Training New Doctors

[Carolyn Marie]

For the third time in four years, I and about 10 other LGBT type persons showed up at USC-Keck Medical School today to talk with first-year medical students about the ways in which our (larger) community interacts with, and is sometimes negatively impacted by, medical professionals.  We told our personal stories, and we have been touched by, or touched, the medical profession, and what they as up-and-coming doctors should know about us, and how to treat us (in the medical sense, and in the compassionate sense).

 

As has been the case every year, the students were bright eyed, curious, supportive and eager to learn from us.  This program has been copied in more and more universities around the country, and that is a very good thing.

 

One thing new today; one of the guest speakers, a trans woman, is also a doctor with Kaiser in San Bernardino County.  She transitioned on the job four years ago, and she said her career has not been negatively affected.  That is encouraging, and she is a great role model for those USC med students, and for all of us, too.

 

Carolyn Marie

 

 

[tracy_j]

That's good Carolyn. I don't know how doctor's training is given here, but I am sure they are far more aware these days. My only contact when it was mentioned was with my mother's doctor who did ask if I was undergoing gender re-alignment. Although I am aware of the statistics, and that trans people are commonplace, I am not aware of any locally (but they must exist), so doctors here perhaps see few. The general information given where I used to work (NHS) was via the LGBT group. It was next to non existant for trans people, but staff were, as far as I saw, very aware and knew when their input was required.

 

Tracy

[Timber Wolf]

Thank you once again for working to help our community Carolyn!

 

Lots of love,

Timber Wolf?

[Charlize]

Coming out as ourselves to help others is worth more than applause.  Thank You.

 

Hugs,

 

Charlize

[Briana]

Awesome Carolyn.  We as healthcare consumers tend think that medical professionals know everything about everything medical & that we  accept everything regardless of our personal beliefs.  Truth is we neither know everything about all things medical - that's impossible.  There are so many specialties and sub-specialties in the field.  And we all tend to bring our personal beliefs into what we do every day. We try not to, but we all do.  I think helping those coming into any part of the medical professions understand personally how they can impact others by letting their personal views into what they do can can go a long way - good or bad.

[BrandiBri]

That's great, Carolyn. My primary physician is also my HRT provider. She spoke at a recent PFLAG meeting that I attended. She is very proactive and sensitive to the LGBT community. She speaks to other groups concerning how to best care for us. I was very impressed with her knowledge and compassion. I think I hit the jackpot when it comes to my medical part of transition.

[Gwen]

This sounds like a wonderful experience for everyone involved. And the appearance by a trans woman doctor is inspiring on many levels!! One can certainly appreciate the wisdom of introducing this important topic/information early on, so soon-to-be doctors can become familiar with the many aspects of it. If they relied on our current administration, too many facts would be distorted.

 

I have my own experience with a urologist. I asked him about taking various meds and how they might relate to HRT hormones, and he said, "I don't know anything about that," and then quickly moved on. And he was the head of a specialty clinic!

 

Thanks for sharing this, Carolyn Marie.

 

Gwen