Directors of accredited pediatric ophthalmology fellowship programs: a descriptive analysis

PURPOSE To examine the characteristics of pediatric ophthalmology fellowship program directors (FPDs) through cross-sectional analysis. METHODS All pediatric ophthalmology FPDs whose programs participated in the San Francisco Match in January 2020 were included. Information was collected through publicly available sources. Scholarly activity was measured by peer-reviewed articles and the Hirsch index. RESULTS Of the 43 FPDs, 22 (51%) were male, and 21 (49%) were female. The mean age of current FPDs was 53.5 +/- 8.8 years old. There was a significant difference between the current age of male and female FPDs (57.8 +/- 8 vs 49 +/- 7.3, resp. [P<0.0001]). The mean term length of female and male FPDs also differed (11.5 +/- 4.5 vs 16.1 +/- 8.9 [P = 0.042]). Thirty-eight FPDs (88%) attended medical school in the United States. Forty-two FPDs had an MD (98%). Thirty-nine (91%) FPDs completed ophthalmology residency in the United States. Ten (23%) of the FPDs were dual fellowship trained. There was a significantly higher Hirsch-index among male than female FPDs (23.9 +/- 15.7 vs 10.3 +/- 10.1 [P = 0.0017]). There was a higher number of publications for male (91 +/- 89) than female FPDs (31.5 +/- 48.6 [P = 0.0099]). CONCLUSIONS Pediatric ophthalmology fellowship programs have a uniquely equal representation of male and female FPDs as women continue to be underrepresented in ophthalmology. Female FPDs were younger and had spent less time in the position, suggesting a shift toward more female FPD over time.