Alternative lifestyle disclosure on Facebook

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ummm...pretty sure if you don't mention it, it won't come up. Med schools don't want to know about your sex life.

Just set the facebook/twitter/myspace or other social networking crap to private.

Problem solved.
 
MiraCheskis said:
So, my dilemma: Do I disclose on Facebook, Twitter, my blog, etc? Would it damage my chances of being accepted? Or would medical schools look at that and take it as a sign of diversity?
Click to expand...

Yes, be proud of who you are. Just make your facebook profile completely private. Go to settings and make sure that nobody but your friends can view it. I think default allows your friends and anybody from your same "network" (aka your school) to view your page.

EDIT: As for twitter, I don't use it so I don't know. Your blog, it's your choice. People can probably find my blog by googling it if they know my first and last name.
 
two points to make, one to echo:

1) medical schools are traditionally conservative.
2) california medical schools are hard(er) to get into.
3) privatize your networking profiles.
 
MiraCheskis said:
Follow-up question: One of the things that I might be interested in doing with my MD is general practice, with an emphasis in treating sexual minorities or alternative lifestyles. Should I be open about this intent when applying?
Click to expand...

It might be a good idea to have some volunteer experience working with the community to show that you walk the walk.

You might also check to see if any of the schools you'd like to appy to have faculty who serve sexual minorities. If the school staffs a clinic designed to meet the needs of that community -- all the better. You can certainly note this in secondaries and during interviews (that you are attracted to this school because it has this program or this service interest).
 
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Why do you feel it is necessary to disclose your sex life? Nobody talks about sex during med school interviews or apps, it is completely irrelevant....

When you say disclose your facebook, what do you mean by that exactly?
 
MiraCheskis said:
I hadn't even thought of privatizing my Facebook. Wonderful suggestion, thank you!

Re: DrMattOglesby. Thanks for the warning about CA medical schools. I'm staying in CA to stay close(r) to my fiancee, who owns the house and works in a specialized field (Silicon Valley, yay 😛) so she can't move.

Follow-up question: One of the things that I might be interested in doing with my MD is general practice, with an emphasis in treating sexual minorities or alternative lifestyles. Should I be open about this intent when applying?
Click to expand...


No, I would not mention it when you are applying. But after you are licensed, just advertise and explain that you will accept folks with alternative lifestyles who have no insurance, and you will be inundated with patients who will barter for your services. Is your time worth a dozen brown organic eggs for one hour, perhaps.
 
If adcoms know you're poly (aka a slut)* and kinky (aka a childmolesting torture-fetish freak)*... well. I'm sure they're gonna jump at the chance.

Your personal life is your PERSONAL, PRIVATE life.

Your professional life is completely separate.

Once you're in practice, you can stick a note on your ads saying you're open to alternative lifestyles.

*and those are the polite things I've seen said.
 
jurassicpark said:
Your personal life is your PERSONAL (life).
Click to expand...

So true. I don't think adcoms will take lightly to things you wouldn't feel comfortable disclosing in a professional setting. The local pub is where personal stuff lives.
 
I wouldn't use my real name on the internet, nor would I discuss your alternative lifestyle in the application process. Most professions are pretty conservative.
 
I think the bigger question here is why are you on twitter? Has to be dumbest idea for a website that I've ever heard.
 
i think you should also apply to some philly/ny schools too 🙂
 
You never know, maybe if you disclose this info at an interview your interviewer may have the same hobbies and now you have something interesting to talk about😉. That or if you have multiple acceptances it may be fun to disclose this to see how the interviewer would react lol.

Imagine you are asked "So tell me about yourself" then you can come in with well
" I'm polyamorous and kinky." I bet that will be something they have never heard!
 
I don't really have anything of value to add to this discussion, but I'm kinky too, so I just wanted to say howdy. Represent!

Like everyone else said---privatize your social profiles and make sure that you don't have a public blog or anything else someone could stumble upon using Google.
 
MiraCheskis said:
Woo, first time starting a thread.

Okay, so I'm a person who practices alternative lifestyles. I'm polyamorous and kinky. I want to be publicly active in the poly and kink communities, on Facebook and the like. I'd like to drop my internet pseudonym (Mira Cheskis) because it just gets too confusing when I can't remember who knows me as what name.

