Adult Reconstruction Fellowship: What is Important to the Applicants?

BACKGROUND: Orthopaedic surgery trainees who aim to specialize in total joint arthroplasty commonly complete an additional year of fellowship training. Limited information regarding individual programs is readily available to potential applicants. The purpose of this study is to determine what information applicants value when considering an adult reconstruction fellowship program. METHODS: An anonymous survey was distributed to all 470 junior members of AAHKS. The 12-question survey gathered demographic information as well as average weighted scores (1-10) of various components regarding fellowship education, recruitment, and experiences. Subgroup analysis was performed on survey responses based on the following 3 different categories: Gender, year of training, and geographical location. RESULTS: A total of 135 respondents completed the survey (135 of 470, 28.7% response rate). Sixty-two (45.9%) participants held the position of postgraduate year 5, 43 (31.9%) participants held the position of postgraduate year 4. Exposure to operative techniques in revision surgery (9.62), exposure to operative techniques in primary surgery (9.51), and ability to obtain desired job opportunity after fellowship (8.89) were the 3 most considered components. Higher level trainees valued information regarding average number of hours worked relative to junior trainees (P = .046). Geographic differences were noted in the following 3 variables: the number of cases performed (P = .010), whether fellows had a dedicated clinic and/or operating room (P = .002), and the average number of hours worked (P = .020). CONCLUSIONS: Amongst the 3 domains studied, applicants most valued educational components, such as exposure to various techniques surrounding total joint arthroplasty. There is a need for a centralized, comprehensive database that contains information applicants value most and this database should be customizable toward training level and location.