Faculty Diversity Associated With Decreased Orthopaedic Surgery Resident Attrition
Xi Chen1, Hiroko Matsumoto2,3, Lee S Haruno4
1Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
JB & JS Open Access
|September 15, 2025
Summary
Orthopaedic surgery residency programs with greater faculty diversity show lower resident attrition. Below-average faculty diversity increases attrition risk, particularly for female and underrepresented minority (URM) residents.
Area of Science:
- Orthopaedic Surgery
- Medical Education
- Diversity and Inclusion
Background:
- Underrepresented minority (URM) and female orthopaedic surgical residents face higher attrition rates.
- Faculty demographic diversity in orthopaedic surgery residency programs is a potential factor influencing resident retention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between orthopaedic faculty demographic diversity and resident attrition.
- To determine if increased faculty diversity is associated with decreased resident attrition rates.
Main Methods:
- Utilized demographic and attrition data for 13,785 orthopaedic residents and faculty from US accredited medical schools.
- Calculated faculty per year (FPY) to quantify faculty diversity (female and URM).
- Stratified programs into above-average and below-average faculty diversity groups to analyze attrition risk.
Main Results:
- Overall resident attrition was 3.2%, with female and URM residents showing higher rates (6.2% and 6.3%).
- Programs with above-average female and URM faculty diversity demonstrated a significantly decreased risk of resident attrition (RR=0.25 and RR=0.23).
- Below-average faculty diversity was linked to a significantly increased risk of overall resident attrition (RR=1.82).
Conclusions:
- Increased racial and gender faculty diversity in orthopaedic surgery programs correlates with lower resident attrition.
- Programs with below-average faculty diversity pose the highest attrition risk, especially for female and URM residents.
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