It will take more than 200 years for orthopedic surgery to achieve gender parity in the U.S. at the current 2 percent annual growth rate, or by the year 2236, according to a study in Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research.
Five notes:
1. The U.S. has about 31,296 practicing orthopedic surgeons, 8 percent of whom are women, according to the study. About 36 percent of the entire medical profession is made up of women.
2. The time to achieve parity within the U.S. population, which is about 51 percent female, would be 326 years, or until 2354, the study found.
3. Between 2010 and 2019, the compound annual growth rate of women orthopedic surgeons was 2 percent. Researchers said it would take 217 years from 2019 — or until 2236 — to achieve parity.
4. Researchers advocated for changes to accelerate the rate of change, including orthopedic surgery rotations to foster interest among women students; curbing concerns related to work-life balance and a culture dominated by men; and more women leaders in orthopedic subspecialties.
5. The authors also suggest benchmarks to increase the proportion of women trainees and faculty in orthopedic surgery training programs, particularly in the South and West; and more women among the leadership of orthopedic subspecialty societies.
Click here for more details on the study.
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