Factors related to Israeli orthopedic surgery residents' career plans and their views on arthroplasty as a career

Introduction: Due to the aging of the population and increased longevity, there is a rising demand for orthopedic surgeons specializing in arthroplasty. In order to address this demand, it is necessary to analyze the available supply of surgeons by exploring the career plans of orthopedic residents. Aim: To explore factors related to the career plans of Israeli orthopedic surgery residents and their views on a career in arthroplasty. Patients and methods: In this cross-sectional survey, 150 orthopedic surgery residents completed a questionnaire exploring their level of interest in choosing a career in various subspecialties and the factors (intellectual, educational, lifestyle, and economic) that guided their choice. Results: The arthroplasty subspecialty was found to be less popular than the orthopedic trauma subspecialty (65.8%), slightly less popular than the sports (55.1%), spine (53.4%), and hand (53.1%) subspecialties, but more popular than the rest of the subspecialties. Intellectual factors being the most important. Residents interested in the arthroplasty subspecialty were guided by similar factors in their choice of subspecialty as those not interested in this subspecialty. No association was found between residents' sociodemographic factors and their level of interest in the arthroplasty subspecialty. However, residents differed in the extent to which different factors guided them in their choice, based on gender and nationality. Conclusion: The arthroplasty subspecialty seems to be popular as a career choice among Israeli orthopedic surgery residents, however it does not top the list. Suitable marketing and recruitment strategies should be applied to attract more residents to this subspecialty. Level of evidence: IV, cross-sectional survey.