Addressing Patient Sexual Orientation in the Undergraduate Medical Education Curriculum

Objective: This study aims to estimate the number of hours dedicated to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender content in one medical school's undergraduate curriculum, compare it to the national average, and identify barriers to addressing this content. Methods: Course and clerkship directors were asked to estimate how many hours they spent on lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender content, how many hours would be ideal, and what barriers they perceived to teaching this content. Results: Faculty members identified lack of instructional time, lack of relevance to their course content, and lack of professional development on this topic as major barriers. There was a significant negative correlation (r(s) = -0.47, p = 0.047) between "number of hours dedicated" and "perceived barriers to teaching this content." Conclusion: Course and clerkship directors who perceive more barriers to teaching lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender content report dedicating less time to its instruction, but the barriers they perceive can largely be mitigated through faculty development.