From Software to Nursing — My Path to Self-Empowerment & Meaningful Work in LGBTQ Health
By: Anthony Pho, PhD, MPH, ANP-C
Postdoctoral Scholar, The PRIDE Study
When I was 20 and an undergrad at U.C. Berkeley, I came out as a gay man. I was friends with a wonderful group of lesbian women who took me under their wing. We would go shopping in San Francisco and buy matching sweaters at J.Crew. They took me to my first gay bar in the Castro. After the bar closed, we sat on the curb and started discussing gay civil rights and life in general. One of my friends said something that has always stayed with me, “There’s a time for activism in everyone’s life, you choose when that will be.”
Over a decade later, at the age of 34, I decided to change my career from software to nursing. I had become increasingly discontent working for big corporations that were focused on profits and the bottom-line. When my best friend from college landed in the hospital and required an emergency surgery, this was a turning point for me. I dropped everything to be with them. I was profoundly affected watching the nurse who cared for my friend. I marveled at the thoughtful care they delivered during their 12-hour shift and the profound and positive impact they had on my friend’s healing.
Watching this amazing nurse made me think about all the days I had worked even longer than 12 hours, how meaningless my work seemed. After my friend got better, I made a commitment to myself to become a nurse, enrolling in prerequisite courses at night and volunteering at SF General Hospital on the weekends. Eventually, I quit my corporate job and went back to school full-time. I earned my RN license and worked as a nurse in the emergency department.
After working as a bedside nurse for several years, I left the hospital setting so that I could work with patients in primary care where preventive medicine is the priority. I continued my studies to become a nurse practitioner (NP). When I started my first NP job at Weill Cornell Medical College in NYC, one of the physician faculty-members made a presentation about a new health disparities curriculum they were developing for medicine residents which would include LGBTQ health. They were looking for a teaching partner and I volunteered. LGBTQ health had never been taught to the residents before and I ended up developing the curriculum and teaching it to the residents for five years. I became a passionate advocate for LGBTQ health in my practice and I was proud to be a resource to the faculty, residents, and other NPs.
As part of my curriculum I included a discussion of social determinants to health for LGBTQ people. Year after year I found myself making the point to the residents that research is necessary to better understand these determinants, especially for transgender people. I realized I wanted to answer some of these questions myself and I met clinician researchers that encouraged me to pursue my research questions.
I went back to school for my PhD and got inspiration for my dissertation from a conversation with one of my patients of transgender experience. They had mentioned to me that they sometimes referred to social media, like Instagram comments, for health information. This got me thinking about how different groups of people may seek health information online. I had also read research that suggested individuals who encounter cultural barriers were also more likely to avoid health care providers and seek health information online. My dissertation explored whether there is an association between online health information seeking and preventive health behavior like getting a vaccine. I focused my studies on human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination. I saw many cases of HPV in my primary care work even though the vaccine is very effective at preventing it. I also found studies that showed LGBTQ people may not receive the vaccine as frequently as the general population.
Now that I am a postdoctoral scholar with The PRIDE Study, I continue to learn how to advocate for the LGBTQ community through research. I still practice clinically and enjoy providing LGBTQ primary care part-time. I remain passionate about preventing HPV infection and hope to continue to gain a better understanding of how people seek health information online. I will use this knowledge to develop interventions that promote HPV vaccination among LGBTQ people.
Reflecting on my nursing career, it has been a coming-out story of sorts, embracing my identity and naturally gravitating towards a career that advocates for the health of LGBTQ people. I’m so grateful for my LGBTQ patients and mentors who have shaped this journey. As a postdoctoral scholar with The PRIDE Study, I can enthusiastically say, my time for activism is now!
Learn more about The PRIDE Study at pridestudy.org.
