Confused about Vandy's Admissions Mission Statement

[Paladin7]

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So I was reading Vanderbilt Med School’s admissions mission statement. They say that their committee considers academics, EC’s, personal traits etc. in the application process. Obviously. They also say that an applicant’s contribution to diversity ("---gender, race, ethnicity, sexual preference, socio-economic background, geographic origin---") is considered. So diversity is important to Vandy. Good.

My question is: What does a person’s sexual preference have to do with med school admissions? What is the value in having med school students with diverse “sexual preferences???” Please don’t miss my point…I’m not saying anything about homosexuality per se; I’m just asking what does that have to do with anything remotely related to being a good doctor? Am I missing something? Does anyone think this is a little overboard with the whole diversity thing?

And if someone thinks this post a troll, please tell me what in the world a troll is, and I won’t do it again. I’m just curious what you guys think.

 

[LuciusVorenus]

So I was reading Vanderbilt Med School’s admissions mission statement. They say that their committee considers academics, EC’s, personal traits etc. in the application process. Obviously. They also say that an applicant’s contribution to diversity ("---gender, race, ethnicity, sexual preference, socio-economic background, geographic origin---") is considered. So diversity is important to Vandy. Good.

My question is: What does a person’s sexual preference have to do with med school admissions? What is the value in having med school students with diverse “sexual preferences???” Please don’t miss my point…I’m not saying anything about homosexuality per se; I’m just asking what does that have to do with anything remotely related to being a good doctor? Am I missing something? Does anyone think this is a little overboard with the whole diversity thing?

And if someone thinks this post a troll, please tell me what in the world a troll is, and I won’t do it again. I’m just curious what you guys think.

http://www.studentdoctor.net/2010/07/providing-the-best-care-for-lgbt-patients/

 

[teenmachinery1]

So I was reading Vanderbilt Med School’s admissions mission statement. They say that their committee considers academics, EC’s, personal traits etc. in the application process. Obviously. They also say that an applicant’s contribution to diversity ("---gender, race, ethnicity, sexual preference, socio-economic background, geographic origin---") is considered. So diversity is important to Vandy. Good.

My question is: What does a person’s sexual preference have to do with med school admissions? What is the value in having med school students with diverse “sexual preferences???” Please don’t miss my point…I’m not saying anything about homosexuality per se; I’m just asking what does that have to do with anything remotely related to being a good doctor? Am I missing something? Does anyone think this is a little overboard with the whole diversity thing?

And if someone thinks this post a troll, please tell me what in the world a troll is, and I won’t do it again. I’m just curious what you guys think.

yes

 

[b-real]

My question is, how do they know your preference? There's probably not a check box for it, and I doubt they're looking for stereotypical mannerisms in the interview.

 

[akinetopsia]

So I was reading Vanderbilt Med School's admissions mission statement. They say that their committee considers academics, EC's, personal traits etc. in the application process. Obviously. They also say that an applicant's contribution to diversity ("---gender, race, ethnicity, sexual preference, socio-economic background, geographic origin---") is considered. So diversity is important to Vandy. Good.

My question is: What does a person's sexual preference have to do with med school admissions? What is the value in having med school students with diverse "sexual preferences???" Please don't miss my point…I'm not saying anything about homosexuality per se; I'm just asking what does that have to do with anything remotely related to being a good doctor? Am I missing something? Does anyone think this is a little overboard with the whole diversity thing?

And if someone thinks this post a troll, please tell me what in the world a troll is, and I won't do it again. I'm just curious what you guys think.

You're considered a troll when you bring up a topic that you know will provoke a passionate response from other posters, i.e. you're just doing it to antagonize people, you know better, and you want to incite an emotional response in other posters. Common trolling topics here are posting "What are my chances" type threads with astronomical stats and ECs, URM-related responses ("they just got accepted because they're URM"), and so on.

I think the thing you're missing is that there is an inherent value in composing an entering class of people that are very different. This difference could be in background, temperament, opinions, activities, philosophy, etc. and sexual preference is just a facet of that. They are giving examples of what could be considered diversity, not explicitly saying "these are the only things we believe will add to the diversity of the class."

