The LGBTQ Applicant Thread!

[toast]

So I live in the San Francisco Gay Area so I'd appreciate a reality check on what acronym to use for LGBTIQQTSAA xyz acronym to refer to the larger community in essays, mostly the diversity essays. Should I just say LGBT to not sound like too much of a wierdo, or do I get extra diversity knowledge points per letter (joking/not joking). Personally I prefer Kate Bornstein's GASP (Gender Anarchy Sex Positivity) acronym, I got to see her speak at UCSF . I usually use LGBTQ to add some queer umbrella less-binary loving, does the Q confuse adcoms? What do y'all think?

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[NVdisG]

So I live in the San Francisco Gay Area so I'd appreciate a reality check on what acronym to use for LGBTIQQTSAA xyz acronym to refer to the larger community in essays, mostly the diversity essays. Should I just say LGBT to not sound like too much of a wierdo, or do I get extra diversity knowledge points per letter (joking/not joking). Personally I prefer Kate Bornstein's GASP (Gender Anarchy Sex Positivity) acronym, I got to see her speak at UCSF . I usually use LGBTQ to add some queer umbrella less-binary loving, does the Q confuse adcoms? What do y'all think?

whatever is in on tumblr this month

 

[Romz]

So I live in the San Francisco Gay Area so I'd appreciate a reality check on what acronym to use for LGBTIQQTSAA xyz acronym to refer to the larger community in essays, mostly the diversity essays. Should I just say LGBT to not sound like too much of a wierdo, or do I get extra diversity knowledge points per letter (joking/not joking). Personally I prefer Kate Bornstein's GASP (Gender Anarchy Sex Positivity) acronym, I got to see her speak at UCSF . I usually use LGBTQ to add some queer umbrella less-binary loving, does the Q confuse adcoms? What do y'all think?

I used the LGBTQ acronym when describing my volunteer work. It's simple and widely recognized by the majority, if not all, of Adcom members.

 

[allantois]

So I live in the San Francisco Gay Area so I'd appreciate a reality check on what acronym to use for LGBTIQQTSAA xyz acronym to refer to the larger community in essays, mostly the diversity essays. Should I just say LGBT to not sound like too much of a wierdo, or do I get extra diversity knowledge points per letter (joking/not joking). Personally I prefer Kate Bornstein's GASP (Gender Anarchy Sex Positivity) acronym, I got to see her speak at UCSF . I usually use LGBTQ to add some queer umbrella less-binary loving, does the Q confuse adcoms? What do y'all think?

I personally like GLBT

but really LGBT is the most commonly used.

 

[Joeshie]

Back to working on secondaries after San Diego Pride! They officially call it the LGBT Pride and that's the acronym I used in my essays.

 

[alexyesh]

I have a question I hope y'all can help me with. I am an applicant for the 2015-16 cycle. In Harvard's secondary application I did not answer an essay question concerning self-identification with a minority group, including LGBTQ. As a gay male, I don't think that this aspect of my identity is the reason I have pursued medicine, but I know that my personal experiences with medicine related to LGBTQ healthcare have informed the type of doctor I want to be, including specialty choice and approach/perspective on medicine, which I have discussed in other parts of my application, just without saying I'm gay. Today, I received a letter from Harvard's Office of Recruitment and Multicultural Affairs that said my MCAT is in the range of Harvard and encouraged my application as an LGBTQ applicant. I think I got this because I checked the box in the secondary that self-identified as LGBTQ, but this not visible to committee members reviewing my app.

My question: Should I submit an update answering the original question in the secondary that I didn't fill out? It would be the only place on my application that I say I'm gay. I'm not out in my application just because I'm (unfortunately) wary of bias in the process. That being said, it seems Harvard is genuinely interested in recruiting LGBTQ applicants and making sure they feel welcome. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

 

[neurotroph]

I have a question I hope y'all can help me with. I am an applicant for the 2015-16 cycle. In Harvard's secondary application I did not answer an essay question concerning self-identification with a minority group, including LGBTQ. As a gay male, I don't think that this aspect of my identity is the reason I have pursued medicine, but I know that my personal experiences with medicine related to LGBTQ healthcare have informed the type of doctor I want to be, including specialty choice and approach/perspective on medicine, which I have discussed in other parts of my application, just without saying I'm gay. Today, I received a letter from Harvard's Office of Recruitment and Multicultural Affairs that said my MCAT is in the range of Harvard and encouraged my application as an LGBTQ applicant. I think I got this because I checked the box in the secondary that self-identified as LGBTQ, but this not visible to committee members reviewing my app.

