Medical schools as cisgendered organizations

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Sociology of Health
• Gender Studies

Background:

• Organizational practices can marginalize transgender and gender diverse (TGD) populations by reinforcing gender normativity.
• Medical schools may perpetuate inequities through curriculum development and implementation, creating a cisgendered organizational structure.
• Existing curricula often lack comprehensive TGD health content and socio-political contexts.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore U.S. medical students' perceptions of transgender and gender diverse (TGD) content within medical school curricula.
• To identify how curricular oversights and pathologization impact the learning environment for TGD medical students.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative study utilizing four focus groups conducted in 2023.
• Involved 19 participants identifying as transgender and gender diverse medical students.
• Abductive analysis was employed to interpret the data.

Main Results:

• Curricular omissions regarding TGD health and socio-political contexts were identified.
• Continued pathologization of TGD individuals contributes to a hostile educational environment.
• Medical schools function as cisgendered organizations embedding inequities into their structure.

Conclusions:

• Medical school curricula require significant reform to address TGD health and experiences.
• Recommendations include practical integration of TGD content and structural changes like hiring TGD faculty.
• Governing bodies should advocate against legislative restrictions on TGD medical care.