Gay and Lesbian Medical Students

[Julia946]

I've searched SDN for posts about this, however, the most relevant information I could find goes back to 2002, so I'm reintroducing into the threads in hopes of creating a good dialogue among community members.

I'm in the early stages of going to medical school, currently serving in the United States Peace Corps overseas. I've been doing research about nontraditional students before I go back and complete the necessary courses required for admission. In the process my partner and I are looking at the timeline of my endeavors. This obviously calls into question many of the concerns of other couples/spouses in medical school.

Online there is relatively little professional or official information for those in the LGBT community so I was hoping to gain some insight about how this is perceived in medical schools. Omitting my sexuality from my application is not my plan at all, however, it shouldn't be a highlight of myself either. However, it is part of who I am and I want to make sure that my partner and I make healthy decisions for both of us in choosing where to relocate to for medical school, choosing a school that falls in line with my values. Within the next few years we anticipate getting married, creating the typical stresses of married medical students.

I want to reach out to the SDN to hear some anecdotes from community members about how LGBT is perceived in medical school and the support available (not necessarily official support, but more of student body and professors respecting others sexuality - note: a nondiscrimination policy doesn't always mean a thing other than saving the school's hind for legal purposes).

Are there specific schools that go above and beyond including their LGBT medical students, and spouses where applicable, into the school atmosphere? Schools in states where same-sex marriage is legal seems like a good place to start looking at schools that share the same value, but I'm not sure firsthand, obviously. Namely, Boston University, NYU, Columbia, etc. (same-sex marriage is not legalized in NY as of yet but the large metropolitan area makes it a promising place to live for many gay individuals).

I really appreciate any help in helping me understanding this better.

*Disclaimer: This should go without saying, but please respect me and other LGBT persons in your comments. Hateful and inappropriate comments will not be tolerated.

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[AltruisticMed]

Hello Julia!

I am a LGBT pre-med in California. I have a friend who attends Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine and he has invited me to a lot of their events there. From what I have seen, all of the students love their school, have great time learning and are really supportive of each other, regardless of sexual orientation or any other "label." I'm not sure if you are interested in a D.O. school over a M.D. school, or if you are interested in California at all, but it might be something to look into. Even though Prop 8 was upheld, I'm confident that the Supreme Court will rule it unconstitutional and marriage will resume once again in the state.

 

[Julia946]

AltruisticMed, despite the obstacles of Prop 8, California does seem to offer a more-than-average supportive community for LGBT. However, with California medical schools I got the impression that it is very difficult to gain admission unless you are a California state resident.

I am an Ohio resident looking almost exclusively at MD programs.

And I'm keeping my fingers crossed for the rights of Californians. I wait for it in the news any day now.

 

[wholeheartedly]

Hi, this has actually been talked about quite a bit in pre-allo and very recently too. Might want to check that out as I think there was some good info, even though it isn't Nontrad specific. There was also a post in the residency forum that, while not immediately relevant to you, was quite informative.

There used to be groups on here and there was a glbt group. The topic of schools came up, but I can't remember which ones were listed. I remember Ohio state being one of them. Also, the trick seemed to be not only to find a school you'd be comfortable in, but also a community and those two environments don't always match up.

 

[Nevadanteater]

Online there is relatively little professional or official information for those in the LGBT community so I was hoping to gain some insight about how this is perceived in medical schools. Omitting my sexuality from my application is not my plan at all, however, it shouldn't be a highlight of myself either.

When it comes to applying, I would say bring it up if it is something that is relevant to your path which guided you to medicine (desire to address the health disparities experienced by the LGBT community) or if you did work in the field (worked for LGBT rights organization, volunteered for something LGBT related etc etc).

When I applied, I did not directly say I was gay on my AMCAS, but it did come up as relevant when replying to secondaries. Also, my personal statement was primarily about working at a transgender clinic (though the overarching theme was not about LGBT health). Lastly, I am pretty sure I outed myself at every interview except one, though this was not a goal of mine, I did bring it up when it was appropriate.