My question: Should I submit an update answering the original question in the secondary that I didn't fill out? It would be the only place on my application that I say I'm gay. I'm not out in my application just because I'm (unfortunately) wary of bias in the process. That being said, it seems Harvard is genuinely interested in recruiting LGBTQ applicants and making sure they feel welcome. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

I don't think it's worth an update. You've already made mention of your involvement in LGBTQ healthcare, which is ultimately what they're looking for when they recruit LGBTQ applicants.

 

[tantacles]

I just want to bump this thread again as the topic has recently been brought up again.

 

[tantacles]

So I live in the San Francisco Gay Area so I'd appreciate a reality check on what acronym to use for LGBTIQQTSAA xyz acronym to refer to the larger community in essays, mostly the diversity essays. Should I just say LGBT to not sound like too much of a wierdo, or do I get extra diversity knowledge points per letter (joking/not joking). Personally I prefer Kate Bornstein's GASP (Gender Anarchy Sex Positivity) acronym, I got to see her speak at UCSF . I usually use LGBTQ to add some queer umbrella less-binary loving, does the Q confuse adcoms? What do y'all think?

If the Q confuses an ADCOM, it's almost certainly an ADCOM that will be confused by the LGBT part as well. LGBTQ is appropriate.

 

[touchpause13]

I pretty much always use LGBTQ as well.

 

[AsianPersuasion]

Can we all just go to one med school together? Dead serious.

 

[blackroses]

Can we all just go to one med school together? Dead serious.

I like this plan. Make it happen!

 

[AsianPersuasion]

I like this plan. Make it happen!

I love you guys.
I think collectively we would make a bomb SDN LGBTQ dream team

With all our experiences combined, we would be slayyyyyying

 

[Easonred57]

I love you guys.
I think collectively we would make a bomb SDN LGBTQ dream team

With all our experiences combined, we would be slayyyyyying

Yassss

 

[p0gono]

But UCSF only has like 150 per class u guys

 

[oldanddone]

So I live in the San Francisco Gay Area so I'd appreciate a reality check on what acronym to use for LGBTIQQTSAA xyz acronym to refer to the larger community in essays, mostly the diversity essays. Should I just say LGBT to not sound like too much of a wierdo, or do I get extra diversity knowledge points per letter (joking/not joking). Personally I prefer Kate Bornstein's GASP (Gender Anarchy Sex Positivity) acronym, I got to see her speak at UCSF . I usually use LGBTQ to add some queer umbrella less-binary loving, does the Q confuse adcoms? What do y'all think?

You forgot the * for those who philosophically oppose categorization or plus minus dinguses whether that's said or received as plus or minus so hard to know without an emoji and even then. .. however in my experience no points unless basically straight up oprahfied gay. Diversity is for mainstream celebration you all go home with a brand new stettttthhhhoscope! Straight up. Very straight. But positive. Wedding bands celebrated.

 

[AsianPersuasion]

But UCSF only has like 150 per class u guys

Is there even 150 of us, lol? We should Hunger Game it out then.
Ok, maybe we'll settle for Northwestern

 

[Doug Underhill]

Did anyone apply to Columbia? If so, did you let them know you were LGBT in the "Is there anything else you'd like to tell us" prompt? There doesn't seem to be any other place for it but it seems kind of awkward to put it there.

 

[neurotroph]

Did anyone apply to Columbia? If so, did you let them know you were LGBT in the "Is there anything else you'd like to tell us" prompt? There doesn't seem to be any other place for it but it seems kind of awkward to put it there.

I applied and didn't answer that prompt. I've only mentioned my LGBTQ identity in prompts where it has a clear relevance. Otherwise it might seem forced. In the Columbia application thread one of the current students said that space wasn't meant for a diversity essay.

