Uneven Ground: Exploring the Impact of Geographical Region and Gender on Orthopaedic Surgery Resident Research Productivity

Introduction:. Research plays a crucial role in orthopaedic surgery advancement, patient outcomes, and both residency and fellowship training. This study aimed to examine associations between research productivity of orthopaedic surgery residents, gender proportion of residents, and the geographical...

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Main Authors: Natasja Lessiohadi, BA, Hayden Hartman, BS, James Pai, MS, William B. Goodman, BS, Mia V. Rumps, MS, Mary K. Mulcahey, MD
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wolters Kluwer 2025-06-01
Series:JBJS Open Access
Online Access:http://journals.lww.com/jbjsoa/fulltext/10.2106/JBJS.OA.24.00224
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author Natasja Lessiohadi, BA
Hayden Hartman, BS
James Pai, MS
William B. Goodman, BS
Mia V. Rumps, MS
Mary K. Mulcahey, MD
author_facet Natasja Lessiohadi, BA
Hayden Hartman, BS
James Pai, MS
William B. Goodman, BS
Mia V. Rumps, MS
Mary K. Mulcahey, MD
author_sort Natasja Lessiohadi, BA
collection DOAJ
description Introduction:. Research plays a crucial role in orthopaedic surgery advancement, patient outcomes, and both residency and fellowship training. This study aimed to examine associations between research productivity of orthopaedic surgery residents, gender proportion of residents, and the geographical region of orthopaedic surgery residency programs. Methods:. Using the Fellowship and Residency Electronic Interactive Database (FRIEDA) and the Doximity Residency Navigator, a list of the top 10 Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) orthopaedic surgery residency programs for each region (Northeast, South, Midwest, and West) were identified. FRIEDA, program websites, SCOPUS, PubMed, and ResearchGate were utilized to collect the following: residency program name, type, and location; and resident name, gender, H-index, and number of publications. Results:. Forty orthopaedic surgery residency programs and 1,377 residents across 4 regions were evaluated. Of these, 29.6% (408/1,377) were female and 70.4% (969/1,377) were male. Northeast programs averaged the highest publications (11.6) per resident, while the South averaged the fewest publications (5.9, p < 0.0001). Similarly, residents in Northeast programs had the highest average H-index (2.9), and residents in the South had the lowest average H-index (1.6) (f-ratio = 11.19, p < 0.0001). Male residents averaged more publications (9.0 vs. 5.5, p < 0.05) and higher H-indices (2.3 vs. 1.8, p < 0.05) than female residents. These differences were greatest in the South (male:female publication ratio = 1.9, H-index ratio = 1.4) and lowest in the Midwest (male:female publication ratio = 1.3, H-index ratio = 1.1). Conclusion:. At the top 10 orthopaedic surgery residency programs across all regions, female residents remain underrepresented in academic research compared with male residents, evidenced by a lower average number of publications H-indices, with the degrees of these discrepancies varying regionally. Further research is needed to identify the underlying factors influencing these differences. Program directors and orthopaedic surgery residents should be aware of these geographic and gender-based trends to improve their academic productivity and address the existing inequities within academic orthopaedics. Level of Evidence:. Level IV. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
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spelling doaj-art-4de0dbdb0fa2461a8de2e5a5774552a42025-08-20T03:12:22ZengWolters KluwerJBJS Open Access2472-72452025-06-0110210.2106/JBJS.OA.24.00224JBJSOA2400224Uneven Ground: Exploring the Impact of Geographical Region and Gender on Orthopaedic Surgery Resident Research ProductivityNatasja Lessiohadi, BA0Hayden Hartman, BS1James Pai, MS2William B. Goodman, BS3Mia V. Rumps, MS4Mary K. Mulcahey, MD51 Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana2 Lincoln Memorial University, DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine, Knoxville, Tennessee1 Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana1 Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana3 Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation, Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood, Illinois3 Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation, Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood, IllinoisIntroduction:. Research plays a crucial role in orthopaedic surgery advancement, patient outcomes, and both residency and fellowship training. This study aimed to examine associations between research productivity of orthopaedic surgery residents, gender proportion of residents, and the geographical region of orthopaedic surgery residency programs. Methods:. Using the Fellowship and Residency Electronic Interactive Database (FRIEDA) and the Doximity Residency Navigator, a list of the top 10 Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) orthopaedic surgery residency programs for each region (Northeast, South, Midwest, and West) were identified. FRIEDA, program websites, SCOPUS, PubMed, and ResearchGate were utilized to collect the following: residency program name, type, and location; and resident name, gender, H-index, and number of publications. Results:. Forty orthopaedic surgery residency programs and 1,377 residents across 4 regions were evaluated. Of these, 29.6% (408/1,377) were female and 70.4% (969/1,377) were male. Northeast programs averaged the highest publications (11.6) per resident, while the South averaged the fewest publications (5.9, p < 0.0001). Similarly, residents in Northeast programs had the highest average H-index (2.9), and residents in the South had the lowest average H-index (1.6) (f-ratio = 11.19, p < 0.0001). Male residents averaged more publications (9.0 vs. 5.5, p < 0.05) and higher H-indices (2.3 vs. 1.8, p < 0.05) than female residents. These differences were greatest in the South (male:female publication ratio = 1.9, H-index ratio = 1.4) and lowest in the Midwest (male:female publication ratio = 1.3, H-index ratio = 1.1). Conclusion:. At the top 10 orthopaedic surgery residency programs across all regions, female residents remain underrepresented in academic research compared with male residents, evidenced by a lower average number of publications H-indices, with the degrees of these discrepancies varying regionally. Further research is needed to identify the underlying factors influencing these differences. Program directors and orthopaedic surgery residents should be aware of these geographic and gender-based trends to improve their academic productivity and address the existing inequities within academic orthopaedics. Level of Evidence:. Level IV. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.http://journals.lww.com/jbjsoa/fulltext/10.2106/JBJS.OA.24.00224
spellingShingle Natasja Lessiohadi, BA
Hayden Hartman, BS
James Pai, MS
William B. Goodman, BS
Mia V. Rumps, MS
Mary K. Mulcahey, MD
Uneven Ground: Exploring the Impact of Geographical Region and Gender on Orthopaedic Surgery Resident Research Productivity
JBJS Open Access
title Uneven Ground: Exploring the Impact of Geographical Region and Gender on Orthopaedic Surgery Resident Research Productivity
title_full Uneven Ground: Exploring the Impact of Geographical Region and Gender on Orthopaedic Surgery Resident Research Productivity
title_fullStr Uneven Ground: Exploring the Impact of Geographical Region and Gender on Orthopaedic Surgery Resident Research Productivity
title_full_unstemmed Uneven Ground: Exploring the Impact of Geographical Region and Gender on Orthopaedic Surgery Resident Research Productivity
title_short Uneven Ground: Exploring the Impact of Geographical Region and Gender on Orthopaedic Surgery Resident Research Productivity
title_sort uneven ground exploring the impact of geographical region and gender on orthopaedic surgery resident research productivity
url http://journals.lww.com/jbjsoa/fulltext/10.2106/JBJS.OA.24.00224
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