Experience as an Orthopaedic Patient as a Motivating Factor for Pursuing a Career in Orthopaedic Surgery

The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence a personal experience with an orthopaedic injury or condition has on applicants' decisions to pursue orthopaedic surgery and to investigate current applicant motivations for pursuing orthopaedic surgery.

This was a cross-sectional survey study of orthopaedic surgery applicants during the 2023 to 2024 application cycle who applied to the residency program at a single academic institution.

Of the 290 respondents (38.5% response rate), approximately two-fifths (37.6%) reported experiencing a musculoskeletal injury/condition that influenced their decision to pursue orthopaedic surgery, with 64.2% requiring surgical intervention. Injuries were most commonly sustained while playing soccer (21.0%), American football (19.0%), and basketball (10.0%). The most common injuries reported included anterior cruciate ligament rupture (14.1%), ankle fracture (9.4%), and meniscus tear (6.3%). Applicants with a history of an anterior cruciate ligament rupture represented 6.2% (18/290) of the entire applicant cohort. Approximately one-fifth (21.7%, 63/290) of applicants reported that a musculoskeletal injury or condition experienced by a family member or friend had influenced their decision to pursue orthopaedic surgery. The most commonly selected motivating factor for deciding to pursue orthopaedic surgery was intellectual curiosity (86.6%), followed by clinical rotation experience (84.8%), mentor/faculty interactions (75.9%), personal experience with a musculoskeletal injury/condition (60.0%), and academic opportunities (51.7%).

A large portion of current orthopaedic surgery applicants were motivated to pursue orthopaedic surgery by a personal experience with an orthopaedic injury or condition. This study revealed many novel findings related to current orthopaedic applicant motivations for pursuing orthopaedic surgery as a career.