Pekbay Begüm, Rotbi Hajar, El Boghdady Michael, Bosmans Joanna W A M, Blok Joris J
Department of Surgery, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
Faculty of Medicine, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
Surg Open Sci. 2025 Aug 28;27:133-135. doi: 10.1016/j.sopen.2025.08.002. eCollection 2025 Sep.
Diversity and inclusion are increasingly recognized as critical components of effective surgical practice and team dynamics. Despite growing awareness, structural barriers continue to limit the entry and advancement of individuals from underrepresented groups in surgery. At the annual meeting of the Dutch Surgical Society in 2025, a dedicated symposium on diversity and inclusion was organized to explore the relevance, urgency, and potential impact of these topics in surgery. Drawing from lived experience, research evidence, and a multidisciplinary panel discussion, this event underscored the necessity of shifting from performative diversity toward meaningful inclusion. Key insights from the symposium and actionable strategies to foster sustainable change within surgical education and practice are discussed in this paper. Future directions would include concrete policy development by the Dutch Surgical Society to achieve sustainable change, incorporating these topics in national education programs and development of structured mentorship networks and facilitating a continuous open dialogue.
多样性和包容性日益被视为有效外科实践和团队动态的关键组成部分。尽管人们的认识不断提高，但结构性障碍仍然限制了来自外科领域代表性不足群体的个人的进入和发展。在2025年荷兰外科学会年会上，组织了一场关于多样性和包容性的专题研讨会，以探讨这些主题在外科领域的相关性、紧迫性和潜在影响。基于实际经验、研究证据以及多学科小组讨论，该活动强调了从表面的多样性转向有意义的包容性的必要性。本文讨论了专题研讨会的关键见解以及在外科教育和实践中促进可持续变革的可行策略。未来的方向将包括荷兰外科学会制定具体政策以实现可持续变革，将这些主题纳入国家教育计划，发展结构化的指导网络，并促进持续的开放对话。
