WOMEN IN ORTHOPEDIC-SURGERY RESIDENCIES IN THE UNITED-STATES

Purpose. To evaluate the effect that increased numbers oi women medica l school graduates have had on the composition of orthopedic surgery r esidencies, and to evaluate trends over time in the likelihood of wome n medical students to select orthopedic residencies. Method. The autho r analyzed JAMA's ''Reports on Graduate and Undergraduate Medical Educ ation'' for the years 1977 to 1996, calculating the numbers of women a nd men in orthopedic surgery and other surgery residencies, and medica l school composition. Results. Although there have been modest gains i n the number of women in orthopedic surgery training programs in the U nited States, women continue to choose orthopedics only one-seventh as often as do men. Conclusion. Orthopedics remains an unattractive care er choice for women medical students compared with their men counterpa rts. Biases and stereotypes about women and about orthopedic surgery m ay account for this difference.