Early Exposure to Orthopaedic Surgery.

Introduction: Disparities in early orthopaedic experiences among medical students prompt a critical examination of factors influencing the availability and nature of these exposures. While the current body of literature underscores the significance of early surgical exposure and mentorship in medical education, a notable gap exists in investigating early orthopaedic exposure and its specific impact on students from diverse backgrounds.

Methods: A 16-item questionnaire, approved by our institutional review board, was administered to fourth-year medical students (MS4) and first-year orthopaedic residents (PGY-1) across U.