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Analysis of gender diversity within podiatric surgery fellowship programs
Isabella North1, Katherine Dux1, Christina Staskiewicz1
1Loyola University Medical Center, 2160 S 1st Ave, Maywood, IL 60153, USA.
Summary
Despite increasing female fellows in podiatric surgery, women remain underrepresented in faculty and leadership roles. Targeted efforts are needed to address this persistent gender gap in academic positions.
Area of Science:
- Podiatric Surgery
- Medical Education
- Gender Diversity in STEM
Background:
- Women are significantly underrepresented in podiatric surgery faculty and leadership roles.
- This underrepresentation persists despite increasing enrollment of women in podiatric medical schools.
- Gender diversity in podiatric surgery fellowship programs is a critical issue.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate gender diversity trends among faculty and fellows in podiatric surgery fellowship programs.
- The study period spans five years, from 2020 to 2025.
Main Methods:
- Data was collected from the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons (ACFAS) directory.
- Included program demographics, faculty composition, and fellowship match outcomes.
- Gender identification used publicly available online sources; descriptive statistics and Chi-square/t-tests were employed.
Main Results:
- A total of 44 programs, 272 faculty, and 259 fellows were analyzed.
- Women constituted 64 of 272 faculty members, holding only 3 fellowship director positions.
- The percentage of female fellows increased significantly from 28% (2020-2021) to 42% (2024-2025) (p=0.015).
Conclusions:
- Progress in trainee gender representation is noted, but a significant gap in faculty and leadership persists.
- Targeted initiatives are necessary to recruit and promote women into academic and leadership positions in podiatric surgery.
- Further research into fellowship application outcomes is recommended to identify gender-specific barriers.
