Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Initiatives and Faculty Roles in Orthopaedic Sports Medicine Fellowships are Associated with Increased Female Representation Among Faculty and Fellows

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to identify the prevalence of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) statements and DEI faculty roles in orthopaedic sports medicine fellowships and report any association with female representation among sports medicine fellows and faculty. We also sought to identify other potential trends in prevalence of DEI advocacy and fellow/faculty gender proportions, disparities in these variables among different geographic regions and program types. Methods: Data was collected between April 20, 2023-June 20, 2023. A complete list of Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) accredited sports medicine fellowship programs were obtained from the Arthroscopy Association of North America (AANA) Fellowship Directory and the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM) Fellowship Database. Internet searches were conducted for each faculty member and gender was classified by pronouns used in biographical webpages. Geographic locations were categorized into regions based on the US Census Bureau definitions. Descriptive statistical analysis was performed, and gender proportions were compared using two sample t-test. Results: Of 87 fellowship program websites, 74.7% (65/87) published DEI statements and 64.4% (56/87) listed DEI faculty positions (e.g., Diversity Dean, DEI Chair, Chief Diversity Officer, etc.). Programs with DEI statements had a significantly greater proportion of female sports medicine faculty compared to programs without (80/578, 13.8% ± 15.3% vs. 10/166, 6.0% ± 4.0%, p=0.017). Programs with DEI statements also had a notable, although not statically significant, increased proportion of female sports medicine fellows (25/147, 17% ± 25.5% vs. 3/71, 4.2% ± 8.5%, p=0.056). All University programs (32/32) included DEI statements and roles, while markedly fewer community programs included statements (9/24, 37.5%) or roles (5/24, 20.8%). Most of the programs in the Northeast included statements (20/22, 90.9%) and roles (16/22, 72.7%), while only 11/19 (57.9%) of programs in the West included statements and only 8/19 (42.1%) included information about DEI-related roles. Conclusions: Most orthopaedic sports medicine fellowship programs include DEI statements and DEI-related faculty positions, although these roles generally exist outside the department of orthopaedic surgery. Programs with DEI statements and/or DEI faculty roles are correlated with higher female representation among sports medicine faculty and fellows.