Fellowship Program in Transgender Medicine

The BWH Fellowship Program in Transgender Medicine is created for endocrinologists who wish to advance their knowledge of providing clinical care for transgender and gender diverse (TGD) individuals, while also developing their own academic and leadership skills. Fellows will be trained clinically to be expert in the management of gender-affirming hormone therapy and improving the health and wellbeing of TGD people. In addition, fellows are exposed to all other aspects of transgender medicine and surgery. Finally, fellows will be involved in scholarly activities through participation in research and other academic activities related to transgender health. Together, these experiences will prepare fellows to lead teams that provide care for, and that perform research with, TGD people.

Welcome from the Program Directors

Drs. Ole-Petter Hamnvik and Shalender Bhasin

Thank you for your interest in our Fellowship Program in Transgender Medicine. This fellowship was established in 2024 to fill a gap: While endocrinologists are expert in hormones, studies have shown that endocrinology fellows do not get enough exposure to transgender medicine in their training. We therefore created this fellowship to provide further clinical training to clinicians who are passionate about this field, and to help them develop into academic leaders who can become the educators and researchers that move the field forward. Please review our website and we hope to meet you soon!

- Ole-Petter R. Hamnvik, MB BCh BAO, MMSc, MRCPI, Program Director, ohamnvik@bwh.harvard.edu
- Shalender Bhasin, MD, Associate Program Director, sbhasin@bwh.harvard.edu

Training Overview

The fellowship is a 12-month training program (July 1–June 30) that takes advantage of the resources of the BWH Center for Transgender Health as well as those in the other Harvard-affiliated hospitals to provide a broad training in clinical care for transgender and gender diverse people:

  • Fellows have weekly clinics under the supervision of Dr. Hamnvik and Dr. Bhasin where they evaluate patients who are interested in initiating or continuing gender-affirming hormone therapy, including patients with complex comorbidities that affect their hormone management.
  • Fellows rotate with a variety of other team members who provide care health care for transgender and gender diverse individuals. This includes rotations with gender surgeons, voice therapists, pelvic physical therapists, mental health providers, primary care clinicians, and others.
  • The clinical training is complemented by didactic training including fellow-led case presentations and attendance at local and national transgender health conferences. There are also opportunities for additional training opportunities in leadership skill development, research skills, or teaching skills.

Fellows will spend more than half of their time dedicated to scholarly projects under the supervision of mentors. The fellows will settle on a project early in their fellowship and complete the project (including submitting for presentation or publication as appropriate) by the end of their fellowship. Fellows can work with any mentor from the Harvard-affiliated hospitals to execute their project.

Application and Policies

Eligibility

Fellows should have completed training in internal medicine followed by subspecialty training in endocrinology in an ACGME-accredited program in the United States. This includes international medical graduates (IMG), who generally must have completed an ACGME-accredited residency program in the United States. Exceptions may be considered on a case-by case basis. ECFMG certification and completion of all steps of the USMLE or COMLEX examinations (including Step 3) are necessary in order to apply.

Non-US citizens are required to obtain visa sponsorship prior to beginning their program. The Department of Medicine sponsors J-1 and H-1B visas.

Application Process

Applications to the Brigham and Women's Transgender Medicine Fellowship should be submitted by Jan 3, 2025. Interviews will be performed via videoconferencing during the week of Jan 6-10, 2025, and the successful candidate will be informed by Jan 17, 2025.

Applications must include:

  • Application form. Please email the program director for access to the application form. The application requires upload of:
    • USMLE or COMLEX Transcript
    • ECFMG report (if applicable)
    • Personal Statement
    • Photo (optional)
  • Three letters of recommendation (including one from the Endocrinology Fellowship Program Director). These can be emailed directly from the letter writer to Dr. Hamnvik (ohamnvik@bwh.harvard.edu), or uploaded as part of the application.

Policies

Please refer to the Mass General Brigham GME Office web page for information about policies that apply to fellows in the program. Please note that pre-employment drug testing may be requested.

Fellows are paid based on the trainee salary scale determined by the Mass General Brigham GME Office.

Further information on benefits is available here.

Learn more about diversity in the training programs affiliated with Harvard.

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