Cisnormative Curricula Silence Transgender Health Education in IM Residency, Qualitative Study Finds

Interviews with 10 Canadian IM faculty revealed that transgender health—even evidence-based areas like cardiovascular care—is excluded from residency curricula. A Queer Theory lens identified an unspoken 'default patient' as cisgender, with structural forces (hierarchy-driven de…

• Design: Descriptive qualitative study using semi-structured interviews with 10 IM faculty involved in curriculum development at one Canadian academic center.
• Key finding: Six themes were constructed, including hierarchy-driven curriculum design, perceived niche status, and binary medical frameworks that systematically exclude transgender health content.
• Limitation: Small, single-center sample limits generalizability; perspectives are from educators only, not learners or patients.

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