A med school does not live in isolation and it is pretty easy to get a feel for what you should expect based on the community the school is involved in. Also, it is worth nothing that it is common at most med school for there to be less LGBT students than you would otherwise expect for a class of 100+ people. This is the nature of the beast (like many other discriminated against groups) and a school may feel less inclusive than it actually is. I remember hearing about a school that had a GSA which was almost entirely straight people (only because ALL the homos had joined and it only made up a few people). My class has 150ish students and there are 15ish LGBT students which is considered A LOT.

PM me with specifics if you want.

 

[Julia946]

Hi, this has actually been talked about quite a bit in pre-allo and very recently too. Might want to check that out as I think there was some good info, even though it isn't Nontrad specific. There was also a post in the residency forum that, while not immediately relevant to you, was quite informative.

I'm going to start an SDN search to try and track them down. If anyone comes across other links to some of these forums before I do, I'd appreciate posting the link. Thanks.

Here is a useful thread discussing the search for the right school for LGBT:
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=798740

Apparently the AMSA provides a directory of residency schools and the like based on gay-friendliness. What a great tool, one that received support for students and staff at Brown. Who knew:
http://www.amsa.org/gender/programreviews.cfm

 

[psychkub]

When it comes to applying, I would say bring it up if it is something that is relevant to your path which guided you to medicine (desire to address the health disparities experienced by the LGBT community) or if you did work in the field (worked for LGBT rights organization, volunteered for something LGBT related etc etc).

I agree with this. I did not see a need to reference my sexual orientation during the primary or secondary application process. In fact, the issue did not even come up until I was interviewing at a school back east and the interviewer said something along the lines of: "Are you single? If you move here to the area, you'll surely find a nice girl to keep you company throughout medical school." I tactfully said that girls, sort of weren't my thing.

 

[ksyhe]

Hi! I'm actually married to my partner (thanks, Massachusetts!), so we're definitely prioritizing schools in states where our marriage is recognized.

My application doesn't say anything about my sexual orientation, as it doesn't really play a big role in why I'm pursuing medicine. But one of my roundabout methods of feeling out how LGBT-friendly a school is has been to ask their financial aid people how they would calculate my aid package given that I'm married in my home state, but single on the FAFSA. Their responses can be pretty telling. I've also been asking students/student services administrators what kinds of support services are available to spouses (and then for "official" services beyond support groups -- such as help spouses find work -- discussing my situation). And during info sessions, I also like to ask how the school's curriculum addresses serving a diverse patient population, which would include race, socio-economics, sexual orientation, etc., which can also produce telling answers.

PM me if you'd like to discuss more -- I was also in the Peace Corps, so I've had much practice feeling out when and with who I can talk about my wife (then girlfriend).

 

[wholeheartedly]

I'm not sure about the specifics at the medical school in Minnesota ( u of mn). But the general feel on campus seems pretty good, the u had strong opposition to a constitutional amendment that was supposed to forever define marriage as only between a man and woman. I thought for sure it would pass but was pleasantly surprised that we shut it down and the university community was a big part of that. I also think the mn medical association took a stance in support of gay marriage due to the increased health benefits that occur in married couples.

 

[deleted307836]

I agree with this. I did not see a need to reference my sexual orientation during the primary or secondary application process. In fact, the issue did not even come up until I was interviewing at a school back east and the interviewer said something along the lines of: "Are you single? If you move here to the area, you'll surely find a nice girl to keep you company throughout medical school." I tactfully said that girls, sort of weren't my thing.

Did you get any secondary essay questions asking about how you would contribute to the diversity of the student body? If so, any reason why you chose not to answer that in a way that brings up your sexual orientation? That's about the only place I would consider coming out in the application process - and possibly during an interview if it comes up and the vibe is right.

 

[psychkub]

Did you get any secondary essay questions asking about how you would contribute to the diversity of the student body? If so, any reason why you chose not to answer that in a way that brings up your sexual orientation? That's about the only place I would consider coming out in the application process - and possibly during an interview if it comes up and the vibe is right.

