The Graduate Certificate in Medicine and Gender offers students the opportunity to do graduate‐level study that focuses on topics of gender‐specific medicine. Modern gender medicine is characterized by an unbiased comparison between women and men and the inclusion of gender as a sociocultural process into medical hypotheses. Being a woman or being a man significantly influences the course of disease and therefore this factor must be considered in diagnosis and therapy. Sex includes the biological differences among female and males, whereas gender, in contrast, is the result of sociocultural differences. Gender is associated with behavior, with stress, and lifestyle associated diseases. Gender medicine is a novel medical discipline that considers the effects of sex AND gender on the health of women and men. Today there is increased awareness that gender and sex-specific issues influence women’s and men’s health more broadly and with a higher impact than previously recognized. The medical and disease differences between men and women are not limited to reproductive and biological health (sex) but extend to sociocultural aspects of human existence (gender) that can affect almost every organ and tissue of the body.
Students will learn about common medical issues discussed in a gender context. Since females have been traditionally excluded from clinical trials, most of the available medical knowledge applies to men accurately but not to women. Over the past two decades, inclusion of women in clinical trials and the mandated testing of drugs on females has significantly increased the available knowledge of women’s health. Data are also accumulating that show significant differences in male and female biology, physiology and drug pharmacology in almost every body organ and tissue.
Prospective students: This Certificate is intended for all students interested in women’s health or gender‐specific health issues. It is also intended for medical residents, health science professionals, and students who are not yet committed to pursuing a graduate degree. It is anticipated that some students will apply for master’s or Ph.D. degrees offered by USF’s Health Science Center.
Return to: