Is There Unconscious Bias in the Orthopaedic Residency Interview Selection Process?

Webber, Colton; Davie, Ryann; Herzwurm, Zachary; Whitehead, Jonathon; Paré, Daniel W.; Homlar, Kelly C.

doi:10.1016/j.jsurg.2022.02.003

Cited by 3 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…When it comes to explaining the relatively low representation of minorities in orthopedics, the application and match process is a major hurdle. Compared to White applicants in the 2020-2021 application cycle, underrepresented populations had lower step scores while having more research projects [ 14 ]. However, even when controlling for variables such as STEP 1 and 2 scores, AOA status, etc., minorities were still less likely to match orthopedics compared to Caucasian applicants [ 4 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, even when controlling for variables such as STEP 1 and 2 scores, AOA status, etc., minorities were still less likely to match orthopedics compared to Caucasian applicants [ 4 ]. Research by Webber et al suggests that White applicants may be implicitly favored by admission committees, who assign higher scores to applications from Whites when applicants’ race is disclosed to them [ 14 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Recent Trends in the Effect of Race and Gender on the Orthopedics Match

Brandt,

Chung,

Razzouk

et al. 2024

Cureus

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Introduction Orthopedics has a reputation for being competitive but not diverse. Leaders of the orthopedics community have been making efforts to increase the participation of women and minorities in the field by raising awareness and strengthening pipeline programs. We aim to explore the trends in the risk of not matching by comparing the proportions of women and underrepresented populations in the applicant pools versus proportions in residency programs. Simultaneously, we aim to evaluate if women or underrepresented population applicants exhibit a lower likelihood of applying to orthopedics compared to male and White applicants. Methods The study received an IRB exemption. The authors collected Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) data books for the years 2015-2016 to 2022-2023 to obtain demographic information on orthopedic residents in training during each of those academic years. The pool of corresponding applicants (for example: residents in training during the 2021-2022 academic year would consist of five classes, made up of applicants from 2016-2017 to 2020-2021) was then tabulated from Electronic Residency Applications Service (ERAS) statistics, which are publicly available on the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) website. The race and gender composition of the applicant pool was compared to that of corresponding enrolled residents to calculate the relative risk (RR) of women not matching compared to men and underrepresented population applicants (Blacks, Hispanics, Asians, and Native Americans) compared to White applicants. ERAS data was subsequently used to calculate the percentages of each demographic applying to all residency programs and orthopedic programs. Results For female applicants into orthopedic residency, they had a similar RR of going unmatched when compared to their male counterparts. In the academic year 2020-2021, there was an exception to this as women had a slightly higher RR of going unmatched. All underrepresented populations had a higher risk of not matching compared to White applicants for all cycles, peaking for residents in training in 2020-2021. The trendline improved for residents in the following year. Throughout the study, women accounted for 46.61% of applicants applying for any residency; however, they only accounted for 16.98% of applicants applying for orthopedic residency. A similar discrepancy is noted among Asian applicants but not Black or Hispanic applicants. Conclusions Underrepresented populations were increasingly less likely to match into orthopedics relative to White applicants until 2021. In the academic year of 2021-2022, there was an improvement in this trend for all studied underrepresented populations. Although the exact explanation for this is unclear, it is associated with the transition to virtual applicant interactions. The female gender did not appear to be a consistent advantage or disadvantage in the match. Women and Asian applic...

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%