Actually, yes. Two of the schools that I applied to had that question. Both of those schools had a mission statement prioritizing access to care to underrepresented populations in medicine. A lot of my work and EC experience focused on mental health and increasing access to care to hispanic populations, so I focused on that rather than highlighting the fact that I was gay. I unfortunately did not have any involvement within the LGBT community, other than a few AIDS walks that I participated in. I think had I had more involvement, I would have highlighted those ECs without mention of my sexual orientation. I'd like to think the AdComs are smart enough to deduce what's going on from how someone writes about their LGBT involvement, without having the applicant explicitly express that they are LGBT.

Frankly, I think it all boils down to personal preference. I personally did not see a need to discuss it; others might feel different, and that's ok too.

 

[Shjanzey]

Hi I wanted to respond to this because I think I need some clarification. I don't understand where bringing up sexual orientation is appropriate in a professional environment. I don't think that it matters what orientation you are when attending a higher learning institution and of course it shouldn't have any bearing on your academic success.

To be honest I would find it offensive if someone asked what my orientation is in an interview, and I would view it as very unprofessional. Maybe I am misunderstanding this query, because if you are asking more about cities with schools that have a more active/open community then I totally get where you are coming from.

 

[NontradCA]

Hi I wanted to respond to this because I think I need some clarification. I don't understand where bringing up sexual orientation is appropriate in a professional environment. I don't think that it matters what orientation you are when attending a higher learning institution and of course it shouldn't not have any bearing on your academic success.

To be honest I would find it offensive if someone asked what my orientation is in an interview, and I would view it as very unprofessional. Maybe I am misunderstanding this query, because if you are asking more about cities with schools that have a more active/open community then I totally get where you are coming from.

This.

 

[deleted307836]

Hi I wanted to respond to this because I think I need some clarification. I don't understand where bringing up sexual orientation is appropriate in a professional environment.

Think of how often this happens in everyday life, though. If a man mentions his wife in a conversation with coworkers, he just revealed his sexual orientation. Someone in an interview may discuss their experience with their partner's mother while she was sick, as another example. It happens every day and people don't bat an eye to it as long as the person is heterosexual.

 

[Shjanzey]

Think of how often this happens in everyday life, though. If a man mentions his wife in a conversation with coworkers, he just revealed his sexual orientation. Someone in an interview may discuss their experience with their partner's mother while she was sick, as another example. It happens every day and people don't bat an eye to it as long as the person is heterosexual.

I think you are misconstruing what I am saying, but it is a good point. If someone brought their partner up in a conversation, I wouldn't think twice about it. In fact, this is a great example where it is done in a professional manner.

The scenario I was envisioning was more along the lines of what has been presented by the OP which I will quote.

However, it is part of who I am and I want to make sure that my partner and I make healthy decisions for both of us in choosing where to relocate to for medical school, choosing a school that falls in line with my values.

Are there specific schools that go above and beyond including their LGBT medical students...

I was unaware that a medical school had to take a stance on particular values. I also didn't know that special exceptions had to be made if you identify with LGBT.

I guess my whole issue is that I think it is unprofessional and somewhat unfair if extra steps are taken because someone is part of a certain community. I understand the tense "social" aspect of this subject, but as professionals seeking to go above and beyond most people in both education as well as our contributions to humanity as a whole, I like to think that this would be the least of your worries going into medical school.

So let me conclude with two things. First, I am aware that there are always going to be inflexible, close-minded people within any population, but it is hard for me to believe that the vast majority of med students will be so small minded.

Second, I think the proper approach would be to research the LGBT communities that best fit in with your personal values and use that as a basis for making this decision. You will gravitate towards what you feel most comfortable with. If you expect Medical School to somehow fulfill a social role that the local community is more apt and able to fulfill, I think maybe you are confused about what Medical School is for.

I offer this opinion respectfully, I am not purposely being contentious. I appreciate what you shared, I had not thought of that before.

