Speaker: William H. Woodhams, BA, Michigan State University College of Human Medicine
William H. Woodhams, BA: Hi, everyone. I'm Bill Woodhams, a third year medical student from the Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, a researcher working with the McLaren Flint Orthopaedic Residency Program.
Study Introduction & Objectives
William H. Woodhams, BA: This past year, I was part of a team of medical students and residents looking into physicians who treat Medicare patients. The goal of the study was to see whether female representation in orthopaedic surgery was changing over time, and to compare this to other surgical and non-surgical specialties including anesthesiology, family practice gastroenterology, general surgery, internal medicine, obstetrics, gynecology, and neurology.
Key Takeaways & Discussion Points
William H. Woodhams, BA: We found that orthopaedic surgery did have the lowest proportion of female providers within this group of specialties, with both OBGYN and general surgery having significantly higher rates of growth. On the positive side, the proportion of women in orthopaedic surgery was increasing over time. We also saw differences geographically with the Pacific and South Atlantic regions having the largest increases for all groups, increases not matching areas of increasing patient population. Our findings suggest that orthopaedics might look to specialties like general surgery for examples of ways to attract more women to the specialty.
Impact on Patient Care
William H. Woodhams, BA: Having a broad mix of providers gives patients more ability to choose one that meets their preferences. It also broadens the range of voices and experiences that contribute to a specialty. These factors can help the orthopaedic surgery community adapt to meet the needs of a changing world.
