Experiences of medical students belonging to sexual and gender diversity: a systematic review

BACKGROUNDStudents belonging to sexual and gender diversity experience chronic stress due to stigmatization and discrimination. AIMTo identify the experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender/transsexual, and queer (LGBTQ+) medical students. MATERIAL AND METHODSSystematic literature review using the PRISMA protocol in PubMed, ERIC, EMBASE, and LILACS databases. Articles published in Spanish or English were considered. Three authors independently reviewed and synthesized information from the selected articles, according to the PRISMA criteria. RESULTSFifteen studies met the inclusion criteria. Forty-three experiences were reported, which were finally classified into four categories: i) Relationship between peers in the educational context (23%), ii) Relationship between students and teachers in the educational context (23%), iii) Relationship with the educational institution (34%), and iv) Curriculum and training experience (19%). The relationship with the educational institution was identified as the most relevant category. Students with a strong sense of belonging to their institution were more likely to be persistent and make an effort in learning. The second most relevant experiences, mainly negative, derive from interactions with peers and teachers. CONCLUSIONSLGBTQ+ medical students still experience more discrimination than inclusion during their training. Therefore, medical schools should render medical education a more inclusive space for the LGBTQ+ population.