Are Academic Orthopedic Surgeons Interested in Global Health?

Two thirds of the world’s population lack orthopedic services. Natural disasters such as the 2010 Haiti earthquake temporarily increased volunteering, but the decision to volunteer regularly is likely multifactorial.

In the study reported here, we investigated whether academic orthopedic surgeons are interested in volunteering abroad and identified factors that influence participation. Academic orthopedic surgeons were identified through the faculty listings of all 154 orthopedic residency programs listed by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) Electronic Residency Application Service and were sent surveys by e-mail.

Of the 3,697 eligible academic orthopedic surgeons, 600 were randomly selected, and 109 completed the survey. Of the 109 respondents, 52% had volunteered abroad previously, and 62% said they were highly likely to volunteer abroad in the
future. The most common barriers were scheduling, and family and social commitments (65% and 66%, respectively), followed by lack of specialty-specific
opportunities (40%). In a multivariate model, the only barrier significantly decreasing likelihood to volunteer abroad was concern for medical safety (P = .015). Altruistic motivations (P = .005), religious sentiments (P = .006), international networking (P = .004), and fulfilling the true medical creed (P = .015) significantly increased likelihood.

Academic orthopedic surgeons are interested in volunteering abroad. Addressing common motivations and barriers may help improve care in the developing world.