I think it's very important for doctors to be aware of these lifestyles because they are practiced in the communities doctors serve and they do carry physical and psychological health risks. I also think it's important to educate to diminish the stigma surrounding alternative lifestyles, and that being public is part of that (I do the same with mental illness). But I also understand that the stigma is there and rather prevalent.

It may also help to know that I'm in California and ONLY applying to California medical schools, and that I'm majoring in Psychology (BS). I also likely would not bring my lifestyles up in interviews or statements unless I backed it up with a LOT of logic (e.g., "It's important to have doctors who can deal with diversity. I have that kind of experience.").

So, my dilemma: Do I disclose on Facebook, Twitter, my blog, etc? Would it damage my chances of being accepted? Or would medical schools look at that and take it as a sign of diversity?

Has anyone else faced a choice like this? What do you think?

Thanks,
~Mira
Click to expand...

Good luck with that. What was what was the name of that gin blossoms song?
 
If you have volunteer experience with the populations you want to treat, go ahead and emphasize that in your interviews. Just don't bring your own dating life into it -- for one, it's basic courtesy not to tell people things that might make them uncomfortable, for two, it's irrelevant, and for three, even if the interviewer is aware of the polyamorous culture and has no moral issue with it you could come across as pretensious by announcing it like it's something they should think is important. I'm all for polyamory but I just think it could come across in a way that you don't intend if you bring it up. Also, you may want to focus on a desire to serve the LGBT community when you are talking about sexual minorities because med schools are interested in service to understerved populations. I'm not an active part of any poly/kink community but know many people who are and none of them are financially or ethnically underserved. If that's where you'd like to focus your career, great -- I'm sure there are many women who would love a gyn who is aware of and open to their lifestyle. I just think the poly/kink communities tend to attract people who can generally pay for the special medical care that they need and that there is more dire need in the urban LGBT communities, so that's what most adcoms would be more impressed by.

I hope I didn't come across as feeling negative towards your plans 🙂 I think it's a great niche to set up a practice in. I just think that in general medical schools are interested in fulfilling the needs of the financially, medically, or ethnically underserved so a slight shift in the focus of your interview/personal statement could be beneficial to you.

Edit: As far as the twitter, facebook, etc, just keep everything set on private.
 
Ummm...keep your personal life and your professional life separate and the problem is solved.

It amazes me, while on that topic, how much info people give away here. It's not too hard to figure out who a person is if they give their location, dates of an interview, and other details. Hell, medicine is very peer-oriented, with much of the success of some being based on who they know along the way and how they've mingled in the right circles. Lots of bridges can be maintained or burnt on the internet.

...and "polyamorous"? Who gives a flying ****? It sounds to me like the op was just using the term for shock value. Do you know how many people here and in the world don't give a **** and **** whomever they want, when they want? And kinky? Please, I think someone would be weird if they weren't. Sorry, but "buttseks" or a bit of strangling ain't kinky anymore 😉

Does anyone really think background checks don't include searching for myspace and facebook profiles? They do and have been frequently cited for problems in admissions and hiring processes.
 
there's still swingers in 2009? i thought i was the only one left

i thought it only happens in utah and with retired folks in florida. what part of cali are u from? berkeley?
 
MiraCheskis said:
I hadn't even thought of privatizing my Facebook. Wonderful suggestion, thank you!

Re: DrMattOglesby. Thanks for the warning about CA medical schools. I'm staying in CA to stay close(r) to my fiancee, who owns the house and works in a specialized field (Silicon Valley, yay 😛) so she can't move.

Follow-up question: One of the things that I might be interested in doing with my MD is general practice, with an emphasis in treating sexual minorities or alternative lifestyles. Should I be open about this intent when applying?
Click to expand...

You'd like this: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/...nel.Pubmed_DefaultReportPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum

Also it sounds like a lot of people on here don't understand poly at all. It's not promiscuity or swinging. It's more like parallel monogamy (as opposed to serial monogamy... think wiring diagrams)
 
MiraCheskis said:
Wouldn't the volunteer experience be like shooting myself in the foot if such an association is frowned upon? That's what I''m deliberating over.
Click to expand...

Why would such an association be frowned upon? Because "those people" don't deserve services? If anything, physicans who understand specific subcultures, their behaviors, jargon, etc and who are non-judgmental when addressing the needs of these groups are needed to serve those communities.