 

[rudyin78]

Did anyone apply to Columbia? If so, did you let them know you were LGBT in the "Is there anything else you'd like to tell us" prompt? There doesn't seem to be any other place for it but it seems kind of awkward to put it there.

I did - but I mentioned in it my personal statement as well (in a different context that showed another personal characteristic I wanted to display).

Just thought I'd throw in my two cents about coming out on apps (especially with that other thread where someone was paranoid about it). Obviously, you have to be true to yourself and do what feels comfortable for you. But for me, being LGBT has definitely influenced my wanting to be a physician. More importantly, I believe it has given me qualities that will make me a better physician. But even if I didn't believe these two things were true, I still think it's relevant to include (in some context/anecdote that shows something valuable). I don't want to go to a school where being LGBT would be a negative factor...so best to let them know from the get-go. Or even better, the schools that are looking for LGBT applicants and have resources to support them will be more likely to seek you out.

Being LGBT can be made relevant very easily - especially in an open-ended prompt like this. You shouldn't worry about it feeling forced as long as you're speaking from the heart. To be honest, when people say that leveraging a social identity is "forced" I cringe because they probably don't understand how big of an impact minority identities can play in your day-to-day...

ALSO, I totally support our LGBT med school

 

[neurotroph]

I did - but I mentioned in it my personal statement as well (in a different context that showed another personal characteristic I wanted to display).

Just thought I'd throw in my two cents about coming out on apps (especially with that other thread where someone was paranoid about it). Obviously, you have to be true to yourself and do what feels comfortable for you. But for me, being LGBT has definitely influenced my wanting to be a physician. More importantly, I believe it has given me qualities that will make me a better physician. But even if I didn't believe these two things were true, I still think it's relevant to include (in some context/anecdote that shows something valuable). I don't want to go to a school where being LGBT would be a negative factor...so best to let them know from the get-go. Or even better, the schools that are looking for LGBT applicants and have resources to support them will be more likely to seek you out.

Being LGBT can be made relevant very easily - especially in an open-ended prompt like this. You shouldn't worry about it feeling forced as long as you're speaking from the heart. To be honest, when people say that leveraging a social identity is "forced" I cringe because they probably don't understand how big of an impact minority identities can play in your day-to-day...

ALSO, I totally support our LGBT med school

When I said "forced" I meant it might seem forced to adcoms. I know plenty about how being a minority affects me daily, and I personally don't think it's wrong to make mention of that. But adcoms don't always know that, and if the school doesn't provide a clear opportunity to talk about it, I question whether it's a priority for them and if it'd add anything to my app. I'm speaking for myself though because I only realized I was LGBT fairly recently, so it hasn't had a significant long-term impact on my desire to become a physician. Whereas for other LGBT applicants it has had a major influence, so it makes more sense for you folks to mention it when you can. In your cases, it's always relevant since it's exactly why you're applying in the first place. Sorry for my self-centered reply!

 

[AsianPersuasion]

Brace yourself for people going as far as to say they're gay, AND just to walk the talk, volunteer and do other things related to LGBTQ community so they can gain an "edge" in admission. One girl who is volunteering at our non-profit is doing that right now. I don't think this girl is gay nor is she a supporter of the community. I don't know what her exact plan is but I think there's something off with her.

 

[breezy16]

Brace yourself for people going as far as to say they're gay, AND just to walk the talk, volunteer and do other things related to LGBTQ community so they can gain an "edge" in admission. One girl who is volunteering at our non-profit is doing that right now. I don't think this girl is gay nor is she a supporter of the community. I don't know what her exact plan is but I think there's something off with her.

My sports team was essentially the LGBTQ community in the area I graduated UG from.. Where I am now, I'm afraid of the implications for my spouse and I if the wrong people found out. Volunteering with those organizations are great when they are available and a more accepting city, but for me, I couldn't risk it. I think my personal experiences say enough.

I would've loved to volunteer in an organization aiding youth, though. This area could definitely benefit from it.

