Speaker: Without diversity, the specialty of orthopedics risks ‘losing relevance’
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With some of the highest racial and gender disparities, the orthopedic specialty must advocate for diversity or lose relevance to future surgeons and patients, the first woman president of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons said.
“We have to be able to create a different culture and remove barriers to inclusion,” Kristy L. Weber, MD, said at the Academic Orthopaedic Consortium Women’s Leadership Forum. “[Diversity] brings different perspectives. It brings higher innovation, better decision-making and better reputation of the company. When we have different voices in the room, we are able to serve the community in a different way,” she said.
In 2019, women accounted for 16% of orthopedic residents – the lowest percentage among all surgical specialties, including general surgery, plastic surgery, otolaryngology, vascular surgery, urology, thoracic surgery and neurosurgery, according to Weber.
She said it takes full commitment to remove barriers and reach the “tipping point” for diversity in any profession. Departments that strive for racial and gender diversity tend be more welcoming and attractive to applicants from historically underrepresented groups. For groups with little emphasis on diversity, this only increases the disparity, Weber said.
Create welcoming environment
“I believe we need to have cultural change first, before we can recruit diverse people into orthopedics,” Weber said. “We have to create a field that is more welcoming and more accepting before we will see real change in diversity and inclusion.”
Diversity of practitioners is equally important when it comes to attracting patients, she said.
“We don’t reflect our patients. Patients often want to see doctors that look like them,” Weber said. “We are missing out on the best and brightest if we are not welcoming to all students in medical school, and we risk losing relevance. I think that is one of the critical things for our field … we risk losing relevance to prospective surgeons and prospective patients.”
Be mindful of biases
Increased awareness of implicit bias can also remove barriers and promote inclusivity, according to Weber.
“The real problem is when you embrace the experiences that reinforce your bias, but you don't question the assumptions that you have,” she said.
Situations that enable bias in orthopedic departments include the avoidance of ranking residents who “might become pregnant,” being unaware of maternity leave or lactation policies, using sexist terms such as “sweetie,” “sugar” and “honey,” and holding exclusive events such as golf and strip club outings, Weber said.
She referenced several tools to use to be aware of our personal biases, such as the Harvard University online implicit association test.
Consider different perspectives
“We know that bias is universal. It is something that has been there since the beginning of human time. We have to find a way to categorize things quickly. It gives us some ability to order our lives, but it also is the foundation of stereotypes,” Weber said.
A combination of self-awareness and empathy is crucial to create a respectful, considerate and welcoming environment in orthopedics, she added.
“We need to take time to think about what our own biases are,” Weber said. “Be honest with yourself.”
Slow down and think about a situation from another person’s perspective. Do not make assumptions. Be curious about people who are different from you, she said.
“I think the biggest issues in the field of orthopedics is our current culture,” Weber said. “We have to be intentional to be able to change this – both at the individual and structural level, and I think it is a critical piece. We either have to evolve or surrender.”
References:
https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/
Editor's Note: On May 17, 2021, the article was updated after review by Kristy L. Weber, MD.
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Weber KL. Gender diversity in orthopedics - Lessons learned from the first female president of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Presented at: Academic Orthopaedic Consortium Women's Leadership Forum; April 1, 2021 (virtual).
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