MS4 Catalog

LGBTQ Health

LOCATION: UTC, Chestnut Ridge Hospital Adolescent Unit, Physician Office Ctr
PRECEPTOR: Kacie, Kidd, MD, MS
DURATION: 2-4 weeks
OFFERED: Continuously 
MAXIMUM ENROLLMENT: 1
STATUS: Elective

OBJECTIVES:

Students on the LGBT Health elective will split time between adolescent medicine (pediatric gender clinic with Drs. Kidd and Someshwar), child & adolescent psychiatry (pediatric gender clinic with Dr. Deci, Adolescent Inpatient Unit with Dr. Deci), endocrinology (adult gender clinic with Dr. Perini), plastic surgery clinic (gender-affirming surgery with Dr. Gelman) and infectious disease clinic (PrEP Clinic with TBD). Student experiences will include: 1) Pediatric and adult gender-affirming care including comprehensive psychosocial assessments and gender-affirming medical interventions including puberty blockers and hormones, 2) Adult gender-affirming care including medical and surgical interventions, 3) PrEP utilization and monitoring, 4) Community engagement – students will work with Dr. Kidd to identify opportunities to hear from members of the LGBT community to learn about allyship and inclusive care. Such opportunities could include attending SAFE Zone Training, a meeting of the community-led Tri-State Gender Collaborative, events through the WVU LGBTQ+ Center, or parent support meetings through PFLAG or the Morgantown Raising Trans Kids online support group.

Patient Care:

  • Evaluate barriers to LGBTQ patients feeling safe, seen, and comfortable in medical settings
  • Develop social history-taking practices that allow for inclusive language and fit with their clinical practice style

Medical Knowledge:

After completing this elective, students will be able to demonstrate competence in basic and clinical knowledge as it pertains to health inequities experienced by LGBTQ populations and standards of care/best practices as applicable.

  • Discuss sources of health inequity for LGBTQ populations
  • Describe standard of care practice specific to LGBTQ patient populations including gender-affirming care

Practice-Based Learning:

  • Execute the ability to use peer-reviewed literature to effectively and cogently evaluate patient care practices and modify management plans appropriately based on obtained information. Students are expected to demonstrate receptiveness to feedback provided during the rotation with appropriate modification of behavior to improve performance.
  • Demonstrate cultural competency through self-reflection and guidance by preceptors

Communication Skills:

Students will be observed communicating with patients and receive direct feedback on the inclusivity of their language, particularly with regard to taking a social history.

  • Demonstrate competence in use of inclusive language in clinical settings
  • Examine various means of communicating support and allyship through verbal and non-verbal communication

Professionalism:

Students will be required to demonstrate professionalism in working with patient populations who have experienced significant discrimination in health care systems and will receive direct feedback based on their ability to demonstrate empathy and professionalism in multidisciplinary spaces. Additionally, students will be required to schedule a meeting with the elective director (Dr. Kidd) at least one month prior to starting the elective to ensure the schedule best meets the student’s individual goals. Additionally, students will become more aware of their own explicit and implicit biases by completing one or more Implicit Association Tests (IAT) related to LGBTQ identities at the following link: https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/takeatest.html

Systems-Based Practice: 

Students will demonstrate an awareness of and responsiveness to the larger context and system of health care and the ability to call on system resources effectively. For example, students will be introduced to the multidisciplinary care model in the adolescent medicine gender clinic and the potential benefits of such a model to reduce patient and family burden when seeking care. Additionally, students will have the opportunity to communicate with community members about their experiences with the health care system and strategize with preceptors about aiding patients in receiving care.

METHODS TO ACHIEVE OBJECTIVES:

Instructional methods will include direct observation and participation in clinic-based patient care settings as well as case-based learning through written and simulated cases as well as learning through listening to patient stakeholders.

EXAMINATION PROCEDURES AND EVALUATION CRITERIA:

Formative Assessment:

Students will be evaluated by preceptors based on their ability to use inclusive language and create safe spaces for LGBTQ patients as well as their own understanding of relevant medical care. Dr. Kidd will provide weekly oral feedback on Fridays during the rotation. All preceptors will provide written feedback at the end of the rotation.

Summative Assessment:

Satisfactory completion of the elective will require the following: Presence in patient care areas for at least 10 clinic sessions (2-week rotation) or 20 clinic sessions (4 week rotation), participation in at least one community-led conversation/listening opportunity to be determined by elective director (Dr. Kidd) based on student interests, and completion of at least one simulated experience as available (at least one opportunity will be available per month).

PRIOR TO THE FIRST DAY OF THE ROTATION:

Please contact Dr. Kacie Kidd, kacie.kidd@hsc.wvu.edu at least two weeks prior to the start of the elective.