Short answer: For me personally, YES. It can be very beneficial for a trans person of color to work in the healthcare industry.
You can scroll to the bottom of this blog if you just want to check out some of the benefits I listed (from my personal experiences of working in this field) In Part 2 of this blog I will provide some resources and links to info and programs if you’re interested in entering the healthcare industry.
But ya’ll know I got to unpack some shit in Part 1.
Let me start by noting: I sincerely believe with every ounce of my being; we queer/gender non-conforming/trans folks of color can sustain ourselves in ways that exist beyond partaking in destructive capitalist practices…while economically strategizing in ways that empower us and center our needs. It sounds great (I know). You’ve probably heard this several times before in social justice circles (I know). It’s a statement that can easily be added to so many lgbtq non-profit mission statements (I know). However, we need reminders that we are already doing this shit. We are already re-imagining and cultivating worlds that free us and value our unique identities. We have always been creators, innovators, care takers, healers, artist, and builders…all while surviving in these systems.
Let me first define Healthcare/The Healthcare Industry:
I’m defining Healthcare/The Healthcare Industry based on my affiliation with it in the U.S. (although it’s regulated similarly on a global level). I will use the terms ‘Healthcare’ and ‘Medical field’ interchangeably throughout this blog.
Healthcare: is the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease, illness, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in human beings. Healthcare is delivered by practitioners in allied health, dentistry, midwifery (obstetrics), medicine, nursing, optometry, pharmacy, psychology and other health professions. It refers to the work done in providing primary care.
Healthcare Industry: is an aggregation of sectors within the economic system providing goods and services to treat patients. It’s one of the largest and fastest growing industries in the world. Plain and simple it’s BIG BUSINESS and it primarily benefits the most privileged members in any given population while shitting on the most marginalized and resource poor (the folks in most need of this ‘care’).
I want to be explicitly clear this is not a blog that will dimly discuss why trans/queer poc should assimilate into systems that collectively seek to destroy us on a daily. I don’t feel that assimilation will ever aid in our liberation. Please research ‘the medical industrial complex’ if you’re unfamiliar as there is a long history in the U.S. (from the colonial era til present day) of mistreatment towards folks of color by the medical establishment. This mistreatment includes: medical abuse/neglect, medical experimentation with unknowing subjects, medical exploitation and unauthorized autopsies/dissections. There is medical research highlighting these accounts in older medical journals. Less-well-known medical atrocities have also been conducted by the government, the armed forces, prisons, and private institutions against folks of color. There are so many people that either don’t understand or refuse to acknowledge the medical field is horrifyingly transmisogynist, racist, fatphobic, anti-poor, disableist and anti-intersex; medical abuse is a common factor when those forces come in to play.
Clearly, we have reason to distrust the current medical establishment. Those of us that do have suitable access to services often spend more time educating medical personnel than we do receiving proper treatment. I know there are several social justice advocates/activists working tirelessly to improve things and I give much props to ya’ll, we’ve gained some traction. However, we are still hurting. We have no options so we remain in community and seek the assistance of one another.
For our most basic care we often rely on the healing practices of our African and Indigenous ancestors. Therefore, I will always honor that ancient wisdom whenever I mention anything remotely close to healing work. We must cling tightly to the numerous gifts our living elders still carry and share with us…much of which has been co-opted, stolen, repackaged…by western science while simultaneously being invalidated. Our elders passed down wonderful remedies, tinctures, herbs, manual therapies and mantras that continue to help us bounce back from dis-ease and keep us strong. Much of this wisdom is intertwined and utilized in several areas of the healthcare industry quite often. Leech therapy for example: (originally an ancient Egyptian modality currently used as a treatment to promote blood flow and tissue healing following microsurgeries). Western scientists are trying very hard to replicate the 140 plus healing enzymes found in the leech’s saliva to create a pill version for pharmaceutical companies to produce and sell.
With the emergence of the Quantified Self Movement (a bunch of new age white hipsters that have formed a global community sharing tools/gadgets/apps that track and analyze personal bodily data i.e. calorie counting, monitoring hemoglobin levels and gauging heart rates) more medical related knowledge is becoming available to the general public. Society is narrowing the gap between healthcare clinicians and patients. We are redefining ‘health’ in terms that feel right to us. We are beginning to take ownership of our bodies and reclaiming our lives. More Trans PoC are taking part in this as well. We are entering the medical field and empowering ourselves as well as those around us.
Here’s the healthcare path I chose:
Licensed Physical Therapist Assistant (Allied Health Sector)
Two Year Program: Associate Degree (No student loans required, paid out of pocket and received financial aid)
Average Annual Income: $46,000 and $80,000 with travel contracts
As a black transmasculine person I was initially discouraged from entering the PTA program by the school administrators in very subtle ways; such as neglecting to provide me with the critical information I needed in order to complete the application package appropriately. In general the application process for most medical programs is very arduous; partially due to strict federal and state regulations on these schools. These programs (especially in the really racist/homophobic/transphobic states) get a little sketchy with their ‘weeding out candidates’ process. The schools often claim the programs are so competitive that they need to make sure they have the most intelligent, disciplined and well-rounded students in place. But from my personal experience this is nothing more than a gate-keeping tactic to keep these programs filled with white able bodied cis folks. My application package was denied 3 years in a row for stupid ass reasons. If you are applying please don’t get discouraged. You can and you will get in. In general these programs are very rigorous, especially the 2 year or less curriculums. The programs are small and you become like family with your fellow classmates. It is always exceptionally challenging with us trans/gnc/queer PoC because we usually having to navigate the racism/homophobia/transmisogyny (which I endured my share of) on top of the brutal course load. I thankfully had some great comrades throughout this process and we equally supported and uplifted one another. The medical programs are designed to break you. To challenge you in every way possible to ensure that you will make a damn good clinician. My particular program was a lot more difficult than the career itself. It was worth the sacrifice.
So what I currently do is assist others in entering medical programs (my field in particular because I have the most knowledge regarding the process from start to finish). I have developed a system to aid folks in the general preparatory phase, successfully completing the program and finally securing employment or attaining additional education. I share this with as many folks as I can. I also share my clinical knowledge with as many as my folks as I can. It’s all about empowering one another ya’ll. We got this.
Here are some benefits of working in Healthcare as a trans PoC.
- Often times there is little to no upfront cost for many healthcare educational programs (I’m currently compiling a list of funding options specifically in place to assist marginalized groups).
- Job security, schedule flexibility, contract work (be your own boss), opportunities to attain additional certifications, great pay, decent health/retirement benefits.
- Gaining knowledge/clinical skill to apply in personal life and share with others for free.
- Continuing Education Opportunities (with several free options)
- Working with or in close proximity to medical providers and personnel; building partnerships that aid in educating and bringing more awareness regarding trans related needs and services.
- Entrepreneurial opportunities: creating private practices that can specifically assist trans/queer/gnc folks of color.
- The opportunity to center and re-write the trans narrative of health and wellness
- Getting compensated for the care taking you’re probably already doing for free while uplifting your community!
- Working with medical establishments to help create educational programs that receive government funding to develop and implement goals, policies and plans to ensure that trans/queer/gnc/disabled people are treated fairly. Also working with medical establishments to provide ongoing cultural competency training for all health care profession students and staff.
Please check out Part 2 of this blog for helpful resources and links; for those that may be interested in working in the healthcare industry.
As always, feel free to like, comment and share.
Thank you so much for reading this long ass blog!
Trans Empowerment Network 