Gender-Affirmation Surgery Training in United States Academic Plastic Surgery Residency Programs

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Plastic Surgery
• Gender-Affirmation Surgery

Background:

• Over 1.4 million American adults identify as transgender or nonbinary.
• Up to half of transgender individuals seek gender-affirmation surgery.
• Current plastic surgery residency curricula lack comprehensive data on gender-affirming surgical training.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the quantity and type of transgender surgical education in American plastic surgery residency programs.
• To assess the current state of gender-affirming surgical training for plastic surgery residents.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional analysis of 130 accredited plastic surgery residency programs.
• Data collection via program websites and direct outreach (email/phone).
• Categorization of education as didactic, clinical, or elective, and classification by geography and LGBT Healthcare center affiliation.

Main Results:

• 58% of programs offered clinical training, but only 20% had dedicated rotations.
• 38% of programs provided didactic teaching.
• 42% of programs lacked any formal gender-affirmation surgery education or elective opportunities.
• Programs affiliated with "Leaders in LGBT Healthcare" centers were more likely to offer didactic and clinical training.

Conclusions:

• A significant percentage of plastic surgery residency programs lack essential gender-affirmation surgery training.
• Educational offerings vary significantly based on institutional affiliation and geographic factors.
• Addressing this gap is crucial to meet the growing demand for gender-affirming care.