About Me
My vision is a world in which trans and non-binary people can access the care they need without fear of discrimination or fear of being unable to find someone who is capable of caring for them.
Hello! My name is Alexander Gilmer, but I usually go by Alex. Allow me to introduce myself.
I’ve been a clinical pharmacist for 6 years now (wow time flies!) and I’ve cared for a wide variety of patients including, but not limited to general medicine, diabetes, behavioral health, rehabilitation, stroke, post critical care (or step-down), and many others. Honestly, when I was deciding on whether to do a second, more focused, year of residency, I realized I couldn’t decide between internal medicine, emergency medicine, or ambulatory care, so I chose a position that allowed me to work with all three populations!
I love reading (and learning!). If I’m not at work or sleeping, I’ve almost always got my nose stuck in a book. Additionally, my wife and I love puzzles so much, a puzzle theme was incorporated into several aspects of our wedding. We also love escape rooms and have completed escape rooms in multiple cities in over 7 different states. Luckily they have escape rooms in a box that you can complete in your own home so we can get our fix while social distancing!
However my true passion...
Lies in educating people about transgender (or trans) and non-binary care and health. I spent a long time holding an incredible amount of shame surrounding my trans identity and history. It affected just about every aspect of my life. I held myself back from my colleagues and friends, even my family and my wife. Though I started to physically transition over a decade ago, it was only when I was finally able to live my whole truth that I was finally able to truly live.
In the years since starting physical transition it took me almost a decade to find a physician that was not only trans-friendly but trans-competent and knowledgeable. I’ve had to educate providers, nurses, medical assistants, reception, mental health providers along the way in order to receive the care I needed, let alone deserved. I’ve had to fight for appropriate labs and monitoring, been put through unnecessary invasive procedures, turned away by pharmacies and providers, endured stares and side glances, and had to answer all forms of unnecessary interrogation about very personal aspects of my life that had nothing to do with why I was being seen.
The thing is I don’t believe any of that was done with malice. As a healthcare provider myself, I believe there is not a healthcare provider that goes into work actively looking to be harmful towards their patients and yet I consider myself lucky. Many others have endured far worse and have even died. So how do we reconcile these two things?
Through education and training.
It is my belief that it is ignorance and fear that leads to such poor interactions between the trans and non-binary community and the medical community. Providers are not taught about trans and non-binary patients in school, and very few healthcare systems or provider offices train their staff about trans and non-binary people, usually because no one else has any experience to teach. And yet research shows as acceptance grows in society, more and more trans and non-binary people are coming out. There has also been an increase in attempt to access transition-related medical care. Additionally, all trans and non-binary patients need routine and at times specialty care that has nothing to do with transition, just like everyone else.
My mission is to educate as many people as I can throughout all levels of healthcare to be able to provide that care and enable organizations to become the safe spaces for trans and non-binary people they desire to be.
As a healthcare provider myself, I offer a unique perspective and background. I’ve worked in a variety of healthcare settings, thus have an awareness of operations and interactions. Additionally, as a residency trained pharmacist I have had a high degree of medical training with an awareness of current treatment guidelines, thus can also provide education that centers on treatment in addition to creating safe spaces for trans and non-binary people to seek care.
Even more importantly, one of my greatest talents lies in my ability to make this subject matter approachable. As with anything to do with diversity, people are often very aware of and afraid to make “mistakes”; however, growth and learning can’t happen if people have to censor themselves. I approach my work with the mindset that everyone is doing the best they can, and the understanding that for many, if not, most people, my work with them may be the first time they’ve ever learned anything about the trans and non-binary community or ever really thought about gender.
I can help guide you or your people, no matter where they are in the journey, to grow in their understanding of gender diversity and start to become comfortable interacting with trans and non-binary people