Next Steps: Advocating for Women in Orthopaedic Surgery

Scerpella, Tamara A.; Spiker, Andrea M.; Lee, Cassandra A.; Mulcahey, Mary K.; Carnes, Molly

doi:10.5435/jaaos-d-21-00932

Cited by 20 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 46 publications

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“…Thus, although match rates of female candidates are currently reflective of their application rates, the number of female residents pursuing orthopaedic surgery is far less than male residents. With increased early exposure in medical education with programs such as the Perry Initiative and improved female mentorship through the Ruth Jackson Orthopaedic Society and other organizations, the orthopaedic community can improve on the proportion of female candidates pursuing careers within orthopaedic surgery [21][22][23] .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Residency Match Rates in Orthopaedic Surgery Based on Sex, Under-Represented in Medicine Status, and Degree Type

et al. 2023

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Introduction: Orthopaedic surgery is well recognized as one of the most competitive and least diverse medical specialties. Despite efforts toward improving diversity, studies have shown that gender and racial/ethnic disparities continue to persist in orthopaedic graduate medical education. Therefore, we sought to identify the match rates of traditionally under-represented groups within orthopaedic surgery-female candidates, racial and ethnic minorities under-represented in medicine (URiM), and osteopathic physicians-compared with their application rates. Methods: A retrospective review of the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) application data from the 2017 to 2021 application cycles was performed, and the total number of applicants, sex, race/ethnicity, and degree type of all students applying for orthopaedic surgery were recorded. A separate database, the Orthopaedic Residency Information Network (ORIN), which is a database self-reported by residency programs to provide information to applicants, was also queried to identify the total number of residents, sex, race/ethnicity, and degree type of all current residents in June 2022, corresponding to those residents who matched in 2017 to 2021. Results: From the ERAS application data, a total of 7,903 applicants applied to orthopaedic surgery during the study period. A total of 1,448 applicants (18%) were female, 1,307 (18%) were URiM, and 1,022 (15%) were from an osteopathic medical school. Based on the ORIN database, 688 of 3,574 residents (19%) were female, 1,131 of 7,374 (19%) were URiM, and 1,022 of US medical school graduates (12%) had a DO degree. The application and match rates were not significantly different for female (p = 0.249) and URiM (0.187) applicants; however, there was a significant difference in the application and match rates (15% vs 12%; p = 0.035) for US medical graduates with a DO degree. Conclusion: In recent years, there has been a significant and necessary push to increase diversity in the field of orthopaedic surgery. From 2017 to 2021, match rates of female and URiM candidates are reflective of their application rates. Osteopathic applicants in orthopaedic surgery have a lower match rate than their allopathic counterparts. Level of Evidence: III Disclosure: The Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest forms are provided with the online version of the article (http://links.lww.com/JBJSOA/A485).

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Residency Match Rates in Orthopaedic Surgery Based on Sex, Under-Represented in Medicine Status, and Degree Type

et al. 2023

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“…Female surgeons may exhibit more empathy and rapport with patients than male surgeons. Thus, in the era of value-based health care, the issue of adequate sex diversity is a matter of strategic importance for orthopaedic surgery 29 .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A holistic assessment of the skill sets, accomplishments, and demographics of study investigators may ultimately improve the attainability of study goals. Third, mentorship and sponsorship remain critical to the advancement of sex equity in academic orthopaedic surgery 29,34 . Leaders in departments of orthopaedic surgery should intentionally seek opportunities to promote female faculty to positions of influence in leadership and research.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Women Are Underrepresented Among Principal Investigators of Hip and Knee Arthroplasty Clinical Trials in the United States