 

[Deel323]

There are people that game every system everywhere. And what makes you say she is pretending to be gay/isn't really gay? One of my concerns about my interviews is that I'm more of gay bro who gets "gay" when excited and I don't want people to think I'm pretending because I don't fit their stereotype

I totally feel you there. I've thought a lot about how my interviewers will perceive my behavior. As cliche as it sounds, I think we just need to be ourselves. If you're trying to suppress your personality because of how you think they'll perceive you, you'll come across as stiff and uncomfortable.

 

[dothanmedic81]

Hi everyone! I am an LGBT applicant and have my first interview coming up. I am female but don't wear girly clothes at all. I want to go to my interview being 100 percent myself and that does not equal a dress, pants suit, or skirt. Would wearing khakis a button down and a sweater vest with a bow tie be ok? I don't want to march in there with a full on men's suit on. Didn't really know who else to ask. Hope anyone can help. Thanks!

 

[blackroses]

Hi everyone! I am an LGBT applicant and have my first interview coming up. I am female but don't wear girly clothes at all. I want to go to my interview being 100 percent myself and that does not equal a dress, pants suit, or skirt. Would wearing khakis a button down and a sweater vest with a bow tie be ok? I don't want to march in there with a full on men's suit on. Didn't really know who else to ask. Hope anyone can help. Thanks!

No. This is not acceptable medical school interview attire for anyone. A suit is a must.

 

[wholeheartedly]

Hi everyone! I am an LGBT applicant and have my first interview coming up. I am female but don't wear girly clothes at all. I want to go to my interview being 100 percent myself and that does not equal a dress, pants suit, or skirt. Would wearing khakis a button down and a sweater vest with a bow tie be ok? I don't want to march in there with a full on men's suit on. Didn't really know who else to ask. Hope anyone can help. Thanks!

Agree, this is not med school interview attire. For plenty of premeds wearing a suit probably would be considered "not being themselves." But we all have to step up and look sharp as part of this process, even if it does shift us out of our comfort zone a bit. You can probably find professional suits that would fall more into the "androgynous" category if you look, something that isnt froofy and really feminine, but also something that isn't a full on man's suit.

 

[XxThaDoggxX]

Chiming in for the first time. Hello all

 

[allantois]

Hi everyone! I am an LGBT applicant and have my first interview coming up. I am female but don't wear girly clothes at all. I want to go to my interview being 100 percent myself and that does not equal a dress, pants suit, or skirt. Would wearing khakis a button down and a sweater vest with a bow tie be ok? I don't want to march in there with a full on men's suit on. Didn't really know who else to ask. Hope anyone can help. Thanks!

That attire sounds like a sure rejection for anyone.

 

[XxThaDoggxX]

That attire sounds like a sure rejection for anyone.

And more suited for a Christmas dinner with in-laws...Be formal and professional. You can stand out all you want after you get the acceptance Good luck.

 

[RuggerMD]

Hi everyone! I am an LGBT applicant and have my first interview coming up. I am female but don't wear girly clothes at all. I want to go to my interview being 100 percent myself and that does not equal a dress, pants suit, or skirt. Would wearing khakis a button down and a sweater vest with a bow tie be ok? I don't want to march in there with a full on men's suit on. Didn't really know who else to ask. Hope anyone can help. Thanks!

My advice would be shop in the men's section (men's suits don't often come with the amount of darting women's do) and then take the suit to a tailor. Get it fitted so it fits you, so it isn't a men's suit, it isn't a women's suit, it is your suit and fits you how you want it to fit.

 

[rudyin78]

Wishing you all a happy holiday season! We're almost done with this grueling process. Hang in there, recharge your batteries, the finish line is in sight. We got this!

 

[UltimateforFun]

Hope the cycle is going well for all of you out there! As one of the active and openly out LGBTQ students on my campus I hope you all get in somewhere that fits your style and then I hope you make it even better and cover it in rainbows haha

 

[bumblebee611]

Hi everyone! I am an LGBT applicant and have my first interview coming up. I am female but don't wear girly clothes at all. I want to go to my interview being 100 percent myself and that does not equal a dress, pants suit, or skirt. Would wearing khakis a button down and a sweater vest with a bow tie be ok? I don't want to march in there with a full on men's suit on. Didn't really know who else to ask. Hope anyone can help. Thanks!

