Currently, 4 percent of orthopedists are women and 13 percent of orthopedic residents are women. Policy makers may need to train more orthopedist to ensure access to timely and quality orthopedic care, given the trend toward an increasing number of female orthopedists.
In an online survey of at least 430 male and 63 female orthopedic residents, 65 percent of female respondents said they plan on reducing their work hours or changing to part-time status during their career, compared to 47 percent of male respondents.
The survey also reported:
• Significantly more women (24 percent) plan on pursuing a pediatric fellowship than men (6 percent).
• Significantly fewer women (11 percent) than men (31 percent) plan on pursuing a sports medicine fellowship.
• Significantly more women (62 percent) than men (34 percent) planned on having a subspecialty-only practice.
• There was no difference between men and women regarding leadership and research aspirations, projected retirement age and projected workdays per week.
Read the results of the survey on female residents in orthopedic surgery.
