Applying to Orthopaedic Residency: How Is An Applicant's Parental Background Associated With Opportunity Equity?

Area of Science:

• Orthopaedic Surgery
• Medical Education
• Socioeconomic Factors in Medicine

Background:

• Parental educational attainment and occupation are potential socioeconomic determinants influencing medical students' career paths.
• Understanding these influences is vital for addressing disparities in competitive residency programs like orthopaedic surgery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the association between parental education/occupation and orthopaedic surgery residency applicants' demographics, finances, experiences, and match success.
• To identify potential socioeconomic factors affecting access and success in orthopaedic surgery training.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of 10,697 US orthopaedic surgery residency applicants (2011-2021) using Association of American Medical Colleges data.
• Categorization of parental education (doctorate to no college degree) and occupation (physician, healthcare, working class, STEMM).
• Statistical comparison of applicant characteristics, debt, funding, medical school attended, experiences, and match rates using Chi-squared and t-tests.

Main Results:

• Applicants with physician parents were less likely to be underrepresented minorities (11% vs. 15%).
• Higher parental education correlated with lower educational debt and scholarship funding.
• Applicants with parents in STEMM fields or holding doctorates attended higher-ranked medical schools and reported more research experiences.
• Parental educational attainment was linked to differences in reported work experiences and residency match success.

Conclusions:

• Parental educational background is associated with significant variations in educational debt, extracurricular activities, and residency match rates among orthopaedic surgery applicants.
• These findings highlight the need for interventions to promote equity and level the playing field for all individuals pursuing orthopaedic surgery.
• Addressing socioeconomic disparities is essential for fostering a diverse and inclusive future orthopaedic surgery workforce.