Original Article

Medical Students’ Perceptions of Orthopedics as a Career for Women

Authors: Anna E. Crawford, BS, Kaitlin G. Burge, BA, Allen A. Yazdi, BS, Megan D. Coffin, MD, Christine S. Collins, MD, Aseel G. Dib, MD, Sara J. Gould, MD, MPH

Abstract

Objectives: To determine potential factors influencing female medical students’ interest and subsequent application to orthopedics, and to evaluate female and male medical students’ perceptions of women in the field of orthopedics.

Methods: An institutional review board–approved survey was distributed in March 2020 and subsequently in April 2022 to medical students in the classes of 2023 and 2024 at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Heersink School of Medicine. Study data were collected and managed using REDCap electronic data capture. An e-mail link to the REDCap survey was sent to students across the southeast region of the United States, followed by three reminder e-mails. All 25 allopathic medical schools in the southeastern United States with an Orthopedics Interest Group listed on their institution’s Web site were invited to participate in the study. Nine Orthopedics Interest Group leaders interested in participating were asked to provide the researchers with a list of fourth-year medical students who attended an event hosted by that group (215). A total of 39 respondents who completed the survey were included in this study.

Results: Overall, the majority of students (n = 35, 90%) believed that women faced more barriers to a career in orthopedics than did men. The most significant barriers to women entering the field of orthopedics were the perceived expectations of an orthopedic surgeon (n = 34, 87%), difficulty balancing career and family (n = 28, 72%), and demanding schedule (n = 13, 33%).

Conclusions: This study demonstrates that both male and female medical students believe there are significant additional barriers to success for women in the field. Study participants report that expectations set by physicians, other healthcare professionals, and patients contribute to creating greater barriers that deter medical students interested in orthopedics from ultimately applying to the specialty.
Posted in: Rheumatology and Orthopedics24

This content is limited to qualifying members.

Existing members, please login first

If you have an existing account please login now to access this article or view purchase options.

Purchase only this article ($25)

Create a free account, then purchase this article to download or access it online for 24 hours.

Purchase an SMJ online subscription ($75)

Create a free account, then purchase a subscription to get complete access to all articles for a full year.

Purchase a membership plan (fees vary)

Premium members can access all articles plus recieve many more benefits. View all membership plans and benefit packages.

References

1. Association of American Medical Colleges. ACGME residents and fellows by sex and specialty, 2019. https://www.aamc.org/data-reports/data/acgme-residents-and-fellows-sex-and-specialty-2019. Accessed July 15, 2022.
 
2. Van Heest AE, Agel J, Samora JB. A 15-year report on the uneven distribution of women in orthopedic surgery residency training programs in the United States. JB JS Open Access 2021;6: e20.00157.
 
3. Rohde S, Wolf M, Adams E. Where are the women in orthopaedic surgery? Clin Orthop Relat Res 2016;474:1950–1956.
 
4. Poon S, Luong M, Hargett D, et al. Does a career in orthopedic surgery affect a woman’s fertility? J Am Acad Orthop Surg 2021;29:e243–e250.
 
5. Mulcahey K, Nemeth D, Trojan I, et al. The perception of pregnancy and parenthood among female orthopedic surgery residents. J Am Acad Orthop Surg 2019;27:527–532.
 
6. Sandler B, Tackett J, Longo W, et al. Pregnancy and parenthood among surgery residents: results of the first nationwide survey of general surgery residency program directors. J Am Coll Surg 2016;222:1090–1096.
 
7. Hern G, Alter J, Wills P, et al. How prevalent are potentially illegal questions during residency interviews? Acad Med 2013;88:1116–1121.
 
8. Harris PA, Taylor R, Thielke R, et al. Research electronic data capture (REDCap)—a metadata-driven methodology and workflow process for providing translational research informatics support, J Biomed Inform 2009; 42:377–381.
 
9. Coffin M, Collins C, Dib A, et al. A plausible pipeline to diversifying orthopedics: premedical programming. J Surg Educ 2022;79:122–128.
 
10. Harris PA, Taylor R, Minor BL, et al; REDCap Consortium. The REDCap consortium: building an international community of software partners. J Biomed Inform 2019;95:103208.
 
11. Association of American Medical Colleges. 2022 FACTS: Applicants and Matriculants Data. Table A-1: U.S. Medical School Applications and Matriculants by School, State of Legal Residence, and Sex, 2019–2020. Available at: https://www.aamc.org/data-reports/students-residents/data/2022-facts-applicants-and-matriculants-data. Accessed August 16, 2022.
 
12. DeMaio M. Making the case (again) for gender equity. https://www.aaos.org/aaosnow/2019/jun/youraaos/youraaos05/ Published June 1, 2019. Accessed August 16, 2022.
 
13. Mickelson DT, Louie PK, Gundle KR, et al. Increasing medical student exposure to musculoskeletal medicine: the initial impact of the Orthopedic Surgery and Sports Medicine Interest Group. Adv Med Educ Pract 2017;8: 551–558.
 
14. Association of American Medical Colleges. Table B3: number of active residents, by type of medical school, GME specialty, and sex. https://www.aamc.org/data-reports/students-residents/data/table-b3-number-active-residents-type-medical-school-gme-specialty-and-sex. Published 2021. Accessed August 16, 2022.
 
15. Winkel AF, Hughes F, Blank SV. Nonreassuring status: improving obstetrician-gynecologist wellness. Obstet Gynecol 2017;130:1042–1046.