According to the United States census data, the non-Hispanic white people declined from 69-64 percent, but AAOS census data pinpoints 88 percent of responding orthopedic surgeons as Caucasian. Additionally, women overtook men as the majority of U.S. citizens in the country — 50.2 percent — but women still only represent 7 percent of all orthopedic surgeons.
The Academy supports the Orthopaedic Summer Internship program aimed at attracting more female and minority physicians into orthopedics. Last year, AAOS also began partnering with Nth Dimension, a nonprofit educational organization focusing on healthcare disparities, to provide resources, activities and mentorships for orthopedic interns.
The Academy hopes these efforts will increase the number of female and minority medical students entering the orthopedic specialty.
Related Articles on Orthopedic Surgeons:
AAOS Grooms Orthopedic Surgeon Public Office Candidates for 2012
AAOS Launches Education Enhancement Fund
AAOS: Not All Hospital Falls Are Preventable
