Alpha 2.0
Login Register
» Articles » PMID: 40053844

Experience As an Orthopaedic Patient As a Motivating Factor for Pursuing a Career in Orthopaedic Surgery

Overview
Journal J Am Acad Orthop Surg Glob Res Rev
Specialty Orthopedics
Date 2025 Mar 7
PMID 40053844
Authors
Clay B Townsend
Melissa Soderquist
Robert C Hoy
J Milo Sewards
David Galos
Affiliations
Soon will be listed here.
Abstract

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence a personal experience with an orthopaedic injury or condition has on applicants' decisions to pursue orthopaedic surgery and to investigate current applicant motivations for pursuing orthopaedic surgery.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional survey study of orthopaedic surgery applicants during the 2023 to 2024 application cycle who applied to the residency program at a single academic institution.

Results: Of the 290 respondents (38.5% response rate), approximately two-fifths (37.6%) reported experiencing a musculoskeletal injury/condition that influenced their decision to pursue orthopaedic surgery, with 64.2% requiring surgical intervention. Injuries were most commonly sustained while playing soccer (21.0%), American football (19.0%), and basketball (10.0%). The most common injuries reported included anterior cruciate ligament rupture (14.1%), ankle fracture (9.4%), and meniscus tear (6.3%). Applicants with a history of an anterior cruciate ligament rupture represented 6.2% (18/290) of the entire applicant cohort. Approximately one-fifth (21.7%, 63/290) of applicants reported that a musculoskeletal injury or condition experienced by a family member or friend had influenced their decision to pursue orthopaedic surgery. The most commonly selected motivating factor for deciding to pursue orthopaedic surgery was intellectual curiosity (86.6%), followed by clinical rotation experience (84.8%), mentor/faculty interactions (75.9%), personal experience with a musculoskeletal injury/condition (60.0%), and academic opportunities (51.7%).

Conclusion: A large portion of current orthopaedic surgery applicants were motivated to pursue orthopaedic surgery by a personal experience with an orthopaedic injury or condition. This study revealed many novel findings related to current orthopaedic applicant motivations for pursuing orthopaedic surgery as a career.

References
1.
Rao R, Khatib O, Agarwal A . Factors Motivating Medical Students in Selecting a Career Specialty: Relevance for a Robust Orthopaedic Pipeline. J Am Acad Orthop Surg. 2017; 25(7):527-535. DOI: 10.5435/JAAOS-D-16-00533. View
2.
Ladha F, Pettinato A, Perrin A . Medical student residency preferences and motivational factors: a longitudinal, single-institution perspective. BMC Med Educ. 2022; 22(1):187. PMC: 8929265. DOI: 10.1186/s12909-022-03244-7. View
3.
Johnson A, Sharma J, Chinchilli V, Emery S, Evarts C, Floyd M . Why do medical students choose orthopaedics as a career?. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2012; 94(11):e78. DOI: 10.2106/JBJS.K.00826. View
4.
Solomon D, Dipette D . Specialty choice among students entering the fourth year of medical school. Am J Med Sci. 1994; 308(5):284-8. DOI: 10.1097/00000441-199411000-00005. View
5.
Trinh L, ORorke E, Mulcahey M . Factors Influencing Female Medical Students' Decision to Pursue Surgical Specialties: A Systematic Review. J Surg Educ. 2020; 78(3):836-849. DOI: 10.1016/j.jsurg.2020.08.050. View