from Cali, Colombia, where she is in the last year of her four-year residency in orthopedic surgery, Gomez said: “Since I already knew that I was going to go into orthopedics, it was the perfect moment for me. Completing this fellowship straight after my graduation meant that I had a completely different perspective of what I was going to face when I started my residency a year later.” She also believes that her fellowship gave her an advantage compared to her peer residents, especially on the research aspect: “I learned to write grants and papers that would get published in high-impact journals, and acquired great methodology for conducting investigations.”
Once back in Colombia, it was a family crisis that caused Gomez to make another bold move: “My father is a survivor of pancreatic cancer, and as his caregiver, I had the opportunity to look at medicine from a different perspective.” She explained that this also meant seeing the team that took care of her father differently, and that she admired them not only for their medical knowledge and expertise, but also for how humane, thoughtful, and open-minded they all were. “I fell in love with the idea of being able to give and share this kind of treatment myself, so I decided to specialize in orthopedic oncology.”
In early 2019, almost immediately upon graduating from the University of the Andes in Bogotá, Colombia, Maria Antonia Gomez-Sierra traveled to Switzerland to begin a one-year fellowship at the AO Research Institute Davos (ARI). Five years later, she has no regrets about having taken this audacious decision. Speaking from Cali, Colombia, where she is in the last year of her four-year residency in orthopedic surgery, Gomez said: “Since I already knew that I was going to go into orthopedics, it was the perfect moment for me. Completing this fellowship straight after my graduation meant that I had a completely different perspective of what I was going to face when I started my residency a year later.” She also believes that her fellowship gave her an advantage compared to her peer residents, especially on the research aspect: “I learned to write grants and papers that would get published in high-impact journals, and acquired great methodology for conducting investigations.”
Once back in Colombia, it was a family crisis that caused Gomez to make another bold move: “My father is a survivor of pancreatic cancer, and as his caregiver, I had the opportunity to look at medicine from a different perspective.” She explained that this also meant seeing the team that took care of her father differently, and that she admired them not only for their medical knowledge and expertise, but also for how humane, thoughtful, and open-minded they all were. “I fell in love with the idea of being able to give and share this kind of treatment myself, so I decided to specialize in orthopedic oncology.”
“I learned to write grants and papers that would get published in high-impact journals, and acquired great methodology for conducting investigations.”
Maria Antonia Gomez-Sierra
The Fundación Valle del Lili, where Gomez is currently completing her residency, is the orthopedic oncology reference center for the entire south of Colombia. “A lot of the surgery we do is palliative,” she said, implying that many other residents were inclined to aim towards a more curative area of orthopedics. “But I just want to offer the best care I can offer at any time—any treatment, even if it’s just pain management or a shoulder to lean on.” Additionally, she believes that the field of orthopedic oncology holds great potential for advancing knowledge and moving towards a future with more curative interventions, supported by multidisciplinary teams.
Having embraced this surgical specialty, Gomez is fully aware of the commitment: “I gladly work long hours. Every patient and every surgery is an immense opportunity to heal and help. Recognizing that working in a less common surgical specialty the exposure to cases can be limited, I have taken advantage of the high volume of cases in my hospital to assist in as many as possible.” Gomez enjoys the practical work as much as she enjoys research, and she doesn’t want to give up one for the other. “When I’m in the OR I’m in a different place, and I love it, but real improvement comes from surgeons doing research.”
She also tries to learn as much as possible from her supervisors and mentors, of which two are especially dear to her: Daniel de la Vega, an orthopedic oncologist she currently works with at Fundación Valle del Lili, and Rodrigo Pesantez, the new AO Trauma Education Commission chairperson-elect.
Having embraced this surgical specialty, Gomez is fully aware of the commitment: “I gladly work long hours. Every patient and every surgery is an immense opportunity to heal and help. Recognizing that working in a less common surgical specialty the exposure to cases can be limited, I have taken advantage of the high volume of cases in my hospital to assist in as many as possible.” Gomez enjoys the practical work as much as she enjoys research, and she doesn’t want to give up one for the other. “When I’m in the OR I’m in a different place, and I love it, but real improvement comes from surgeons doing research.”
She also tries to learn as much as possible from her supervisors and mentors, of which two are especially dear to her: Daniel de la Vega, an orthopedic oncologist she currently works with at Fundación Valle del Lili, and Rodrigo Pesantez, the new AO Trauma Education Commission chairperson-elect.
“I just want to offer the best care I can offer at any time—any treatment, even if it’s just pain management
or a shoulder to lean on.”
Maria Antonia Gomez-Sierra
It was Pesantez who made her aware of an exceptional fellowship opportunity in musculoskeletal oncology at the University of Toronto and encouraged her to apply. Only a few weeks ago she found out that she was accepted, starting in June 2025. “Being able to go to Canada is top-notch. Toronto General has one of the largest sarcoma gene banks, and it’s a fantastic opportunity to broaden my horizons and soak up all the knowledge available.”
Gomez credits her fellowship at ARI’s Regenerative Orthopaedics Team and Focus Area Bone Biology as an important milestone in her promising career path so far. Having met “amazing surgeons” during her time at the AO, she is certain that she has benefitted from the global aspect of the foundation and wants to stay connected in the future: “Hopefully, I will soon be able to join AO Recon and open new doors for collaboration in the oncological research realm.”
Gomez credits her fellowship at ARI’s Regenerative Orthopaedics Team and Focus Area Bone Biology as an important milestone in her promising career path so far. Having met “amazing surgeons” during her time at the AO, she is certain that she has benefitted from the global aspect of the foundation and wants to stay connected in the future: “Hopefully, I will soon be able to join AO Recon and open new doors for collaboration in the oncological research realm.”
You might also be interested in:
- Learning more about ARI’s medical research fellowships
- From all over the world to Davos: Maria Antonia Gomez
- From all over the world to Davos: Jan Gewiess
- From all over the world to Davos: Amirsiavosh Bashardoust