Summary

At annual meetings from 2016-2023 for the Arthroscopy Association of North America and the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine, instructional course lectures with female moderators were more likely to include female panelists. Female faculty were predominantly in academic practices yet were less likely to be in academic or departmental leadership roles.

Abstract

Objectives: In 2021, only 5.9% percent of practicing orthopaedic surgeons and 7.1% of orthopaedic sports medicine surgeons were female, the lowest of all specialties reported by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC). More female medical students have been applying to orthopaedic surgery residency in the past two decades. In order to create space for these upcoming female surgeons, more research is needed to assess what variables affect opportunities for career advancement. The purpose of this study was to evaluate gender diversity among ICL faculty at recent orthopaedic sports medicine meetings and to determine whether factors such as moderator gender or panelist practice type affect selection of ICL panelists. We hypothesized that there would be more female faculty on ICLs with female moderators.

Materials And Methods

Demographic data on ICL moderators and panelists was collected in September 2023 from annual meeting programs for the Arthroscopy Association of North America (AANA) from 2016-2023 and the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM) from 2018-2023. Gender, institution, practice type, years in practice, surgeon title, and Hirsch Index (H-index) were recorded for each faculty member based on publicly available information identified via an internet search.

Results

ICLs with female moderators were more likely to include female panelists (OR 4.6; 95% CI: 2.5 - 8.6, p<0.0001). Male moderators had more years in practice (16.8 versus 7.2, p=0.0002). Among panelists, males had higher H-indices (36 versus 23, p<0.0001) and years in practice (19 versus 16, p=0.02). Female panelists had higher representation in academia compared to male panelists (91.4% versus 69.6%, p = 0.0006). Thirty (42.8%) female panelists were associate or assistant professors, versus 136 (19.7%) male panelists, and 5 (7.1%) female panelists were full professors, versus 119 (17.2%) male panelists.

Conclusion

Female faculty ICL representation at AOSSM and AANA Annual Meetings has been increasing over the past several years. Female faculty were predominantly in academic practices yet were less likely to be in academic or departmental leadership roles. ICLs with a female moderator were more likely to have female panelists. Sports medicine societies should take this into account when considering ways to increase diversity among faculty on instructional course lectures at annual meetings.