A National Assessment of LGBTQ+ Curricular Needs in Pediatric Emergency Medicine Fellowship Programs

Although there has been an expansion of LGBTQ+curricula in graduate medical education, no studies evaluate LGBTQ+curricula in pediatric emergency medicine (PEM) fellowships. We evaluated: (1) the current state of curricula dedicated to LGBTQ+ topics and patient population in pediatric emergency medicine fellowships and (2) the current knowledge and attitudes of PEM fellows and program directors (PDs) relevant to the care of LGBTQ+youth.

An anonymous electronic survey was disseminated via REDCap from January to March 2024 to all current PEM PDs and fellows through the American Academy of Pediatrics' Section on Pediatric Emergency Medicine PEM PD Survey Committee.

We received a response rate of 26% of PEM fellows (71/268) and 31% of PEM PDs (27/87) with representation from all regions of the United States. Seventy-eight percent of PEM fellows and 63% of PDs were unsatisfied with their current education on LGBTQ+topics. Overall, 24% of PEM fellows and 11% of PDs reported receiving no LGBTQ+education. Over 90% of PEM fellows and 70% of PDs believed it was important to understand LGBTQ+-related topics. Topics reported as commonly missing from their current curricula included LGBTQ+-related terminology and national and local resources available to this patient population.

PEM fellows and PDs responding to our survey were not satisfied with their current curricula on LGBTQ+-related topics. An opportunity for improvement is the inclusion of commonly missed LGBTQ+ topics in PEM fellowship curricula. National opportunities include the creation of a standardized curriculum for PEM LGBTQ+-focused care.