Gender differences in attrition from orthopaedic surgery residency.

We conducted a national survey of orthopaedic surgery residency program directors regarding resident attrition. Female residents had a statistically higher attrition rate than male residents (p < 0.001). The female early withdrawal residents left voluntarily and for personal reasons more often than their male counterparts. These tendencies, however, were not statistically significant. We feel that more in-depth counseling of female medical students and increased mentoring for women in orthopaedic residency could help prevent this attrition.