The Transgender Health Elective is an incredible step forward for providing adequate education and training to medical students in order to have a better understanding of their future transgender and non-gender conforming patients. Recent graduate, Masina Wright, DO ’19 had the concept, motivation, and ability to create the elective with the help of the American Medical Association (AMA) and the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH). For her efforts, she was selected as this year’s recipient of the LGBT Health Achievement Award by the American Medical Student Association (AMSA) and GLMA: Health Professionals Advancing LGBTQ Equality. The award recognizes her advocacy and inclusion of LGBT health issues in medical student curricula. Several UNE COM students have taken the elective this year. In her acceptance speech, Dr. Wright expressed her gratitude, and for “spreading the word that transgender health is best taught by those who have a firsthand experience in the medicine.” UNE COM is extremely fortunate to have a passionate and determined LGBTQI+ advocate in our midst.
Interview with Masina Wright, DO '19
Masina Wright, DO '19 tabling for HEAl Alliance during OsteoBlast!
You mentioned that you created the Transgender Health Medical Student Elective, which you are hosting along with AMSA and WPATH. What was the impetus in creating the elective?
I came into medical school with an interest in creating medical education on transgender health. I soon realized students all over the globe were recreating curriculum, and there was no centralized way to promote content. Then I saw AMSA was providing medical student electives, and determined this could be a way to get high quality content out to students regardless of their school's commitment to LGBT curriculum. I approached WPATH and the WSI to increase credibility and reach to both students and potential speakers.
What was the experience in creating a new elective like? What were some of the challenges you experienced?
It was pretty seamless. WPATH has provided me with a board of leaders in the field as mentors. They made sure I matched the course to the AAMC LGBT competencies of medical education developed a few years ago. Over about 6 months we developed a curriculum together, I matched the competencies to the specifics, and then started reaching out to speakers and it all came together.
Transgender Health Elective