Meet Jemstone Bathe
What is your name and what are your pronouns?
My name is Jemstone Bathe and my pronouns are she/her!
What is your role with Klinic Community Health?
I am a gender affirming care specialist physician in the Trans Health Program.
Tell us a bit about your background!
I started in medicine at age 15 as an EMS Explorer with Edwardsburg Ambulance Service back in Michigan in the United States. I practiced pre-hospital medicine all the way through 2nd year of medical school, stopping only when my clinicals started. I graduated from Wayne State University School of Medicine with a Medical Doctorate (M.D.) and went to Wayne State School of Medicine’s Internal Medicine Residency program for my postgraduate practice, originally focused on practicing hospital medicine. COVID was a rough time in Detroit as well as in rural Wisconsin, where I went to become an attending. However, the strain from acute care during this time led me to pursue practice in primary care. I loved helping folks with various medical concerns but I struggled with having to be the transgender ambassador to many rural Americans who had some severe biases. After I was attacked by a patient in my clinic room, I stepped back from general practice and focused on gender affirming care.
Why gender affirming care?
Well, besides the fact that I, myself, am a transgender woman, I found that this was an area bereft of practitioners, worldwide! And even when practitioners do get involved, they often come with biases built in from being cisgender. As a transgender woman and physician, I know what that journey feels like and can help guide other transgender and gender diverse folks on their path. I love being able to help folks as a physician already, but being able to apply those skills to my community has filled my heart with love for medicine again.
What brought you to Klinic?
As a transgender woman and physician providing gender-affirming care, I felt increasingly vulnerable in the current political climate in the United States. I had to find a way to not only ensure that I would have safety and access to care, but also that would allow me to continue providing gender affirming care. My fiancé, Paula, has lived in Winnipeg since she moved here from Germany at age 13. She told me about Klinic and I was thunderstruck with how much our focus on good, evidence based, gender affirming care lined up. I applied with the help of Member of the Legislative Assembly, Logan Oxenham, and now, I’m thriving more than I ever have.
What would you like folks to know about you as they get to meet you?
I am an internet poisoned trans woman. I post memes, play way too many video games, and drink too much White Monster. I’m also neurodivergent, just rather good at masking. I just want to help you be the best you possible. And if we can smile and laugh along the way, all the better.