 

[deleted307836]

I get what you're saying now - if I understand correctly you don't see the point of highlighting sexuality as an important part of the application. I agree with you on that for the most part. I think there can be benefits to including it though - some schools may include sexual orientation among the characteristics that students/employees/staff cannot be discriminated against, for example, and students may feel better about attending that school with those protections in place. That's really the only "special treatment" that I can think of that applies, but things like that usually apply to everyone since characteristics such as race, gender, and religion are also included.

Also, I can see why it would be beneficial to highlight one's homosexuality if they have an interest in serving this population professionally (working in LGBT health). They may use their experiences as a premed to work with this population, and may tie this work to their sexual orientation in a diversity essay, as one example. Other than that I don't really see a reason for it to be discussed or brought up. I'm gay and I don't plan on bringing it up at all but I can completely understand why some people would, and think many of those reasons are indeed legitimate.

 

[Shjanzey]

Also, I can see why it would be beneficial to highlight one's homosexuality if they have an interest in serving this population professionally (working in LGBT health). They may use their experiences as a premed to work with this population, and may tie this work to their sexual orientation in a diversity essay, as one example.

This is a very good point. If that were your passion and you wanted to reach out to this community I can see how it would come up naturally in your application and/or an interview. In that context it makes a lot more sense.

I currently volunteer at a clinic that is has a doctor who is devoted to HIV care for under served populations. I was surprised to learn that there are a larger number of LGBT who need these services who cannot afford insurance than I ever expected. I think this clinic is a godsend for many people.

 

[Julia946]

Hi I wanted to respond to this because I think I need some clarification. I don't understand where bringing up sexual orientation is appropriate in a professional environment. I don't think that it matters what orientation you are when attending a higher learning institution and of course it shouldn't have any bearing on your academic success.

To be honest I would find it offensive if someone asked what my orientation is in an interview, and I would view it as very unprofessional. Maybe I am misunderstanding this query, because if you are asking more about cities with schools that have a more active/open community then I totally get where you are coming from.

Exactly. I am asking more about the school environment and the application. The issue of bringing up sexual orientation in my application is a non-issue for me. That is why my original post stated I don't intend to omit the fact that I have a female partner from my admissions process, but do not intend to highlight or bring it up unless otherwise brought up. I'm not wavering on my stance there. The situation actually arises more than you would think in interviews, secondaries, and the like. Of course they aren't going to look at me and ask, "Are you a gay or straight woman, Julia?" However, any questions directly related to my future plans, city and living interests, research interests or the age-old "Would you plan to have children" questions can't be honestly talked about if I intentionally omit the fact that I have a same-sex partner. In the LGBT community it is a roundabout way of closeting yourself if you defer to the pronoun "they" to intentionally create gender ambiguity. In that sense, I have every right, should a story or situation arise in conversation, to refer to my partner as "she" and my "significant other/partner," exactly like a heterosexual would talk about their spouse/partner in the same casual and natural way.

However, yes, exactly like you said, I'm more trying to navigate some of the decisions involved in choosing a program. I want to attend a school that shares the same honest, open, and encouraging values that I, myself, posses, values which I feel are inherent not ones in which need to explicitly claimed. Particular regions and cities are more accepting, and even sub-cultures within schools have their own climate of acceptance. Some regions aren't quite accepting yet, merely tolerant. I don't want to move to a community of people who "tolerate" me and my family for four years. Thank you for helping me clarify my question a bit. Many people have offered input about being out on my app versus staying closeted. Although I appreciate the input I am more interested in specific schools and environments that foster a supportive community. I think any medical student would want that for themselves and their family.

Here is some clarification of positive qualities in med schools that exemplify my interest. Some support I have seen at schools is seen through their commitment to serving the medical needs of the underrepresented LGBT community (i.e. research and and specific courses directed at understand the unique health needs of queer undividuals). http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2012/11/05/prl21105.htm Example: Brown offers a specific course to address these unique needs and has a few staff members working on research related to transsexuals. Also a Gay-Straight Alliance within the medical school is a sign of a very open environment looking to not only make medical knowledge advancements but encourage a community of diverse individuals and their respective families. Here is great article about Yale's driven efforts to recruit gay applicants. http://yaledailynews.com/blog/2011/10/25/medical-school-targets-lgbtq-applicants/ and here: http://www.thecollegefix.com/post/9558 I can't side-step the importance of addressing the support needs of medical students (gay or straight) simply for the fact that it is an institution of higher learning and education. It seems, in fact, that because of this, it calls more cause for schools to start calling action to these disparities, be it support or acknowledgment of broader patient needs.

