Abstract
BACKGROUND: Over the past two decades, a number of pediatricians have been trained by current pediatric orthopaedic medicine physicians, surgeons, physical medicine and rehabilitation specialists, and primary care sports medicine providers treating a spectrum of pediatric orthopaedic conditions. This has evolved into a new pediatric subspecialty, pediatric orthopaedic medicine (POM). This study was designed to define and describe the POM specialty and its current workforce. It is a summary of the findings of the inaugural POM Workforce Survey of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Section on Orthopaedics (SOOr). METHODS: Leadership and members of the AAP-SOOr developed a workforce survey to define the scope of physicians working in POM. The survey of 79 questions included demographics, undergraduate medical education training, clinical practice setting, academic profile of activities, and other areas of interest.The survey was distributed to POM subspecialists between July 18, 2023, and August 31, 2023. Data analysis was performed using STATA 14.0 to generate descriptive statistics. This study was deemed exempt by the Institutional Review Board of the AAP. RESULTS: Surveys were distributed to 27 individuals, 11 of whom were AAP-SOOr members. The response rate was 85%. Of this group, 56% were female and 44% males. The most common practice setting was medical school/university settings (61%), followed by multispecialty groups (17%) and community hospitals. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, the POM workforce surveyed reflects a diverse group with representation across different genders, practice settings, and academic ranks. These findings provide valuable insights into the characteristics of this group, which can inform strategies for workforce development and recruitment in pediatric orthopaedic medicine. KEY CONCEPTS: (1)This report summarizes the findings of the inaugural pediatric orthopaedic medicine workforce survey of the AAP Section on Orthopaedics (AAP-SOOr).(2)This study underscores the valuable role of the pediatric orthopaedic medicine workforce in providing comprehensive musculoskeletal care for children.(3)Findings highlight the need to integrate POM specialists into pediatric orthopaedic training to prepare a versatile workforce capable of addressing diverse patient needs. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: IV.