Developing Gender-Affirming Surgery Curricula for Plastic Surgery Residency and Fellowship via Delphi Consensus

Area of Science:

• Plastic Surgery
• Surgical Education
• Gender-Affirming Care

Background:

• Gender-affirming surgery (GAS) is a rapidly expanding area in plastic surgery.
• Standardized training curricula for GAS are currently lacking.
• This study aimed to define core curricula for GAS training.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and establish a core curriculum for gender-affirming surgery (GAS) training.
• To ensure plastic surgery residents and fellows receive appropriate and comprehensive education in GAS.
• To address the need for standardized training in this specialized surgical field.

Main Methods:

• A modified Delphi consensus process was employed.
• Expert panelists included plastic surgery residency program directors and GAS surgeons.
• Curricular statements were evaluated for appropriateness in residency and fellowship training, with consensus defined by a Cronbach α value ≥ 0.8.

Main Results:

• 34 panelists from 28 US institutions participated, with high response rates across three rounds.
• Out of 124 initial statements, 84 achieved consensus for the final GAS curricula.
• The consensus included 51 statements for residency and 31 for fellowship training.

Conclusions:

• A national consensus on core gender-affirming surgery (GAS) curriculum for plastic surgery residency and fellowship was established.
• The developed curriculum provides a standardized framework for training future GAS surgeons.
• Implementation of this curriculum is crucial for adequately preparing trainees in plastic surgery for the field of GAS.