Silvestre

Walker

LaPorte

et al. 2023

Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery

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Background: Leadership of clinical trials confers national recognition and promotes academic advancement. We hypothesized that women would be underrepresented among principal investigators (PIs) of hip and knee arthroplasty clinical trials in the United States. Methods: A query of hip and knee arthroplasty clinical trials from 2015 to 2021 was performed on ClinicalTrials.gov. Clinical trials were included if they involved a U.S.-based orthopaedic-surgeon PI. We analyzed the sex representation of arthroplasty PIs among junior-level (assistant professor) and senior-level (associate or full professor) faculty. Participation-to-prevalence ratios (PPRs) were calculated by comparing the sex representation among arthroplasty PIs with that among academic arthroplasty faculty at institutions conducting hip and knee arthroplasty clinical trials. A PPR of <0.8 indicated underrepresentation and a PPR of >1.2 indicated overrepresentation. Results: A total of 157 clinical trials involving 192 arthroplasty PIs were included. Of these PIs, only 2 (1.0%) were women. PIs were mostly funded by academic institutions (66%) and industry (33%). U.S. federal sources funded a minority (1%) of PIs. Of the 243 male arthroplasty faculty who were eligible, 190 men (78.2%) served as PIs. In contrast, of the 17 female arthroplasty faculty who were eligible, only 2 women (11.8%) served as PIs (p < 0.001). Across the entire cohort of arthroplasty PIs, women were underrepresented (PPR = 0.16), whereas men were equitably represented (PPR = 1.06). Women were underrepresented at the assistant professor (PPR = 0.0), associate professor (PPR = 0.52), and full professor (PPR = 0.58) levels. Conclusions: Women were underrepresented among PIs of hip and knee arthroplasty clinical trials, which may lead to disparities in academic promotion and advancement. More research is needed to understand the potential barriers to female leadership of clinical trials. Greater awareness and engagement are needed to create sex equity in clinical trial leadership for hip and knee arthroplasty research. Clinical Relevance: The underrepresentation of women among arthroplasty PIs may lead to fewer options in surgical providers for patients and may limit access to musculoskeletal care for certain patient populations. A diverse arthroplasty workforce can promote attention to issues that disproportionately affect historically underrepresented and vulnerable patient populations.

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“…This is particularly important within orthopaedic surgery because women make up only 6.5% of practicing orthopaedic surgeons and 16% of orthopaedic surgery residents. 8…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This is particularly important within orthopaedic surgery because women make up only 6.5% of practicing orthopaedic surgeons and 16% of orthopaedic surgery residents. 8 However, the use of social media can be complicated for medical students, residents, and fellows seeking employment opportunities, especially when they are trying to maintain a separation of personal and professional information. 9,10 This is supported by a study by Irwin et al, 10 which evaluated how plastic surgery residency applicants use social media in the application process.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Perception and Usage of Social Media Among Women in Orthopaedics

DelPrete,

Gianakos,

LaPorte

et al. 2023

JAAOS Glob Res Rev

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Introduction: The use of social media for marketing, education, and networking has increased among orthopaedic surgeons. Social media has played an important role in supporting women physicians and trainees, by allowing connections to be made across stages of training and geographic borders. The purpose of this study was to determine the perceptions of female orthopaedic surgeons, fellows, residents, and medical students regarding their usage of social media. Methods: A 22-question anonymous survey regarding the perceptions of social media usage was distributed to 1,189 female members of Ruth Jackson Orthopaedic Society via e-mail in July 2022. Data collection lasted a total of 4 weeks, from July to August 2022. Data analysis was performed using descriptive statistics. Results: A total of 207 responses were received (17% response rate). The respondents comprised 90 orthopaedic surgeons (43%), 60 medical students (29%), 49 residents (24%), and eight fellows (4%). Ninety one percent of participants (189 of 207) reported having a social media account, with 23% (43 of 189) having separate ‘personal’ and ‘professional’ accounts. Less than half of all participants reported altering (51 of 189; 27%) or deleting (20 of 189; 11%) profiles for interviews. Fifty three percent of participants (109 of 207) ‘agreed’ that social media is a good way to network. Twenty eight percent of participants (58 of 207) feared gaining attention to their profile when engaging with professional accounts. Forty percent of participants (62 of 207) agreed that personal life events on social media can be considered unprofessional and should be kept on a private profile. Conclusion: Social media can be used to network professionally within orthopaedic surgery, connecting women at different levels of training. Although concerns about professionalism of social media accounts exist, this may be mitigated by maintaining a separate private account from a public, professional profile. Future guidelines regarding social media usage and how to maintain professionalism while being active on social media may be beneficial.

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Next Steps: Advocating for Women in Orthopaedic Surgery

Cited by 20 publications

References 46 publications

Residency Match Rates in Orthopaedic Surgery Based on Sex, Under-Represented in Medicine Status, and Degree Type

Residency Match Rates in Orthopaedic Surgery Based on Sex, Under-Represented in Medicine Status, and Degree Type

Women Are Underrepresented Among Principal Investigators of Hip and Knee Arthroplasty Clinical Trials in the United States

Perception and Usage of Social Media Among Women in Orthopaedics

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