Pediatric Orthopaedic Medicine Workforce: Defining the Subspecialty and Trends.

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Orthopaedics
• Musculoskeletal Health
• Medical Subspecialties

Background:

• Pediatric orthopaedic medicine (POM) has emerged as a subspecialty over the last two decades.
• It involves pediatricians trained by specialists in orthopaedics, PM&R, and sports medicine.
• This subspecialty addresses a wide range of pediatric orthopaedic conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To define and describe the pediatric orthopaedic medicine (POM) subspecialty.
• To characterize the current workforce within POM.
• To summarize findings from the inaugural POM Workforce Survey by the AAP Section on Orthopaedics (AAP-SOOr).

Main Methods:

• A 79-question workforce survey was developed by AAP-SOOr leadership and members.
• The survey targeted POM subspecialists, collecting data on demographics, training, practice settings, and academic activities.
• Data analysis involved descriptive statistics using STATA 14.0; the study was IRB-exempt.

Main Results:

• The survey achieved an 85% response rate from distributed individuals.
• The POM workforce comprises 56% females and 44% males.
• The primary practice setting is academic (medical school/university) at 61%, followed by multispecialty groups (17%).

Conclusions:

• The surveyed POM workforce is diverse across gender, practice settings, and academic ranks.
• Findings offer insights for developing and recruiting talent in pediatric orthopaedic medicine.
• Integrating POM specialists into pediatric orthopaedic training is crucial for a versatile workforce.