UCSF Team Expands Training in Trans and Gender Diverse Care
A team of UCSF Family and Community Medicine residents and faculty is reshaping medical education to better prepare physicians to care for transgender, nonbinary, and gender diverse (TGD) patients. Queering the Curriculum, presented at the 2025 Rodnick Colloquium, was led by residents Drs. Norman Archer, Alex Coston, and Tresne Hernandez, with mentorship from Drs. Caitlin Felder-Heim, Mai Fleming, Sen Nguyen, and Lealah Pollock.
In response to persistent gaps in clinical experience, the team revamped UCSF’s Gender Health Elective program. They added case-based modules, structured goal-setting, and one-on-one mentorship to supplement existing didactic lectures on gender-affirming care. Early survey results show residents gained confidence in discussing hormone therapy, safer sex, and taking affirming health histories—but surgical care remains a key gap.
The project also included a patient survey at the Family Health Center’s Gender Health Program. Most respondents felt their provider was supportive, but only 44% felt their provider was knowledgeable about transgender care. Patients expressed strong needs for hormone therapy, mental health services, legal assistance, and gender-affirming OB-GYN care.
The project demonstrates that even when clinical opportunities are limited, structured, theory-informed education can equip residents to deliver more affirming, inclusive care.
