Trends in experiences and employment of recent orthopaedic trauma fellowship graduates: the lingering effects of COVID-19 and associated societal changes.

Abstract

The purpose was to report pre-COVID-19 and post-COVID-19 trends in training and job searches for recent orthopaedic trauma fellowship graduates. The pandemic occurred within the survey period, so the aim was to evaluate the pandemic's effects, particularly regarding training and jobs. It was hypothesized that the pandemic and other societal changes that occurred during the survey period had broad-reaching effects on graduate medical education and job selection for graduating traumatologists, including fewer surgical repetitions, strained interviews, and altered trends in job characteristic prioritization extending beyond the pandemic. Cross-sectional survey. Orthopaedic Trauma Association (OTA/AO) surveys. Orthopaedic surgeons who graduated from United States (US) trauma fellowships from 2017 to 2023 were eligible. A 56-question survey was emailed to recent trauma fellowship graduates assessing training, job searches, and job types selected. In total, 240/600 (40%) orthopaedic surgeons who graduated from US trauma fellowships from 2017 to 2023 participated. Most (68%) trained at academic level 1 trauma fellowships. Of 2020-2023 graduates, 52% reported lighter caseloads, while 27% felt telehealth made their clinical experience less valuable. Many (42%) reported fewer jobs. Sought-after job characteristics included 51-70 work hours/wk (63%), 4-6 night-calls/month (36%), and 401-500 cases/year (27%). The most common salary was $501,000-$600,000/y (22%). For trauma fellows, COVID-19 resulted in training disadvantages, including fewer hands-on experiences, and job search obstacles, including less employment opportunities and compensation. Recognizing trends in recently graduated traumatologists will help maximize training and enhance professional satisfaction for young surgeons. V.