I know plenty of LGBT women lawyers who are self-id'd butches (I'm old and so are they) and they often choose men's suits and get them altered as needed. I have one friend who likes Men's Wearhouse and another who finds what she likes at Zara Men. There are also high-end suitmakers who make suits for folks across the gender spectrum.

 

[Dr Tony T. Chopper]

Not a member of LGBTQ but just wanted to give moral support for this cycle! Just wondering, do adcoms typically bring up sexual orientation during interviews or is it not commonly a talking point?

 

[otterxavier]

Just wondering, do adcoms typically bring up sexual orientation during interviews or is it not commonly a talking point?

YMMV from school to school (and gender identity =/= sexual orientation), but I wrote about being trans on all of my secondaries, and interviewers have not been shy about discussing that. I'd imagine LGBTQ stuff falls into the category of things that are fair game for an interviewer if you brought it up in your application, but otherwise deeply unprofessional to ask about.

 

[Munty]

Not a member of LGBTQ but just wanted to give moral support for this cycle! Just wondering, do adcoms typically bring up sexual orientation during interviews or is it not commonly a talking point?

I have a few LGBT activism organizations on my application and all of my interviews have asked a lot about those. Only a couple got into my sexuality itself in talking about how it has challenged me and effected relations with my parents and such. I had a very old psychiatrist as an interviewer once and he went to town on sexuality and parental relations as a child and basically had a psychodynamic session with me mid-interview.... it was odd

 

[Dr Tony T. Chopper]

YMMV from school to school (and gender identity =/= sexual orientation), but I wrote about being trans on all of my secondaries, and interviewers have not been shy about discussing that. I'd imagine LGBTQ stuff falls into the category of things that are fair game for an interviewer if you brought it up in your application, but otherwise deeply unprofessional to ask about.

I am sorry for the conflation. I am still very ignorant when it comes to the LGBTQ community.

 

[otterxavier]

I am sorry for the conflation. I am still very ignorant when it comes to the LGBTQ community.

No no, not your conflation at all -- I just wanted to pre-empt anyone jumping in to point out that my experience as a trans person is not technically about sexual orientation, which is what you asked about

 

[p0gono]

I have a few LGBT activism organizations on my application and all of my interviews have asked a lot about those. Only a couple got into my sexuality itself in talking about how it has challenged me and effected relations with my parents and such. I had a very old psychiatrist as an interviewer once and he went to town on sexuality and parental relations as a child and basically had a psychodynamic session with me mid-interview.... it was odd

In my experience, none of the interviewers have brought it up even though it is a relatively big part of my application. But they are happy to ask questions about it if I mention it in passing.

 

[breezy16]

Not a member of LGBTQ but just wanted to give moral support for this cycle! Just wondering, do adcoms typically bring up sexual orientation during interviews or is it not commonly a talking point?

I don't have any clubs as talking points, but nearly every interviewer has asked about my spouse and how we would undergo the move/job transition etc. It's a relatively small part of my application when compared to other things so.. but they've all been wonderful about it in general.

 

[TallPreMed]

I'm bisexual, and I'm now engaged to a man (I am female and identify as a woman). Ever since I started dating my fiancé and have subsequently been engaged, I've had my bisexuality questioned by both hetero and homosexual cultures. Either I'm not gay enough or too gay for everyone and I have no clue how to address this on applications.

 

[RuggerMD]

I'm bisexual, and I'm now engaged to a man (I am female and identify as a woman). Ever since I started dating my fiancé and have subsequently been engaged, I've had my bisexuality questioned by both hetero and homosexual cultures. Either I'm not gay enough or too gay for everyone and I have no clue how to address this on applications.

That's rough and I feel ya.

Did feeling this way push you into activism for bisexual people or the LGBTQ+ community in general? Do you want to work with bisexual people in the future because they have poorer health outcomes than their gay and straight counterparts (sad but true)? Did you have an interesting encounter with a physician as a result of your orientation that shaped what qualities you think are imperative for a physician? If so, that's how you address it. You could talk about how your personal experience pushed you and ultimately shaped you as a physician and your idea of medicine. You can do that in your personal statement if you feel it has had a huge impact on your path to medicine or in secondary essays if it is an important, but smaller, part of your story.

