The Women in ORTHopaedics Program Offers Early Exposure to Orthopaedic Surgery for Young Women. A Pre- and Post-Event Survey Comparison
Background: In recent years, the medical field has made significant progress toward promoting gender equality. Despite this progress, orthopaaedic surgery remains the least diverse specialty among other surgical specialties. In response, our Department of Orthopaedics developed a specialized orthopa...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2025-02-01
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| Series: | Journal of the Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2768276524009659 |
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| author | Marianna Hsu, BSc candidate Hayley Spurr, MB, BCh, BAO, FRCSC Anthony P. Cooper, MBChB, FRCSC Emily K. Schaeffer, PhD |
| author_facet | Marianna Hsu, BSc candidate Hayley Spurr, MB, BCh, BAO, FRCSC Anthony P. Cooper, MBChB, FRCSC Emily K. Schaeffer, PhD |
| author_sort | Marianna Hsu, BSc candidate |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: In recent years, the medical field has made significant progress toward promoting gender equality. Despite this progress, orthopaaedic surgery remains the least diverse specialty among other surgical specialties. In response, our Department of Orthopaedics developed a specialized orthopaedic curriculum, Women in ORTHopaedics (WORTH), tailored specifically for young women in high school. This program offers early exposure and mentorship opportunities within the orthopaedic field. Methods: Participants were asked to complete a preliminary survey prior to the workshop. Subsequently, a corresponding survey was administered following the workshop, mirroring the questions from the pre-event survey. Participants shared their impressions of orthopaedics, interest in pursuing a career in this field, and awareness of available career pathways within this specialty. Results: In both workshops, the consensus among participants in the pre-event surveys included a sense of novelty and a desire to learn more about orthopaedics. However, post-workshop responses revealed a shift in perceptions, with participants expressing that orthopaedics encompasses a much broader array of subjects than initially expected. A comparison between pre- and post-survey responses indicates a heightened interest in pursuing a career in orthopaedics following the workshop. Additionally, 100% of attendees expressed their intention to participate in future WORTH events. Conclusions: Findings indicate that WORTH played a constructive role in guiding young women toward trajectories beyond secondary education. Additionally, it provided insights into the multitude of career options available in Orthopaedics apart from surgery, including physiotherapy, occupational therapy, nursing, research, and biomedical engineering. Key Concepts: (1) Early exposure and mentorship allow for increased representation and retention of women in orthopaedics. (2) Representation of women in orthopaedics improves patient care and contributes to a more holistic approach to healthcare. (3) Outreach initiatives influence participants' interest and perceptions of pursuing a career in orthopaedics. Level of Evidence: Level IV |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-99eebf3c46b44d5eb9252075a6d7c26b |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2768-2765 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of the Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America |
| spelling | doaj-art-99eebf3c46b44d5eb9252075a6d7c26b2025-01-31T05:12:42ZengElsevierJournal of the Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America2768-27652025-02-0110100139The Women in ORTHopaedics Program Offers Early Exposure to Orthopaedic Surgery for Young Women. A Pre- and Post-Event Survey ComparisonMarianna Hsu, BSc candidate0Hayley Spurr, MB, BCh, BAO, FRCSC1Anthony P. Cooper, MBChB, FRCSC2Emily K. Schaeffer, PhD3Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, BC Children's Hospital, Vancouver, BC, CanadaDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, BC Children's Hospital, Vancouver, BC, CanadaDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, BC Children's Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada; Department of Orthopaedics, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, CanadaDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, BC Children's Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada; Department of Orthopaedics, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada; Corresponding author: 4500 Oak St., Vancouver, BC, V6H 3V4, Canada.Background: In recent years, the medical field has made significant progress toward promoting gender equality. Despite this progress, orthopaaedic surgery remains the least diverse specialty among other surgical specialties. In response, our Department of Orthopaedics developed a specialized orthopaedic curriculum, Women in ORTHopaedics (WORTH), tailored specifically for young women in high school. This program offers early exposure and mentorship opportunities within the orthopaedic field. Methods: Participants were asked to complete a preliminary survey prior to the workshop. Subsequently, a corresponding survey was administered following the workshop, mirroring the questions from the pre-event survey. Participants shared their impressions of orthopaedics, interest in pursuing a career in this field, and awareness of available career pathways within this specialty. Results: In both workshops, the consensus among participants in the pre-event surveys included a sense of novelty and a desire to learn more about orthopaedics. However, post-workshop responses revealed a shift in perceptions, with participants expressing that orthopaedics encompasses a much broader array of subjects than initially expected. A comparison between pre- and post-survey responses indicates a heightened interest in pursuing a career in orthopaedics following the workshop. Additionally, 100% of attendees expressed their intention to participate in future WORTH events. Conclusions: Findings indicate that WORTH played a constructive role in guiding young women toward trajectories beyond secondary education. Additionally, it provided insights into the multitude of career options available in Orthopaedics apart from surgery, including physiotherapy, occupational therapy, nursing, research, and biomedical engineering. Key Concepts: (1) Early exposure and mentorship allow for increased representation and retention of women in orthopaedics. (2) Representation of women in orthopaedics improves patient care and contributes to a more holistic approach to healthcare. (3) Outreach initiatives influence participants' interest and perceptions of pursuing a career in orthopaedics. Level of Evidence: Level IVhttp://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2768276524009659Women in orthopaedicsGender equalityDiversityMentorshipOrthopaedic educationEarly exposure |
| spellingShingle | Marianna Hsu, BSc candidate Hayley Spurr, MB, BCh, BAO, FRCSC Anthony P. Cooper, MBChB, FRCSC Emily K. Schaeffer, PhD The Women in ORTHopaedics Program Offers Early Exposure to Orthopaedic Surgery for Young Women. A Pre- and Post-Event Survey Comparison Journal of the Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America Women in orthopaedics Gender equality Diversity Mentorship Orthopaedic education Early exposure |
| title | The Women in ORTHopaedics Program Offers Early Exposure to Orthopaedic Surgery for Young Women. A Pre- and Post-Event Survey Comparison |
| title_full | The Women in ORTHopaedics Program Offers Early Exposure to Orthopaedic Surgery for Young Women. A Pre- and Post-Event Survey Comparison |
| title_fullStr | The Women in ORTHopaedics Program Offers Early Exposure to Orthopaedic Surgery for Young Women. A Pre- and Post-Event Survey Comparison |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Women in ORTHopaedics Program Offers Early Exposure to Orthopaedic Surgery for Young Women. A Pre- and Post-Event Survey Comparison |
| title_short | The Women in ORTHopaedics Program Offers Early Exposure to Orthopaedic Surgery for Young Women. A Pre- and Post-Event Survey Comparison |
| title_sort | women in orthopaedics program offers early exposure to orthopaedic surgery for young women a pre and post event survey comparison |
| topic | Women in orthopaedics Gender equality Diversity Mentorship Orthopaedic education Early exposure |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2768276524009659 |
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