Matching residency numbers to the workforce needs

Matching the number of surgeons to the demands for orthopedic services has been notoriously difficult. Not only does one need to evaluate current trends in the supply and provision of services but anticipate the impact of future reforms on these variables. The British Orthopaedic Association has aspired to provide consultant to population ratio of 1:15,000 by 2020. Currently, the orthopedic community is tasked with providing care for an aging population with soaring levels of obesity; with both of these factors set to grow and also with an overall decline in productivity. Orthopedic surgeons must brace themselves for an explosion in demand. At the same time, a paradigm shift has occurred in the delivery of services with the creation of specialist centers. We are amidst a generational shift in the demographics and psychology of the orthopedic workforce. The orthopedic community must be aware of the effects of these far-reaching changes when tailoring the supply of surgeons for the future needs.