Journal article
Career or Identity: Investigating specialty selection among LGBTQ+ medical students using a multi-institutional questionnaire
Journal of academic ophthalmology (2017), Vol.17(1), 14
03/25/2025
DOI: 10.62199/2475-4757.1283
Abstract
Background: A workforce representative of all populations, including lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer/questioning/other (LGBTQ+) medical students, is critical to providing care to patients of all backgrounds. Understanding why LGBTQ+ students choose one specialty over another is important to identify targets of focus to ensure this balanced recruitment of LGBTQ+ students to specialties in medicine.
Purpose: To compare factors influencing career choices among LGBTQ+ compared to non-LGBTQ+ students and to identify specific reasons for or against pursuing Ophthalmology, Dermatology and Otolaryngology.
Methods: Multi-institutional survey distributed to medical students in their final year of training through institutional email and social media posting. The questionnaire was distributed 2 weeks prior to Ophthalmology Match Day and closed the day following Ophthalmology Match Day (March 19, 2021). Survey respondents were asked to rate the importance of specific considerations for choosing a particular specialty on a 3-point Likert scale.
Results: 286 medical students in their final year of training responded to the questionnaire. Forty-three (18%, n=237) respondents identified as LGBTQ+. LGBTQ+ students were 55% less likely to cite extremely high importance of having a mentor in the same field as non-LGBTQ+ students (OR = 0.45, 95% CI = 0.22 – 0.92, p = 0.040). They were equally likely compared to non-LGBTQ+ students to value mentorship, work-life balance, job availability, social recognition, and high income potential. More LGBTQ+ students cited competitiveness as a reason against pursuing Dermatology compared to their non-LGBTQ+ peers (70.7% vs. 51.7%, p=0.027), and more LGBTQ+ students cited an inability to find same-sexual-orientation role models as a reason against pursuing Otolaryngology compared to non-LGBTQ+ students (9.8% vs. 2.8%, p=0.043).
Conclusions: LGBTQ+ students surveyed differed slightly from non-LGBTQ+ counterparts when taking factors into consideration for their medical specialty, as they all value mentorship, work-life balance, job availability, social recognition, and high income potential. When considering subspecialties of Dermatology, Otolaryngology and Ophthalmology, there is a decreased emphasis among LGBTQ+ students to find mentors in their field of choice. The reasons for this need to be further evaluated.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Career or Identity: Investigating specialty selection among LGBTQ+ medical students using a multi-institutional questionnaire
- Creators
- David A. Ramirez - Children's Hospital of PhiladelphiaAlexis Warren - University of Illinois ChicagoPatrick B. Barlow - University of IowaTaylor L. Cork - A.T. Still UniversityAdrienne W. Scott - Johns Hopkins UniversityScott R. Chaiet - University of Wisconsin–MadisonPeter T. Chang - University of Miami Health SystemAnthony M. Rossi - Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer CenterErin M. Shriver - University of IowaChris R. Alabiad - University of Miami Health System
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Journal of academic ophthalmology (2017), Vol.17(1), 14
- DOI
- 10.62199/2475-4757.1283
- ISSN
- 2475-4757
- eISSN
- 2475-4757
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 03/25/2025
- Academic Unit
- ICTS; Center for Social Science Innovation; Office of Consultation and Research in Medical Education; General Internal Medicine; Otolaryngology; Internal Medicine; Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences
- Record Identifier
- 9984927212002771
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