Between 2018 and 2023, CMS data shows that while the number of female physicians in specialties like general surgery and OB-GYN grew by 5.5% and 6.93%, respectively, the number of female orthopedic surgeons entering the field only grew by 1.49%.
The number of practicing orthopedic surgeons in the data set averaged 23,682 annually across the six-year period. The mean percentage of female orthopedic surgeons across all states was 6.02% in 2018 and demonstrated subsequent annual increases up to 7.51% in 2023, according to the study.
Growth in female orthopedic surgeons in the field also differed by state and region. The number of female orthopedic surgeons grew by 14% and 23%, respectively, in the Pacific West and South Atlantic regions from 2018 to 2023, while the East North Central region experienced only 6% growth in female orthopedic surgeons.
