Transgendered Physicians

I'm a trans male and I'm also applying this cycle. I discussed my experience with transitioning in almost all of my secondaries, but only when it was the best answer to the question they were asking (biggest challenges in life, etc.). So far I've gotten interviews at 80% of the schools I applied to and almost entirely top 20 schools. I've garnered one acceptance in the same tier. I fully expected to experience prejudice, as @arc5005 expresses concern about, but I really can't say that happened to me in the process of receiving interviews.

The interviews themselves, however, have been tumultuous. I've had one or two interviews where my trans status did not come up or present an issue at any point. The rest have been all over the board. I had one where my interviewer told me I was his "first transgender" like he was listing collector's items. I had another ask me if I thought my "sexual issues" were going to impact my ability to practice medicine, leading me to wonder if he confused gender identity with sex addiction. Needless to say, these experiences colored my opinions of the schools and will play a part in my decision-making process.

To address the discussion about location affecting prejudice I will say that I haven't found any pattern in that respect. I recently interviewed at a school in the south and brought up these concerns with my student host. He told me that the students and administration might be slightly less knowledgeable about these issues, but they're very willing to learn. He suggested that if I'm interested in being part of the change in the medical profession, being in a slightly challenging environment like a southern school might be a good start. I think he made a good point. It's not necessarily our job as LGBT professionals to right these wrongs and I wouldn't fault anyone for picking a safe and supportive environment, but if you want to make things better for the people that come after you, you might have to be uncomfortable for a little while.

Also, @arc5005 I know you meant no harm, but it's generally considered offensive to say "transgendered". You can just say "transgender".

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Transgendered Physicians