Washington State University has paused a suite of continuing medical education courses while an accreditation review is under way.
Last month, the Society for Evidence-Based Gender Medicine announced a "joint providership" with WSU's medical school that includes materials titled "Transgender Identities and the Brain: What Do We Know?" and "History: How Problems in Adult Gender Medicine Launched Pediatric Transitions."
The courses were offered in collaboration with the society and accredited by the university's medical school. The content focused on youth gender dysphoria and invited clinicians to explore alternative approaches to medical interventions.
More than 30 LGBTQ+ organizations and university staff raised objections, arguing in a letter that the courses run counter to the institution's nondiscrimination commitments and weaken trust in patient care for LGBTQ+ communities.
"Accrediting SEGM's programming represents a breach of that trust," the letter stated. "We urge WSU to act swiftly to correct this decision and to reaffirm its commitment to protecting the dignity, safety and well-being of all 2SLGBTQIA+ people in Washington state."
The Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education has initiated an inquiry into the accreditation process and has asked WSU to demonstrate how the materials met its standards for scientific balance and integrity.
WSU spokesperson Pam Scott said the university did not produce the course content and emphasized the suspension does not reflect a university endorsement of the material.
The courses remain publicly accessible, but credit cannot currently be claimed.
"Accreditation indicates that the courses met ACCME's requirements for scientific balance and educational integrity," Scott wrote.
"This designation does not represent the university's endorsement or co-sponsorship of the group providing the course," she added.
SEGM is designated by the Southern Poverty Law Center as an anti-LGBTQ+ hate group, a label it disputes.
U.S. medical schools and accreditation bodies have faced heightened scrutiny over continuing education and partnerships with outside advocacy groups.
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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