Education and Career Track for Student Interested in Transition Related Care

[Lil Red PrePsy Student]

Hi Everyone,

Mini existential crisis happening. I dont think I want to be a Psychologist anymore. You know despite all of my education, money, and experience being in the realm of social and behavioral sciences. I have decided that I like the idea of being a surgical PA or NP but I would like to give back to my community (I am a transgender woman of color) and focus on transition related surgical care for female or feminine centered individuals. Advice? What should I do? I also like the idea of practicing exclusively with LGBT individuals regardless of specialty.

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[tantacles]

Hi Everyone,

Mini existential crisis happening. I dont think I want to be a Psychologist anymore. You know despite all of my education, money, and experience being in the realm of social and behavioral sciences. I have decided that I like the idea of being a surgical PA or NP but I would like to give back to my community (I am a transgender woman of color) and focus on transition related surgical care for female or feminine centered individuals. Advice? What should I do? I also like the idea of practicing exclusively with LGBT individuals regardless of specialty.

Sounds like you need to go back to medical school!


Large dogs

 

[Guero]

Hi Everyone,

Mini existential crisis happening. I dont think I want to be a Psychologist anymore. You know despite all of my education, money, and experience being in the realm of social and behavioral sciences. I have decided that I like the idea of being a surgical PA or NP but I would like to give back to my community (I am a transgender woman of color) and focus on transition related surgical care for female or feminine centered individuals. Advice? What should I do? I also like the idea of practicing exclusively with LGBT individuals regardless of specialty.

Your first step will be to investigate potential PA and NP programs. There are a few "NP bridge" programs that allow you to apply with a bachelor's degree in non-nursing disciplines. You'll do a year of basic nursing classes to qualify to sit for the nursing license exam (NCLEX); then you'll do a year of accelerated, master's level classes to qualify for your NP board exam. I'd suggest pursuing a generalist track if you'd like to work in the perioperative eval setting. Unlike PAs, NPs don't assist in the OR. But you can help run the pre-op and post-op clinic as an NP. Their prerequisites are a semester each of lifespan development (psych, which you likely already have), microbiology, and nutrition. There might be a couple more. Just check the websites.

For the PA route, it's very similar to medical school. You'll need to take a year each of gen chem, organic chem, physics, and biology, as well as a semester of statistics. Check out some schools near you.

Once you graduate, you can apply to work with LGBTQ specific clinics, planned parenthood or other Women's health clinics, or physicians that have practices that serve large LGBTQ patient populations.

Good luck!


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[fantasty]

...
Once you graduate, you can apply to work with LGBTQ specific clinics, planned parenthood or other Women's health clinics, or physicians that have practices that serve large LGBTQ patient populations.

Guero's logic is sound. I might add that, if you're in an area with LGBTQ clinics, you might want to see if you can work / volunteer / shadow in them as a way to test your interest and also accumulate some experience and clinical hours.