Out in the Match
Steven Xie, Sarah E. Bradley, Jamila K. Picart, Jonathan A. Cunha, Susan C. Pitt, Gurjit Sandhu, Jenny ShaoObjective:
To explore LGBTQ+ general surgery resident experiences during the Match process.
Summary Background Data:
General surgery (GS) applicants negotiate the residency match process through the lens of their identities, but little is known about LGBTQ+ applicant experiences. This study explored how current LGBTQ+-GS residents navigated their identity and evaluated programs for psychological safety and belonging during the Match.
Methods:
This qualitative study utilized semistructured interviews with current US LGBTQ+-GS residents recruited using purposive and snowball sampling from Oct to Dec 2025. Interviews focused on LGBTQ+ identity, experiences throughout medical school, recruitment, and residency, and how psychological safety was assessed. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using a deductive-inductive approach to identify themes.
Results:
Of 17 participants, mean age was 30.7±1.8 years, and most identified as male (52.9%) and White (76.5%). Five themes were identified: (1) Participants strategically disclosed identity: disclosing as a “
Conclusions:
LGBTQ+ trainees assessed a variety of micro- and macro-signals to evaluate residency programs. Residency programs can design their programs around these signals to enhance recruitment of LGBTQ+-GS applicants.