Characteristics of Orthopaedic Sports Medicine Fellowship Directors

BACKGROUND: No study in the orthopaedic literature has analyzed the demographic characteristics or surgical training of sports medicine fellowship directors (FDs). Objective determinations as to what makes a physician qualified for this leadership position remain unclear; thus, it is important to identify these qualities as future physicians look to fill these roles. PURPOSE: To illustrate characteristics common among sports medicine FDs. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. METHODS: The 2020 Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education Fellowship Directory was used to identify the FDs for all orthopaedic sports medicine fellowship programs in the United States. The characteristics and educational background data for FDs were gathered by 2 independent reviewers from up-to-date curricula vitarum, Web of Science, and institutional biographies and consolidated into 1 database. Data points gathered included age, sex, residency/fellowship training location and graduation year, name of current institution, length of time at current institution, time since training completion until being appointed FD, length of time in current FD role, and personal research H-index. RESULTS: We identified 90 current orthopaedic sports medicine FDs. The mean Scopus H-index was 24.1 (median, 17). The mean age of FDs was 55.4 years; 87 of 90 (96.7%) were male and 3 (3.3%) were female; and 79/90 (87.8%) were White and 3/90 (3.3%) were African-American. The mean time to complete residency was 5.1 years (range, 5.0-6.0 years), and the most attended residency programs were the Hospital for Special Surgery (n = 9), the Harvard Combined Orthopaedic Residency Program (n = 5), and Duke University Medical Center (n = 4). The mean time required to complete a fellowship was 1.1 years (range, 1.0-2.0 years), and the fellowship programs that produced the most future FDs were the American Sports Medicine Institute (n = 11), the Steadman Hawkins Clinic (Vail) (n = 8), the Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic (n = 7), and the Hospital for Special Surgery (n = 7). The mean time from completion of fellowship to appointment as a FD was 12.8 years (range, 1-39 years). CONCLUSION: Women and minority groups are largely underrepresented among leadership positions in the field of orthopaedic sports medicine.