Membership and Feedback on the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and Other Subspecialty Societies: A Survey Study of Orthopaedic Surgeons

Orthopaedic surgeons face decreased reimbursement, lower income, and increased rates of burnout. As subspecializing through fellowship training in orthopaedics becomes more and more prevalent, the value of membership to a general orthopaedic society (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons [AAOS]) warrants investigation. METHODS: One hundred thirty orthopaedic surgeons were surveyed by e-mail through a 14-item anonymous survey administered through SurveyMonkey. The survey inquired about surgeon experience, practice type, fellowship training, and details regarding AAOS and subspecialty society membership. RESULTS: The response rate was 67%, with 94% of respondents indicating that they were members of AAOS and a subspecialty society. The most common reasons for AAOS membership were tradition (65, 74.7%), continuing medical education (46, 52.9%), maintenance of board certification (44, 50.6%), and political advocacy (40, 46.0%). The most common reasons for subspecialty society membership were continuing medical education (73, 83.9%), tradition (49, 59.8%), and political advocacy (33, 40.2%). DISCUSSION: Most surgeons in our study cohort were members of both AAOS and a subspecialty society, but the reasons for membership in each differed. Almost 80% of respondents think their subspecialty society provides all their professional needs. The orthopaedic societies need to continue to evolve to provide value to their members to succeed in the future.