At the University of Louisville Hospital, the orthopaedic surgery on call room lies
unremarkably in a hallway of on-call rooms for surgical subspecialties. At first glance,
a stranger would be unlikely to guess which of these is affectionately nicknamed “The
Bone Room,” denoting its orthopaedic ownership. The pull-up bar attached to the doorframe
could be a hint (as pull-ups are the sine qua non of elite military units and professional
male sports), as could the tubs of protein powder, known dietary staple of weightlifters,
strewn across the room. However, there are subtle clues that the room is occupied
by more than just the stereotypical white male whose presence dominates the reputation
of American orthopaedics. A Peloton™ exercise bike (Peloton Interactive, Inc., New
York, NY, USA) nestled in the corner, a windowsill full of thriving plants, and leaded
aprons with patterned trim allude to the gender diversity seen within our residency
program. The Bone Room acts as a microcosm of the field of American orthopaedic surgery–at
first glance, there appear to be significant strides in diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Yet on closer look, the field shows a lack of these ideals, especially from the perspective
of gender. Globally, women have minimal participation in orthopaedic surgery whereas
men represent over 95% of all orthopaedic surgeons worldwide [
[1]
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References
- Experiences of Canadian Female Orthopaedic Surgeons in the Workplace: Defining the Barriers to Gender Equity.The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery:. 2022; 104: 1455-1461
- Women in Orthopaedic Surgery.Foot & Ankle International. 2014; 35: 949-950
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AAMC. Figure 1. Percentage of applicants to U.S. medical schools by sex, academic years 1980-1981 through 2018-2019.
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