Race, But Not Gender, Is Associated With Admissions Into Orthopaedic Residency Programs

Abstract

Background Orthopaedic surgery is one of the most competitive but least diverse surgical specialties, with everincreasing academic achievements (such as test scores) shown by applicants. Prior research shows that white applicants had higher United States Medical Licensing Exam (USMLE) Step 1 and Step 2 Clinical Knowledge scores as well as higher odds of Alpha Omega Alpha status compared with Black, Hispanic, and other applicant groups. Yet, it still remains unknown whether differences in application metrics by race/ethnicity sufficiently explain the underrepresentation of certain racial or ethnic minority groups in orthopaedic residency programs. Questions/purposes In this study, we sought to determine (1) the relative weight of academic variables for admission into orthopaedic residency, and (2) whether race and gender are independently associated with admission into an orthopedic residency. Methods The Electronic Residency Application System (ERAS) data from the Association of American Medical One of the authors certifies that she (SCP), or a member of her immediate family, has received or may receive payments or benefits in an amount of USD 10,000 to USD 100,000 in grants from the Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America, personal fees in an amount of USD 10,000 to USD 100,000 from Medtronic Inc (Minneapolis, MN, USA), personal fees in an amount of USD 10,000 to USD 100,000 from Stryker Inc (Kalamazoo, MI, USA), and grants in an amount less than USD 10,000 from the Orthopaedic Research and Education Foundation (Rosemont, IL, USA), outside the submitted work. Each remaining author certifies that neither he nor she, nor any member of his or her immediate family, has funding or commercial associations (consultancies, stock ownership, equity interest, patent/licensing arrangements, etc.) that might pose a conflict of interest in connection with the submitted article. All ICMJE Conflict of Interest Forms for authors and Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research® editors and board members are on file with the publication and can be viewed on request. Each author certifies that his or her institution waived approval for the reporting of this investigation and that all investigations were conducted in conformity with ethical principles of research.

Current Perceptions of Diversity Among Head Team Physicians and Head Athletic Trainers: Results Across US Professional Sports Leagues

“…Based on these studies, it is plausible that poor rates of minority and female representation at every level of orthopaedics is a main driver of the similar trends found among HTPs in our study. 27 , 33 , 34 , 41 We did not find any differences between White and minority HTPs in terms of type of medical degree obtained, orthopaedic specialization, or number of years in practice, suggesting that a credential-based rationale for the low rates of minority representation is less likely. Increasing the percentage of minority providers within professional sports may have a number of benefits, including improved player-provider communication and trust.…”

“…Female and minority representation in orthopaedic residency nationwide has also been studied. 7 , 28 , 33 Poon et al 32 studied orthopaedic demographic trends from 2005 to 2016 and found that among all the surgical specialties, orthopaedics consistently demonstrated some of the lowest rates of female and minority residents. Female resident representation increased from 10.9% to 14.4% during the study period (mean 13.3% over 10 years) but represented a significantly lower rate of increase compared with all surgical specialties, save urology.…”

Perceptions of the Universal Interview Offer Day in the Orthopaedic Surgery Residency Interview Process

“…Possible issues to be addressed include transparency in the selection process, holistic review of applications, bias in interviewing and ranking, application and/or interview caps, and match violations. 18,[30][31][32][33] This study is not without limitations. Using a survey has the risks of selection bias, which might limit the generalizability of the results.…”

“…Possible issues to be addressed include transparency in the selection process, holistic review of applications, bias in interviewing and ranking, application and/or interview caps, and match violations. 18,30-33…”

Editor’s Spotlight/Take 5: Race, But Not Gender, Is Associated With Admissions Into Orthopaedic Residency Programs

“…The findings on race in this study cry out not for more study, as is so often suggested, but for immediate action by residency programs, and perhaps those entities that accredit them. If this study [20] isn’t already the main item on every program’s residency-selection committee agenda for this month, it needs to be—so pass it along to the people you know who need to see it. When they look it over, I hope they’ll pay particular attention to the authors’ two-pronged recommendations [20], which make specific suggestions both about the application process and each program’s environment.…”