#IamMGHresearch – Meet Dr. Raymond Fung

#IamMGHresearch tells the stories of our researchers. In celebration of Pride Month, we would like you to meet Dr. Raymond Fung, Endocrinologist at MGH. Dr. Fung is specializes in endocrine care for transgender individuals throughout the city and conducts research related to transgender health and care.

“I immigrated to Canada from Hong Kong when I was eight years old and grew up in Toronto. I went to medical school at University of Toronto (U of T) and decided to specialize in endocrinology because I liked the variety and diversity of patients that endocrinologists get to work with.

It was during my training that I became interested in transgender care and hormone therapy. I was surprised to discover that transgender care really wasn’t a topic that was covered anywhere – it wasn’t something we learned about in school or during residency. There also weren’t a lot of specialists in Toronto at that time offering this type of care. I really felt for the community because I felt like mainstream medicine was failing to recognize and address their needs. I’d had my own experiences with discrimination growing up and could understand the feelings of rejection that can often come along with being disregarded.

Since there was no education or training offered through my school, I had to seek out my own opportunities. I started attending specialty conferences to meet experts in the field and approached the team at Sherbourne Health – a local health centre in Toronto that works closely with people in the 2SLGTBQIA+ community – for a six-month placement. This placement was a great experience because I got to work directly with transgender patients and learn more about their particular needs.

It can be hard to understand what transgender people go through until you hear a person’s story. Gender is a huge part of who we are and how we live our day-to-day lives and can be difficult to get away from. If you present differently than what you feel, it can be very upsetting, cause a lot of distress and at times, paralyze your life. Providing hormone therapy to individuals can really help people feel better about themselves by helping them feel like who they truly are.

When I came to MGH, I was excited to be working in a community hospital that was in my own area. I enjoyed having the opportunity to provide care to people locally and to others further away through telemedicine. Although there have been several recent changes to the province's virtual care rules, I hope to continue using these services to provide care to individuals in more remote parts of Ontario. Inclusion was an important part of why I started doing what I do and that value, along with respect and compassion, continue to guide me in my work every day.

Along with clinical practice, I'm also very interested in research. One of the projects I'm working on right now centres around estradiol, which is used in feminizing hormone therapy. This project compares the many ways it can be administered (for example, via injection, pill, patch or gel) for effectiveness and impact. Another project I'm working on looks at whether genital-removal surgery can impact the bones since some hormones that are important for bone health come from the genitals. 

Expanding access to trans care through education is also something I am very passionate about. I run a monthly virtual session for endocrinologists interested in trans care where providers can discuss cases, ask questions and learn from one another. I'm also working on a project with a U of T resident that aims to improve trans care education for endocrinologists by creating standardized training objectives that can be used in various medical schools. My hope is we can create a cycle where we, the providers, can continue to help train new students to ensure the trans community always has access to the care they need and deserve and that they feel recognized."