 

[betterlate]

I'm a fourth year medical student, and have been having a similar conversation about applying to residencies. I've done a ton of work related to LGBT health disparities while in med school, which naturally ended up on my CV, effectively meaning I'm 'out.'

My feelings about this vary between not wanting to affect my chances of matching on the one hand and not wanting to be trapped in a homophobic program on the other. I think it is well worth your while to be out enough, in the right context, so you can make an informed decision about the best place for you and your family. One of my friends made a point of asking schools (and later, residency programs) about health insurance benefits for her wife, for example. She automatically rejected any school/didn't rank any program that didn't include same-sex spouses in their health insurance coverage. It's a practical screening question, and also helps to assess more nebulous things like the general quality of life for LGBT students and faculty at the school.

The obvious things to look for: see if you can find a school's nondiscrimination policy online. Does it include sexual orientation, gender identity & expression? Is there an LGBT group listed among the student interest groups? (If so, try to get in contact with members, and ask them more direct questions about quality of life.) Do they include any LGBT content in their curriculum?

While I agree on the one hand that you don't want to be out in an angry or intense way in an application, being out in the right way can make programs feel edgy or cool, which can be to your benefit. You round out their diversity needs, and they get to sleep soundly at night wrapped in warm feelings of progressiveness.

I'm being sarcastic, but there is some truth to it. The world is not the same place that it was even 10 years ago. You are likely not going to face the same discrimination that you might have at one time. If simply being honest that you are married to a woman is enough to keep you out of any given med school, good riddance. You didn't want to be miserable in that environment anyway.

Good luck to you!

 

[Amygdarya]

Julia, I know that UCSF, UPenn, U of Chicago, Case and Pitt are very LGBT-friendly. Not easy schools to get in, I know, but since they appreciate diversity, being a person of a minority sexual orientation may pique their interest.
Otherwise, look into major cities with substantial LGBT communities. Heck, even Dallas has one

 

[Gauss44]

Hello Julia!

I am a LGBT pre-med in California. I have a friend who attends Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine and he has invited me to a lot of their events there. From what I have seen, all of the students love their school, have great time learning and are really supportive of each other, regardless of sexual orientation or any other "label." I'm not sure if you are interested in a D.O. school over a M.D. school, or if you are interested in California at all, but it might be something to look into. Even though Prop 8 was upheld, I'm confident that the Supreme Court will rule it unconstitutional and marriage will resume once again in the state.

I would like to add that when I called Touro, they seemed really into calling everyone "Mr." or "Mrs." I suspect that this could be uncomfortable for some people, such as those who don't look like the gender they identify as, due to a medical issue. This would include some, but not all, transgender people, intersex people, and various others.

If this is not an issue for you, you may well like it there. It is near NYC which is fairly liberal.

 

[Gauss44]

Hi! I'm actually married to my partner (thanks, Massachusetts!), so we're definitely prioritizing schools in states where our marriage is recognized.

My application doesn't say anything about my sexual orientation, as it doesn't really play a big role in why I'm pursuing medicine. But one of my roundabout methods of feeling out how LGBT-friendly a school is has been to ask their financial aid people how they would calculate my aid package given that I'm married in my home state, but single on the FAFSA. Their responses can be pretty telling. I've also been asking students/student services administrators what kinds of support services are available to spouses (and then for "official" services beyond support groups -- such as help spouses find work -- discussing my situation). And during info sessions, I also like to ask how the school's curriculum addresses serving a diverse patient population, which would include race, socio-economics, sexual orientation, etc., which can also produce telling answers.

PM me if you'd like to discuss more -- I was also in the Peace Corps, so I've had much practice feeling out when and with who I can talk about my wife (then girlfriend).

