K. Ji1, J. Mitchell1, K. Nolan3, A. Froehle2, J. Jerele2 1Wright State University, Boonshoft School Of Medicine, Dayton, OH, USA 2Wright State University, Department Of Orthopedic Surgery, Dayton, OH, USA 3Premier Health, Dayton, OH, USA
Introduction: Orthopedic surgery lacks gender parity, owing to several barriers to women. Identifying factors female medical students consider in choosing their future residency program is integral for residency programs in generating and maintaining gender diversity within their resident populations.
Methods: Website data was collected from 188/210 US orthopedic program websites for percentage of women interns, women residents and alumni since 2021, and women faculty members, transparency in parental leave policy, number of women in leadership positions, and other woman-friendly institutional factors. A survey was sent out via residency program coordinators Facebook groups asking women orthopedic attendings and residents (n=84) how much they value these factors in choosing their residency program, and how these compared to “career-focused” factors such as program prestige, location, and early surgical experience, in choosing residencies.
Results: The website review showed a significant positive correlation between the percentage of women interns, women residents and alumni, and women faculty. Women-friendly institutions also had a significantly higher percentage of women interns while parental leave transparency and women in leadership positions were not significant factors in the percentage of women interns. The survey results indicated that residents valued the number of female attendings, other female residents, women in leadership positions, and institutional climate toward women, while deemphasizing parental leave policy. However, when compared to “career-focused” factors, the factors given more importance were early surgical experience, location, and program prestige.
Conclusion: Institutional climate and other women in the program are important factors in women’s residency program choices, along with more traditional career-focused variables. This study identifies modifiable factors residency programs can implement to increase gender diversity in their resident population, improving practicing physician demographic representation. Awareness of factors women in orthopedics consider in their residency program selection can help programs emphasize these elements to better support women applicants.