Harvard Medical School Postpones Transgender Healthcare Course After Inquiry Into Fee Waiver Legality

Updated October 27, 2025, at 4:45 p.m.

Harvard Medical School postponed an online course on transgender healthcare after the National Review, a conservative news outlet, contacted the school about the legality of offering fee waivers to transgender and “gender diverse” participants.

“Advancing Excellence in Transgender Health: A Core Course for the Whole Care Team” was scheduled to be held online Friday through Sunday. The three-day course, developed by the Fenway Institute, advertises sessions “led by expert faculty specialized in transgender health-focused research and patient care.”

The course had a standard cost of $650, but varied depending on profession, according to an earlier version of the HMS website. Fee waivers, however, were offered for “a limited number of transgender and gender-diverse people.” Ten scholarships were also offered for students pursuing careers in “LGBTQIA+ health care.”

According to National Review, the course was postponed after the news outlet contacted HMS for comment on the constitutionality of distributing fee waivers on the basis of gender identity. The website no longer lists the cost of the course or the fee waivers. The website says future dates for the course “will be announced soon.”

The National Review suggests the fee waivers might constitute a violation of federal anti-discrimination law.

A spokesperson for HMS wrote in a statement that the course was “postponed and will be rescheduled for later this academic year.”

“HMS remains committed to ensuring that the courses we accredit comply with applicable laws,” they wrote.

The scheduled course was set to cover a variety of topics including hormone therapy, gender identity in children, and transgender legal issues. HMS also offered “lived experience panels” as part of the programming.

The class is part of a continuing education series accredited by HMS and developed by outside providers, designed to help medical professionals increase and update their medicinal knowledge and skills.

The transgender healthcare course is accredited by the American Medical Association for continuing medical education credit. CME credit allows physicians to meet state board, specialty board, and insurance group requirements.

The Fenway Institute, which developed and offers the course, is a part of Fenway Health, a community health center that is “rooted in the LGBTQIA+ community and racial justice” according to the center’s website.

Fenway Health spokesperson Dallas M. Ducar wrote in a statement on Monday that “we are committed to supporting Advancing Excellence in Transgender Health and look forward to the rescheduled conference.”

“We remain eager to ensure this vital training reaches as many people as possible,” she added.

The course directors did not respond to requests for comment Sunday.

–Staff writer Abigail S. Gerstein can be reached at abigail.gerstein@thecrimson.com. Follow her on X @abbysgerstein.

—Staff writer Ella F. Niederhelman can be reached at ella.niederhelman@thecrimson.com. Follow her on X @eniederhelman.