The Current State of Orthopaedic Educational Leadership: A 5-Year Update

Area of Science:

• Orthopaedic Surgery
• Medical Education Leadership
• Surgical Training Programs

Background:

• Understanding leadership evolution in orthopaedic surgery is crucial for medical education, residency training, and patient care.
• This study provides a five-year update on leadership characteristics in orthopaedic educational programs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the current characteristics of orthopaedic educational leadership.
• To provide a five-year update on leadership trends in orthopaedic surgery programs.

Main Methods:

• Identified 159 accredited orthopaedic surgery residency programs.
• Collected data on academic rank, H-index, and publications for program directors (PDs) and chairs from public websites.
• Cross-referenced Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) and Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) data.

Main Results:

• Observed significant changes in leadership positions: 51.6% of PDs and 36.4% of chairs changed.
• A notable increase in female chairs was recorded (2.0% in 2020 to 7.9% in 2025, P=0.016).
• Chairs had longer careers and positions, higher academic rank, H-index, and more publications compared to PDs.

Conclusions:

• Orthopaedic surgery leadership has seen significant shifts in the past five years.
• There is a statistically significant increase in the proportion of female chairs.
• Findings offer valuable insights for those interested in orthopaedic leadership roles and trends.