Personally, I would not want a bunch of classmates who are cookie-cutter copies of one another or me. I'd rather have people that can push the way I think, view the world, and teach me a thing or two and vice versa.

[Edit: As other people have mentioned/insinuated, you will deal with patients of many different backgrounds throughout your education, training, and career, and some of those patients will possibly have a different sexual preference than you. If you have no experience with those who are different from you, you'll probably have a worse rapport with your patients.]

 

[rHinO1]

The entire point of diversity in a medical school class is to educate people to serve the diverse patient population. Gay people need doctors that understand and relate to them, just like minorities and the poor. The beginning of the aids epidemic serves as a perfect example of why we need physicians both willing and able to serve this patient sub-population.

 

[PreMedder]

So I was reading Vanderbilt Med School's admissions mission statement. They say that their committee considers academics, EC's, personal traits etc. in the application process. Obviously. They also say that an applicant's contribution to diversity ("---gender, race, ethnicity, sexual preference, socio-economic background, geographic origin---") is considered. So diversity is important to Vandy. Good.

My question is: What does a person's sexual preference have to do with med school admissions? What is the value in having med school students with diverse "sexual preferences???" Please don't miss my point…I'm not saying anything about homosexuality per se; I'm just asking what does that have to do with anything remotely related to being a good doctor? Am I missing something? Does anyone think this is a little overboard with the whole diversity thing?

And if someone thinks this post a troll, please tell me what in the world a troll is, and I won't do it again. I'm just curious what you guys think.

Not quite sure why you can't apply that to any of the other categories you mentioned for diversity: gender/race/geog. region/etc. But really, whatever argument you use to support diversity can easily be used for LGBT (just another division of the population getting its representation in a professional field so they can relate with each other, or w.e). So I think the issue you have originates from your definition of diversity, and how it can apply to the other groups and not to LGBT - which I would be interested in hearing.

 

[Paladin7]

Not quite sure why you can't apply that to any of the other categories you mentioned for diversity: gender/race/geog. region/etc. But really, whatever argument you use to support diversity can easily be used for LGBT (just another division of the population getting its representation in a professional field so they can relate with each other, or w.e). So I think the issue you have originates from your definition of diversity, and how it can apply to the other groups and not to LGBT - which I would be interested in hearing.

PreMedder, I see your point and agree. My question that you bolded would apply to all components of diversity. I don't think my definition of diversity would differ significantly from yours, and I see that there is really no distinction between sexual pref and the other diversity components in regard to their lack of influence on a person's ability to be a good doctor. (I hope that's clear)

Some of the other posts have helped me to realize some of the value in diversity that I had not thoroughly considered (i.e. educating people to serve a diverse patient population etc.). Thanks.

 

[surftheiop]

My question is, how do they know your preference? There's probably not a check box for it, and I doubt they're looking for stereotypical mannerisms in the interview.

Several schools have a list of check boxes that say something like, "Which of these student organizations would you like to receive information from?" And then they list like Muslim groups, LGBT student something, Latino students association, etc. I assume they use these checkboxes to get people "on the radar"

 

[Ponger]

PreMedder, I see your point and agree. My question that you bolded would apply to all components of diversity. I don't think my definition of diversity would differ significantly from yours, and I see that there is really no distinction between sexual pref and the other diversity components in regard to their lack of influence on a person's ability to be a good doctor. (I hope that's clear)

Some of the other posts have helped me to realize some of the value in diversity that I had not thoroughly considered (i.e. educating people to serve a diverse patient population etc.). Thanks.

What qualifies people as good doctors is often mystifying to premeds. Medicine is way more of a service industry than most people think. You need the ability to communicate effectively with your patients (all of them) and make them happy to be your patient. Otherwise they could just go to another doctor who is a) better clinically skilled or b) as good as you but with a better bed side manner.

Just because you finish med school and residency doesn't mean patients have to come flocking to you. Comfort level with the doctor is actually a big deal and surprisingly enough diversity training early in a doctor's career can foster help that for a patient.