The trick is if you have a conflict (which in this case sounds like your identity vs society), you need to take steps to resolve that conflict and that resolution needs to relate to medicine. I would caution including this if you haven't been active in some sort of outreach or advocacy/want to work with the LGBTQ+ community as a doc because all your stories need to tie back to the 'why medicine' question.

Does that seem fair/make sense? Totally fair if you disagree with me, but that is what I was mulling over while writing my stuff.

 

[UltimateforFun]

I'm bisexual, and I'm now engaged to a man (I am female and identify as a woman). Ever since I started dating my fiancé and have subsequently been engaged, I've had my bisexuality questioned by both hetero and homosexual cultures. Either I'm not gay enough or too gay for everyone and I have no clue how to address this on applications.

Hey girl, I totally feel you on this issue. I'm also a bisexual female (currently with another woman) and I have frequently felt the backlash from both communities. In terms of incorporating these experiences into your application, I agree with @RuggerMD in that if you haven't taken steps to address these issues up until this point or haven't had a memorable experience that translates well for this specific application I would be hesitant to bring this struggle up. I personally had not been a very active advocate when I was applying and so I didn't include anything on this subject, partially because I was concerned that my application might turn into a soapbox haha.

Finally, I would caution about discussing future medical-based advocacy in any great detail because it does not address their concern regarding why medicine for you and why now, but rather speaks to the awesome changes you hope to make in the future. (I was really tempted to go this route)

 

[TallPreMed]

Yeah, haven't done much in terms of advocacy. I work in hospice and that has really been what has steered me to medicine more than anything. Those are all really good points though!

 

[cactus8910]

Hey girl, I totally feel you on this issue. I'm also a bisexual female (currently with another woman) and I have frequently felt the backlash from both communities. In terms of incorporating these experiences into your application, I agree with @RuggerMD in that if you haven't taken steps to address these issues up until this point or haven't had a memorable experience that translates well for this specific application I would be hesitant to bring this struggle up. I personally had not been a very active advocate when I was applying and so I didn't include anything on this subject, partially because I was concerned that my application might turn into a soapbox haha.

Finally, I would caution about discussing future medical-based advocacy in any great detail because it does not address their concern regarding why medicine for you and why now, but rather speaks to the awesome changes you hope to make in the future. (I was really tempted to go this route)

I'm also a bisexual female who hasn't done much lgbtq advocacy. For that reason, I didn't include it in my personal statement, but I did use it as my topic for secondaries asking about adversity.
I used it as a jumping off point for the general idea that "I've had X experience, so I'll be better able to understand/help people with X, Y, and Z experiences."

 

[AsianPersuasion]

Anyone else have any advice or wanna share their experience from the cycle so far? I'm going into the cycle this upcoming June....

 

[Mad Jack]

Bumping this thread for those that might need it.

 

[ed*26]

Anyone else have any advice or wanna share their experience from the cycle so far? I'm going into the cycle this upcoming June....

+1

And starting to get majorly nervous about it too. LGBTQ-related activities are a major part of my application and it would be nice to see someone have a success story along those lines. We're in that grey area where many med schools have LGBTQ student groups and health initiatives but don't seem to recruit students...and some interviewers may not "get" why it's so important to me...

 

[Munty]

I had a very successful cycle this past year being out with a lot of EC's based on LGBT activism. Every interview I had involved a lot of my experiences in the LGBT community, and everyone seemed to view it very positively. It will help a lot with standing out from the crowd and it REALLY helps when you find that most secondaries will ask you to write an essay about dealing with adversity or what makes you a diverse candidate. I secured several acceptances being completely out. If you have any specific questions, feel free to PM me

Anyone else have any advice or wanna share their experience from the cycle so far? I'm going into the cycle this upcoming June....

+1

And starting to get majorly nervous about it too. LGBTQ-related activities are a major part of my application and it would be nice to see someone have a success story along those lines. We're in that grey area where many med schools have LGBTQ student groups and health initiatives but don't seem to recruit students...and some interviewers may not "get" why it's so important to me...