Education intervention with residents improves understanding of transgender issu

[stephaniec]

Education intervention with residents improves understanding of transgender issues

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/297979.php

Medical News Today/  08/11/2015

"Boston Medical Center researchers find medical residents' knowledge, willingness to assist with hormonal therapy increases from 5 percent to as much as 76 percent following intervention

The term "transgender" has made its way into mainstream media thanks to Caitlyn Jenner, previously known as Bruce Jenner, who came out as a transgender woman earlier this year. But for many physicians, or physicians-in-training, who do not typically treat transgender patients for issues specific to their gender identity, it's still a mystery."

[suzifrommd]

Why am I the only person who think it's scandalous that when it comes to treating trans people, only 5% of doctors were knowledgeable enough and willing to DO THEIR JOBS.

[Asche]

One thing I didn't see mentioned is the problem of medical people behaving in a bigoted manner towards transgender patients: behaving unprofessionally or abusively, giving inappropriate or inadequate medical treatment, or entirely refusing to treat transgender patients.  I've heard complaints about this sort of thing.

Of course, I don't know how much a course in medical school will change people like that.

[Shana-chan]

A doctor's job is to save lives, heal the injured and to help people relating to their health, all while not judging the person or the circumstances surrounding them and why they may be there. If one wants to be a doctor, this rule applies and they shouldn't be a doctor nor do they have any right to be a doctor if they can't live by the doctor's rule.

[Asche]

A doctor's job is to save lives, heal the injured and to help people relating to their health, all while not judging the person or the circumstances surrounding them and why they may be there. If one wants to be a doctor, this rule applies and they shouldn't be a doctor nor do they have any right to be a doctor if they can't live by the doctor's rule.

I would agree, but a lot of doctors, nurses, EMTs, etc, don't seem to see it that way.  And, yeah, it often results in them giving substandard care, or even harming the patient.  Some feel that enforcing their idea of morality trumps the obligation to do what they can to make their patients better off than they were.

FWIW, a long time ago, I dated a (woman) doctor who felt unfairly treated because the clinic she had worked at fired her for refusing, because of her religious views of the immorality of non-marital sex, to prescribe birth control for unmarried couples.  I tried to suggest to her that maybe she should have simply found a different job, one where she wouldn't have to prescribe birth control, but she thought that that was unreasonable.