General surgery residency and action toward surgical equity: A scoping review of program websites

Surgical residents are increasingly concerned about inequities in patient access and outcomes. This study reviews general surgery residency programs websites for educational and community-focused efforts to recognize and intervene on the root causes of structural inequities.

We reviewed the websites of the 332 ACGME-accredited general surgery residency programs for mission statement, curriculum and research details in addition to diversity, equity and inclusion statements. Through deductive coding, we pursued a thematic analysis of visible and intentional steps to incorporate and emphasize surgical equity in surgical training.

The majority (76%) of training program websites do not mention healthcare inequity. Of the programs that do, 24 (7% of all residencies reviewed) describe initiatives, including an endowed lectureship in anti-racism and community engagement work.

We identified efforts to prioritize surgical equity at general surgery residency programs across a range of resources and settings. This review of public efforts toward equity highlights opportunities for programs to engage with their trainees and communities.