Women in trauma and orthopaedics: are we losing them at the first hurdle?

Introduction Diversity in the healthcare workforce is associated with improved performance and patient-reported outcomes. Gender disparity in Trauma and Orthopaedics (T&O) is well recognised. The aim of this study was to compare factors that influence career choice in T&O between male and female final-year students. Furthermore, the trend of representation of women in T&O over the last decade was also compared with other surgical specialities. Methods An online survey of final-year students who attended nationally advertised T&O courses over a 2-year period was conducted. Data from NHS digital was obtained to assess gender diversity in T&O compared with other surgical specialities. Results A total of 414 students from 13 UK medical schools completed the questionnaire. Compared with male students (34.2%), a significantly higher proportion of women (65.8%) decided against a career in T&O, p