Progress, barriers, and the future of LGBTQ+ surgeons in academic surgery

Representation of online LGBTQ+ support in general surgery residency programs

BACKGROUND

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and more(LGBTQ+) trainees are underrepresented in medicine, and their experiences in surgery have not been well studied. We sought to examine the practices of general surgery residency programs by region regarding representation of LGBTQ+ ​support online.

METHODS

Retrospective, two-person review of 100 general surgery residency programs stratified by Electronic Residency Application Service(ERAS) region comparing data on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion(DEI) and LGBTQ+ ​-specific webpages.

RESULTS

The Middle Atlantic and South Atlantic regions had 20% of programs each, with fewer programs found in other regions. Of the 100 institutions, 92% had DEI webpages, and 43% had LGBTQ+ ​-specific webpages. There was a significant difference in the likelihood of a program being an Human Rights Campaign(HRC) LGBTQ+ ​leader when compared by region(p ​< ​0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Few general surgery residency programs share LGBTQ+-specific DEI content online with no regional difference observed. Recommendations such as updating websites to highlight LGBTQ+ ​inclusion should aid recruitment of a diverse, surgical residency as well as create a welcoming environment for prospective residents.

Intersectionality: Understanding the Interdependent Systems of Discrimination and Disadvantage

The fight for gender equity in surgery extends well beyond the simplistic binary construct of man versus woman. Professor Kimberlé Crenshaw coined the term "intersectionality," which is used to describe the dynamic associations between the concepts of race, class, gender, and other individualized characteristics and their real-time interaction with one another in our society. Our review of intersectional identities among medical professionals attempts to examine the trends of difficulties at the intersections of an individual's identity within academic surgery, leadership in academic surgery, and the effects on patient outcomes in the United States. Specifically, we will focus on the interaction of race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, family, disability, and international status. Much more research focused specifically on intersectional groups is required to statistically identify to what degree overlapping identities impact professional and patient care outcomes. Recognition of the problem and candid discussions will allow for vast improvements not only in surgical culture, but also in surgical care.