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. 2022 Feb 7;10(2):23259671211073713.
doi: 10.1177/23259671211073713. eCollection 2022 Feb.

The Role of Advanced Academic Degrees in Orthopaedic Sports Medicine Faculty

Aaron Z Chen  1 , Kaylre M Greaves  1 , Thomas A Fortney  1 , Christopher S Ahmad  1 , William N Levine  1 , David P Trofa  1 , T Sean Lynch  1
Affiliations

The Role of Advanced Academic Degrees in Orthopaedic Sports Medicine Faculty

Aaron Z Chen et al. Orthop J Sports Med. .

Abstract

Background: Limited knowledge exists on the role of advanced academic degrees within faculty positions in orthopaedic sports medicine.

Purpose: To 1) provide an assessment of the baseline demographics of advanced degrees among orthopaedic sports medicine faculty and 2) examine the impact of advanced degrees on research productivity and career attainment of orthopaedic sports medicine faculty.

Study design: Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 4.

Methods: Orthopaedic sports medicine academics were identified using faculty listings on websites of the 200 orthopaedic surgery residency programs during the 2020-2021 academic year. Advanced degrees were defined as those additional to the primary medical degree (Doctor of Medicine [MD] or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine [DO]). Outcome measures included timing of advanced degree obtainment, residency program rankings, research productivity, and current academic rank and leadership roles. Statistical analysis was performed using chi-square and Mann-Whitney U tests to determine the association of advanced degrees on outcome measures.

Results: In total, 911 orthopaedic sports medicine faculty members were identified, of whom 100 had an advanced degree. The most common advanced degrees were Master of Science (MS/MSc; 38%), Doctor of Philosophy (PhD; 23%), and Master of Business Administration (MBA; 13%). The presence of an advanced degree was associated with greater research productivity, including higher h-index and number of publications, as well as more editorial board positions on orthopaedics journals (P < .001). Advanced degrees were not significantly associated with attending a higher ranked orthopaedic surgery residency program, current academic rank, or leadership roles. At the institutional level, orthopaedic sports medicine programs that employed faculty with an advanced degree had a higher residency program ranking and the presence of a sports medicine fellowship was more likely (P < .05).

Conclusion: Advanced degrees in orthopaedic sports medicine were associated with greater faculty research engagement and employment at a higher ranked institution; they were not associated with matching to a highly ranked orthopaedic surgery residency program, higher faculty rank, or academic leadership roles.

Keywords: academic; advanced degree; degrees; faculty; sports medicine.

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Conflict of interest statement

One or more of the authors has declared the following potential conflict of interest or source of funding: C.S.A. has received research support from Arthrex, Major League Baseball, and Stryker; consulting and speaking fees from Arthrex; royalties from Arthrex and Lead Player; and has stock/stock options in At Peak. W.N.L. has received education payments from Gotham Surgical and hospitality payments from Zimmer. D.P.T. has received education payments from Arthrex and Smith & Nephew. T.S.L. has received education payments from Arthrex, consulting fees from KCI USA and Smith & Nephew, and speaking fees from Arthrex, Linvatec, and Smith & Nephew. AOSSM checks author disclosures against the Open Payments Database (OPD). AOSSM has not conducted an independent investigation on the OPD and disclaims any liability or responsibility relating thereto.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Number of obtained advanced degrees by decade.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Types of advanced degrees in orthopaedic sports medicine faculty. MA, Master of Arts; MBA, Master of Business Administration; MHS/MHA/MHSA, Master of Health Science/Master of Health Administration/Master of Science in Health Administration; MPH, Master of Public Health; MS/MSc, Master of Science; PhD, Doctor of Philosophy.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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