Residency stipend study to modernize and increase competitiveness in VA’s ability to recruit, train, and retain top future orthotists and prosthetists: A collaborative analysis between the VA Orthotic, Prosthetic & Pedorthic Clinical Services (OP
Michael K. Carroll, Martin L. McDowell, Christopher M. Fantini, Jeffrey Bott, Chris Robinson, M. Jason HighsmithIntroduction:
In the 2022/2023 training cycle, the VA Prosthetic Orthotic Residency (VAPOR) Program was unable to fill all funded residency positions. Initial debriefing with residency directors revealed a likely cause to be lack of competitiveness of the VAPOR training stipend value, particularly for second-year residents. This demonstrated a need to conduct a training stipend analysis for the VAPOR program.
Methods:
A five-part analysis was conducted including review of the program’s stipend history, review of the impact of inflation, and surveys of residency directors and current and former residents.
Results:
Cumulatively, the analysis revealed that the current stipend was no longer competitive and that the profession was compensating second-year residents more than first-year residents. To effectively compete for top residency candidates, the VA must increase the current training stipend. Ultimately, 4 evidence-based recommendations were derived from the analysis as follows: (1) VAPOR Year 2 (Y2) stipends should be greater than the Year 1 (Y1) stipends; (2) VAPOR Y1 residents should receive a base stipend of $41,620 in addition to a locality adjustment based on the site location; and (3) VAPOR Y2 residents should receive a nonadjusted base stipend valued at 9.3% more than the Y1 stipend or $45,491 to be increased with a locality adjustment based on the site location.
Conclusions:
A cost-of-living adjustment should be applied to VAPOR program stipends at a minimum of every 3 to 5 years at an increase of 3–5% based on cost-of-living data from other government resources. VA bolstered resident compensation because of these findings.