Effects of a Mandatory Orthopaedic Surgery Rotation on Medical Student Perceptions of the Field

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Orthopaedic Surgery
• Surgical Specialties

Background:

• Orthopaedic surgery exposure can positively influence medical student perceptions.
• Fewer than half of medical schools require orthopaedic rotations in their core curriculum.
• Stereotypes about orthopaedic surgery persist among medical students.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of a mandatory orthopaedic surgery rotation on medical student perceptions.
• To counteract potential stereotypes associated with orthopaedic surgery.
• To characterize changes in student perceptions before and after the rotation.

Main Methods:

• Anonymous surveys administered to 320 medical students during a mandatory 1-week orthopaedic surgery rotation over 2 years.
• Collected 267 prerotation and 153 postrotation responses.
• Analyzed qualitative word associations and quantitative demographic data.

Main Results:

• Prerotation perceptions included 'bones,' 'intense,' and 'bros.' Postrotation perceptions included 'bones,' 'fun,' and 'intense.'
• Negative and neutral word associations decreased significantly postrotation (P < 0.001).
• Positive word associations increased significantly postrotation for both male and female students (P < 0.001).

Conclusions:

• A mandatory orthopaedic surgery rotation effectively improved initial negative perceptions, including those related to 'bro culture.'
• The rotation experience counteracted stereotypes, particularly benefiting female students' views.
• Implementing mandatory rotations may be a strategy to enhance the appeal of orthopaedic surgery.