Leadership Trends at Hand Surgery Fellowships

Abstract

Background: Fellowship directors (FDs) influence the future of trainees in the field of hand surgery. Currently, there are no studies that analyze the demographic background, institutional training, and academic experience of hand surgery FDs. This study aims to serve as a framework to understand the landscape of current leadership positions in hand surgery education and to identify opportunities to improve FD diversity. Methods: The American Society for Surgery of the Hand Fellowship Directory was reviewed to include all hand surgery fellowships in the United States. Collected demographic information regarding FDs included age, sex, ethnicity, residency/fellowship training, residency/fellowship graduation year, year hired by current institution, time since training completion until FD appointment, length in FD role, and H-index. Results: Of the 90 FDs included, 86.7% were men and 71.4% self-reported as Caucasian. The average H-index was 13.98 and significantly correlated with age and duration as FD; 71.1% of FDs were trained in orthopedic surgery. The most attended residency program was the University of Pennsylvania; Mayo Clinic and Harvard University were the most represented fellowship programs. Conclusion: This review reveals specific trends in demographic backgrounds, institutional training, and academic experiences among current FDs in hand surgery. Our observations, such as racial/ethnic and sex disparities, may offer opportunities to improve the representation of the communities these physicians serve. In addition, the trends described in this study provide objective data among current hand surgery FDs and could serve as a guide for individuals who desire academic leadership roles.

Benchmarking Accomplishments of Presidents Elected to Hand Surgery Societies in the United States

“…Election of leaders with diverse training backgrounds, abilities, and accomplishments may help promote the vitality of hand surgery as a discipline. 9,17,18 Results from our study demonstrated that hand surgery presidents possess diverse training experiences and high levels of scholarly impact as measured by the h-index, which exceeded that of professors in hand surgery fellowship programs. 12 We confirmed our hypothesis as more plastic surgery presidents served in the AAHS than ASSH.…”

Characterizing Gender and Leadership Trends Among Mohs Micrographic Surgery Fellowship Directors

“…This trend has been seen in other surgical specialties where women are taking on residency and fellowship directorships with fewer years in practice. 12,15 Increasing female representation among FDs was correlated with increasing female representation among fellows. This trend accords with studies across specialties that demonstrate how leadership equality may drive progress on other fronts.…”

“…This pattern may influence applicants with leadership ambitions to gravitate toward certain programs. 15 Further research is needed to understand why MMS FDs are more likely to have graduated from certain programs, ranging from the programs' training curricula, professional networks, and institution reputation to their likelihood of accepting applicants with inclinations for leadership. 14,16,25 A substantial number of FDs were appointed at the institutions where they completed their own fellowships, suggesting that MMS FDs have a hiring advantage at their training institutions.…”

“…This trend has been seen in other surgical specialties where women are taking on residency and fellowship directorships with fewer years in practice. 12,15…”

“…Characterizing FDs in terms of gender, academic rank, research productivity, educational background, and career timeline have yielded crucial insights to help mitigate inequities moving forward. 12–17 At present, there is a lack of research that characterizes FDs within MMS. Herein, the authors explore gender trends in MMS fellows and FDs over time and analyze FD characteristics to provide a framework for improving gender diversity.…”