“The biggest gap is training in medical school and residency,” Dr. Tangpricha said. “Only one out of three medical schools have any transgender curriculum taught to students. Physicians lack knowledge on the diagnosis of gender dysphoria and the hormone regimens that are commonly used. Also, physicians don’t feel comfortable speaking to transgender patients because they lack experience working with this population.”
Training in caring for transgender patients and other segments of the LGBT patient population is available through WPATH, the Fenway Institute in Boston, and GLMA, formerly known as the Gay & Lesbian Medical Association, as well some other organizations, Dr. Tangpricha said.
Dr. Rosendale took training into her own hands. She saw gaps in the curriculum, and started LGBT training programs at New York University, where she went to medical school, and at UCSF, where she completed her neurology residency and neurohospitalist fellowship.
The curriculum, which was blended with diversity training at UCSF, involved basic concepts such as terminology, the difference between gender identity and sexual orientation, communication tips, and discussions of the health care experience from the LGBT patient perspective. Even a relatively small amount of training can go a long way, she said.