Mentorship, law and more – updates from the ASPS PRIDE Forum
ASPS PRIDE Forum organizers were excited to prepare for the forum's first official reception at Plastic Surgery The Meeting last October in Atlanta. As the annual meeting approached, though, we ran into an issue: Too many people were planning to attend – and the venue needed to be upsized.
For context, the ASPS PRIDE Forum is a new membership group created in the wake of ASPS initiatives designed to create interest groups to recognize and foster diversity in plastic surgery. The PRIDE Forum had formed just before PSTM21 and hadn't yet held an in-person event, so we were certainly excited to have too many people for our reception. The night was graciously supported by Allergan, with the Atlanta Gay Men's Choir opening for us with amazing renditions of queer anthems. A volume of surgeons, residents and medical students were in attendance – LGBTQ+-identified and allies alike. Thanks in part to the content of the many conversations born from that night, the PRIDE Forum has begun working on its first offerings to our membership.
At the PRIDE Forum reception, the most commonly asked question by residents and medical students was: "When will the PRIDE Forum have a mentorship program?" Some LGBTQ+-identified mentees were interested in mentorship from LGBTQ+-identified surgeons, and some residents with plans to enter a gender-affirmation surgery fellowship were looking for mentors in the same field. Therefore, this was discussed at our January Steering Committee meeting – and we'll offer a targeted mentorship setup through the ASPS PROPEL program next cycle (details are pending). Resident members of the PRIDE Forum should keep an eye out for that announcement; medical student members may have to wait a bit longer.
Surgeons, residents and medical students also brought up concerns about the anti-LGBTQ+ legislation being proposed in multiple states that could impact both plastic surgery surgeons/trainees and our LGBTQ+-identified patients. We're happy to confirm that the Society's Legislative Action Committee (LAC) is well aware of these proposed laws, and the PRIDE Forum will be working with the LAC on that front. As details emerge, the PRIDE Forum will reach out to our membership with opportunities to get involved.
The PRIDE Forum has a few other offerings that are either currently available or in the works. Members should already have access to a private discussion board – accessible through the ASPS Members Only page – or through the ASPS app. We'll be using the private forum for monthly discussion topics and to allow private discussion for LGBTQ+-related issues in plastic surgery. Some of the PRIDE Forum members have formed @pridePRS (not affiliated with ASPS), and we're also working with medical students and residents on research efforts. It's shaping up to be an exciting year.
The ASPS PRIDE Forum supports LGBTQ+ plastic surgeons and trainees. Its mission is to support a community of LGBTQ+ physicians, trainees and allies who advance the field of plastic surgery through education, advocacy and partnerships. You can join the ASPS PRIDE Forum by going to plasticsurgery.org, then clicking on "For Medical Professionals, followed by "Community" then "PRIDE Forum."
Dr. Akhavan is PGY-6, a clinical research Fellow and pending burn surgery Fellow at Johns Hopkins.