Educational Strategies to Support LGBTQ+ Trainees in Graduate Medical Education - A Narrative Review.

Division

East Florida

Hospital

Aventura Hospital and Medical Center

Document Type

Review Article

Publication Date

5-16-2026

Keywords

GME, LGBTQ+, graduate medical education, medical education, mentorship

Disciplines

Medical Education | Medicine and Health Sciences

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Support for LGBTQ+ trainees in graduate medical education (GME) remains inconsistent across specialties and institutions, with persistent gaps in curricular exposure, affirming mentorship, and institutional support. This narrative review synthesizes recent literature on how educational and institutional practices shape trainee learning, belonging, well-being, and professional development in residency and fellowship.

METHODS: We conducted a structured narrative review of PubMed/MEDLINE, ERIC, and MedEdPORTAL for publications from January 2019 through March 2026 addressing LGBTQ+ trainee experiences, LGBTQ+ health education, curriculum, mentorship, educational climate, recruitment, well-being, and institutional practices in GME. Findings were synthesized thematically and organized into three recurring domains: curriculum and competency, mentorship and role modeling, and program leadership and institutional support.

RESULTS: Across the literature, LGBTQ+ training remains uneven in depth, clinical relevance, and evaluation, with persistent gaps in transgender health and limited assessment of long-term behavioral or patient-centered outcomes. Affirming mentorship and visible role models appear important to disclosure safety, belonging, and professional development. Institutional climate shapes whether inclusion is experienced as meaningful or merely symbolic, particularly through recruitment practices, leadership behavior, and concrete structural supports.

CONCLUSION: Although limited by heterogeneous study designs and the interpretive nature of narrative synthesis, this review suggests that support for LGBTQ+ trainees is strongest when curriculum, mentorship, and institutional practice are aligned. Practical priorities for GME programs include longitudinal specialty-specific teaching, faculty development, affirming mentorship, inclusive recruitment, and visible structural supports embedded in everyday training.

Publisher or Conference

Advances in Medical Education and Practice

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