Female Non-orthopaedic Surgeon Faculty Are Associated with Female Resident Gender Diversity in Orthopaedic Surgery...

Orthopaedic surgery still has one of the lowest representations of female physicians of all specialties. This investigation evaluated the association of female non-orthopaedic surgeon faculty (NOSF) and female orthopaedic surgeon faculty (OSF) with female resident composition in orthopaedic surgery residency programs. A secondary objective was to evaluate the association between female leadership and female residents. It was hypothesized female NOSF, OSF, residency program leadership, and departmental leadership are positively correlated with female resident composition.

Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education-accredited orthopaedic surgery residency programs for the 2024 to 2025 academic year were included. Military residencies and residency programs that did not report residents and faculty were excluded. The total number of OSF and female OSF was recorded from both program websites (W-OSF) and programs' self-reported data (SR-OSF) in 2 publicly available databases. The number of female residents, NOSF, and leadership was extracted from program websites. Gender identity was confirmed using the National Provider Identifier database. Univariate, multivariate, and correlation statistics between female residents, OSF, NOSF, total faculty, and other program characteristics were examined.

In all, 198 programs reported residents and faculty and were included. The percentage of female residents was significantly correlated with the number of female W-OSF (r_s = 0.495, p < 0.001), female NOSF (r_s = 0.489, p < 0.001), and female SR-OSF (r_s = 0.401, p < 0.001), and the percentages of female W-OSF (r_s = 0.402, p < 0.001) and female SR-OSF (r_s = 0.339, p < 0.001). Programs with female faculty had significantly larger resident cohorts (23.4 vs. 14.1, p < 0.001) and percentages of female residents (22 vs. 12.7, p < 0.001). Programs with female residents had more total residents (23.1 vs. 12.8, p = 0.002), OSF (32.6 vs. 17.4, p = 0.014), and percentage of female OSF (12.2 vs. 4.9, p = 0.011). Programs with female program directors had significantly more female residents (6.9 vs. 5, p = 0.021) and higher percentages of female W-OSF (17.9 vs. 11.1, p = 0.003) and female residents (25.1 vs. 20.6, p = 0.048).

Female non-orthopaedic surgeon faculty were associated with female resident diversity. Female orthopaedic surgeon faculty and program directors were also associated with more female residents. Efforts to increase female faculty and leadership may be associated with increased female trainees.

Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.