Improving Patient and Physician Outcomes Through LGBTQ+ Pedagogical Interventions in Surgical Training and Practice

The lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) population has experienced widespread mistreatment and stigma by medical providers. For transgender patients, specifically, surgeons play an important role in the completion of gender-affirming procedures that allow patients to identify more closely with their chosen genders. Similarly, LGBTQ+ surgeons experience discrimination from their colleagues at all stages of their career, starting from residency, that increase their rates of burnout and ability to deliver effective care to their patients. As a result, it is important for surgeons to deploy culturally competent and intentionally inclusive care for LGBTQ+ patients, while reducing bias and stigma that cisgender and heterosexual medical professionals may have for their LGBTQ+ colleagues. Using pedagogical interventions, focused on educational programming, experiential learning, and intergroup contact, is a proven tool to improve outcomes for LGBTQ+ patients, surgical residents, and medical providers.