Opportunities for Gender-Affirming Care Exposure Across Otolaryngology Programs

Area of Science:

• Otolaryngology
• Medical Education
• Gender-Affirming Care

Background:

• Training opportunities in gender-affirming care (GAC) for otolaryngology residents are not well-documented.
• This study assesses the availability of GAC clinics, surgeons performing gender-affirming surgery (GAS), and faculty research output within US otolaryngology residency programs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence of GAC clinics and GAS-performing surgeons in US otolaryngology residency programs.
• To evaluate the extent of GAC research conducted by otolaryngology faculty.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the AMA FREIDA and Residency & Fellowship Database to identify US otolaryngology residencies.
• Examined program websites to identify facial plastic surgeons, laryngologists, and GAC clinics.
• Searched PubMed for GAC-related publications by faculty.

Main Results:

• 70% of programs have an institutional GAC clinic.
• 32.1% of programs have otolaryngology faculty performing GAS, with regional variations (Midwest highest at 47%, South lowest at 17%).
• 35% of residents train at programs with faculty who have published on GAC.

Conclusions:

• While most residents train at institutions with GAC clinics, faculty involvement in GAS and GAC research is limited.
• There is a significant need to enhance otolaryngology resident exposure to clinical and scholarly GAC, especially in the Southern US.