FYI - Massachusetts also has the Transgender Non-Discrimination Act: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/02/massachusetts-transgender-equal-rights-bill-_n_1644277.html and a strong group of transgender rights activists that track discrimination and change laws: http://www.masstpc.org/take-action/report-your-experience/

As an aside, I wanted to point out that AAMC is making recommendations: https://www.aamc.org/members/gsa/54702/gsa_glbt.html

 

[Gauss44]

Julia, I know that UCSF, UPenn, U of Chicago, Case and Pitt are very LGBT-friendly. Not easy schools to get in, I know, but since they appreciate diversity, being a person of a minority sexual orientation may pique their interest.
Otherwise, look into major cities with substantial LGBT communities. Heck, even Dallas has one

I definitely know a few people of mixed race AND LGBT status who feel that the tolerant schools are the top schools. Any non-top MD schools that are welcoming (not just barely tolerant) of both groups (race and LGBT)? I'm sure they probably exist. I just haven't toured any medical schools at all yet.

Edit: I changed the last sentence to make it clear that I haven't toured any medical schools at all yet. It previously said that I hadn't toured "any" yet which was unclear.

 

[Goro]

All I want to add is that my gay students feel welcome and safe at our school.

I've searched SDN for posts about this, however, the most relevant information I could find goes back to 2002, so I'm reintroducing into the threads in hopes of creating a good dialogue among community members.

I'm in the early stages of going to medical school, currently serving in the United States Peace Corps overseas. I've been doing research about nontraditional students before I go back and complete the necessary courses required for admission. In the process my partner and I are looking at the timeline of my endeavors. This obviously calls into question many of the concerns of other couples/spouses in medical school.

Online there is relatively little professional or official information for those in the LGBT community so I was hoping to gain some insight about how this is perceived in medical schools. Omitting my sexuality from my application is not my plan at all, however, it shouldn't be a highlight of myself either. However, it is part of who I am and I want to make sure that my partner and I make healthy decisions for both of us in choosing where to relocate to for medical school, choosing a school that falls in line with my values. Within the next few years we anticipate getting married, creating the typical stresses of married medical students.

I want to reach out to the SDN to hear some anecdotes from community members about how LGBT is perceived in medical school and the support available (not necessarily official support, but more of student body and professors respecting others sexuality - note: a nondiscrimination policy doesn't always mean a thing other than saving the school's hind for legal purposes).

Are there specific schools that go above and beyond including their LGBT medical students, and spouses where applicable, into the school atmosphere? Schools in states where same-sex marriage is legal seems like a good place to start looking at schools that share the same value, but I'm not sure firsthand, obviously. Namely, Boston University, NYU, Columbia, etc. (same-sex marriage is not legalized in NY as of yet but the large metropolitan area makes it a promising place to live for many gay individuals).

I really appreciate any help in helping me understanding this better.

*Disclaimer: This should go without saying, but please respect me and other LGBT persons in your comments. Hateful and inappropriate comments will not be tolerated.

 

[wholeheartedly]

So there's a thread over in pre-allo about one students tips on applying and stuff


But they posted this article that I thought you all (gay or straight) should read. http://commonhealth.wbur.org/2012/03/being-gay-in-medicine

 

[Amygdarya]

Any non-top MD schools that are welcoming (not just barely tolerant) of both groups (race and LGBT)? I'm sure they probably exist. I just haven't toured any medical schools at all yet.

For what it's worth, when you receive an II, some schools ask whether you are interested in meeting with representatives of LGBT or some other "diversity" groups. Examples of schools like that: UPenn (which also has several LGBT people on their student host list, which tells you something about how welcoming the school is to LGBT people) and Northwestern.

 

[Amygdarya]

But they posted this article that I thought you all (gay or straight) should read. http://commonhealth.wbur.org/2012/03/being-gay-in-medicine

I remember reading this article some time ago, and I got impressed by it for the second time now. The good thing is, the attitudes to LGBT people in the general US population seem to be changing for the better, at least judging by the changing attitudes toward gay marriage. Though the progress is still too slow

 

[Julia946]

The obvious things to look for: see if you can find a school's nondiscrimination policy online. Does it include sexual orientation, gender identity & expression? Is there an LGBT group listed among the student interest groups? (If so, try to get in contact with members, and ask them more direct questions about quality of life.) Do they include any LGBT content in their curriculum?