If every experience on your AMCAS was related to your sexuality then you might look like Johnny-one-note. If you have a variety of things then you'd be OK, particularly if you focus on schools in big cities with sizable populations of people like yourself.
 
Haha...interesting...never knew there were so many words describing so many different types of romatic/sexual lifestyles.

Guess I'm pretty boring in that department 😀 Whatever makes you happy.

Hmm, as to your original question: I think it is great that you are so open about it and I think it is even better that you want to focus your career on this underserved target population (as I am sure that much public education and support is needed).

As to the interviews, though, I would try not to make it a cornerstone of your application. I know that it might end up feeling like you are betraying your lifestyles/attitude/ethical opinions by keeping it hush-hush during the interview/application process but I would hate for this to keep you out of medical school. Maybe you could talk about how you are interested in serving populations that have been marginalized (due to their sexual orientations, lifestyles, etc.) but maybe keep your personal life out of the story.

The reason why I am suggesting this approach is that getting into medical school is the important & hard part. Because once you are in, you can start to work the system, change it, get involved and make your voice heard...and that goes for any issues, not just underserved populations with alternative lifestyles.

In general (and sorry if this is a little off topic), I think if there is a certain target population that lives a certain way that is different from the general population (i.e. different sexual orientation, different lifestyle, different social enviornment, different ethnic background) there has to be medical systems (i.e. staff, doctor, nurses) that are familiar with the specific needs and issues of that population. Whether we agree with the lifestyles of others or not, as future doctors it should be our concern that we have a healthcare system, in which everyone feels comfortable seeking medical attention for whatever issue they might have.

Best of Luck!
 
LizzyM said:
Why would such an association be frowned upon? Because "those people" don't deserve services? If anything, physicans who understand specific subcultures, their behaviors, jargon, etc and who are non-judgmental when addressing the needs of these groups are needed to serve those communities.
Click to expand...

Of course, in the 20 minutes it takes me to think and write out my post LizzyM writes my exact thoughts and so much more elegantly. Haha
 
MiraCheskis said:
Woo, first time starting a thread.

Okay, so I'm a person who practices alternative lifestyles. I'm polyamorous and kinky. I want to be publicly active in the poly and kink communities, on Facebook and the like. I'd like to drop my internet pseudonym (Mira Cheskis) because it just gets too confusing when I can't remember who knows me as what name.

I think it's very important for doctors to be aware of these lifestyles because they are practiced in the communities doctors serve and they do carry physical and psychological health risks. I also think it's important to educate to diminish the stigma surrounding alternative lifestyles, and that being public is part of that (I do the same with mental illness). But I also understand that the stigma is there and rather prevalent.

It may also help to know that I'm in California and ONLY applying to California medical schools, and that I'm majoring in Psychology (BS). I also likely would not bring my lifestyles up in interviews or statements unless I backed it up with a LOT of logic (e.g., "It's important to have doctors who can deal with diversity. I have that kind of experience.").

So, my dilemma: Do I disclose on Facebook, Twitter, my blog, etc? Would it damage my chances of being accepted? Or would medical schools look at that and take it as a sign of diversity?

Has anyone else faced a choice like this? What do you think?

Thanks,
~Mira
Click to expand...

So...do you come here often?
 
slight365 said:
Ummm...keep your personal life and your professional life separate and the problem is solved.

It amazes me, while on that topic, how much info people give away here. It's not too hard to figure out who a person is if they give their location, dates of an interview, and other details. Hell, medicine is very peer-oriented, with much of the success of some being based on who they know along the way and how they've mingled in the right circles. Lots of bridges can be maintained or burnt on the internet.

...and "polyamorous"? Who gives a flying ****? It sounds to me like the op was just using the term for shock value. Do you know how many people here and in the world don't give a **** and **** whomever they want, when they want? And kinky? Please, I think someone would be weird if they weren't. Sorry, but "buttseks" or a bit of strangling ain't kinky anymore 😉

Does anyone really think background checks don't include searching for myspace and facebook profiles? They do and have been frequently cited for problems in admissions and hiring processes.
Click to expand...

Well said. 👍
 
Always be careful with the internets (SFW):

[YOUTUBE]evE3cNuvBd8[/YOUTUBE]
 
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