While diversity in healthcare is improving, orthopedic and orthopedic spine surgery remain two of the least diverse specialties when it comes to positions held by women and people of color.
A 2023 study found that there have been no significant improvements toward a more diverse pool of spine fellows, with white, non-Hispanic males continuing to represent the largest percentage of surgeons in training.
Males make up 81% to 95% of the fellows, and whites comprise 28% to 66%. The orthopedic workforce also has the smallest percentage of female surgeons compared to any other physician specialty, with women making up only 5.9% of the active workforce.
Here are eight orthopedic and spine diversity initiatives that have made an impact in 2023:
1. At the beginning of December, The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeon provided grants to 17 students as part of its 2024 AAOS IDEA Grant Program, which supports initiatives creating diverse pipelines into orthopedics and fostering diversity, equity and inclusion efforts.
2. Qusai Hammouri, MD, a spine surgeon at New York City-based NYU Langone Health, is leading diversity in orthopedics through his work as president of Pride Ortho, a proactive community of musculoskeletal specialists that works to promote diversity, equity and inclusivity to improve quality of care for LGBTQ+ orthopedic patients and improve opportunities for LGBTQ+ physicians.
3. Urbana-based Carle Illinois College of Medicine students partnered with the Perry Initiative, a national group focused on inspiring women to join orthopedic surgery. The Perry Initiative provides hands-on training programs for high schoolers and medical students to pique interest in orthopedics.
4. The NFL expanded its 2023 Diversity in Sports Medicine Pipeline Initiative, which launched in 2022. It expanded the program to 31 students, with 12 participants being women.
5. Providence, R.I.-based University Orthopedics launched a program, Ortho in Action, to encourage more women to pursue careers in orthopedics. The hands-on pilot program works with female students at two area high schools to encourage an interest in orthopedic surgery.
6. Philadelphia-based Rothman Orthopaedic Institute has formed initiatives to address the disparities between men and women in orthopedics. Alex Vaccaro, MD, PhD, president of Rothman, shared more about the system's efforts.
7. Julianne Muñoz, MD, an assistant professor of orthopedics at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, received a $3,600 grant from the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons for her women in orthopedics initiative. In 2022, Dr. Muñoz launched the Female Orthopedists of Miami mentorship organization, a mentorship group for female residents, medical students, fellows and attendings.
8. At the beginning of 2023, The American Orthopaedic Association endorsed the International Orthopaedic Diversity Alliance and became official signatories of the IODA Charter. Formed in 2017, the AOA focuses on diversity, equity and inclusion.