The world is not the same place that it was even 10 years ago. You are likely not going to face the same discrimination that you might have at one time. If simply being honest that you are married to a woman is enough to keep you out of any given med school, good riddance. You didn't want to be miserable in that environment anyway.

Good luck to you!

These are fantastic and practical pieces of advice for applying. I really appreciate your encouragement and positive approach. You're exactly right about not wanting to place yourself in an environment where you wouldn't be accepted anyway.

At this point along in my Peace Corps service I'm doing a great deal of outreach and volunteering with LGBT health populations in the way of HIV/AIDS and Gender Empowerment so it will likely become a part of my application. It's been about a year since my original post and even in that small time frame it seems like the support in America has increased, even if only slightly. This thread, the articles, comments and suggestion gives me a lot of hope.

 

[Julia946]

.

 

[scarecrow90]

I feel like most medical schools are progressive enough that there would not be any discrimination... but I get it. That question of "Will I be accepted?" is seared into the back of a lot of our heads.

Betterlate: I think that it's great that you've focused your time on LGBT health-disparities!

 

[Gauss44]

So there's a thread over in pre-allo about one students tips on applying and stuff


But they posted this article that I thought you all (gay or straight) should read. http://commonhealth.wbur.org/2012/03/being-gay-in-medicine

From the above link:

"...the chair offered a recruitment package that blew me away. Everything sounded great. I asked on the phone whether there were domestic partner benefits. It was a perfunctory question, because given the city, I assumed the answer would be yes. By that point, most Fortune 100 companies had them. Turns out they didn't, but they said they'd cover Jeff's benefits to accommodate me. I explained that I appreciated the gesture, but I wasn't interested in working in a place that didn't have partner benefits for everyone.
That was on a Friday. On Monday they called back with news. They had committed to starting domestic partner benefits with the new year."


I am aware of other people who have made this point to companies resulting in a change of benefits as well. It seems to be frequently effective. Many businesses have additionally gone through their entire handbook to rule out as many inequalities that they can.

I am also aware of people who have done the same thing (described above) in regard to transgender-inclusive health care coverage: http://www.hrc.org/resources/entry/transgender-inclusive-benefits-for-employees-and-dependents Page 9 of the attached document has a list of the companies participating. It would be nice if more hospitals, medical institutions, and colleges were listed. (I personally know several pre-meds who have taken jobs in the companies on that list, rather than in hospitals or the medical field, solely because they wanted or needed the transgender-inclusive health insurance policies.)

I also wanted to point out the comments section to anyone who might not have read the entire article. The article ends, "Readers, does this resonate? What have you seen in the medical arena?," followed by reader's comments.

Lastly, IF the top schools are more tolerant toward LGBT students, then this could explain why. From reading Adcom's comments here on SDN, I suspect that the top schools try to recruit (or actively try to please) the top students, so this same type of action would be effective in persuading the top schools' policy. On the other hand, what's there to persuade lower tier MD schools? (I really don't know. It's an honest question.)

 

[Gauss44]

This article made me happy (in terms of justice, not the happiest story): http://gawker.com/grandpa-writes-letter-disowning-daughter-after-she-diso-1440373471

To stay on topic, I'm curious to find out if UMass Medical in Worcester and University of Toronto Medical are LGB&T friendly schools in your opinion?

...They've both had some very outspoken infamous characters (Kenneth Zucker and Janice Raymond) sort of associated with them in the past, esp. University of Toronto. Janice Raymond was actually associated with UMass Amherst, not UMass Medical in Worcester. They are still both "UMass's" so I'm curious about how tolerant the UMass Medical School is today, as well as, University of Toronto Medical. If you haven't heard of these two, they're just a google away.

On the other hand, I've heard both Tufts and Harvard described as being, "welcoming."