Try joining the AMSA LGBT listserv:
[email protected]
The Gay + Lesbian Medical Association:
http://www.glma.org/home.html
http://www.lgbtcampus.org/directory.htm
http://www.amsa.org/adv/lgbtpm/resources.cfm
Schools with groups and a somewhat (or more) friendly image:
Tufts
Boston U
Harvard
Yale
Brown
NYU
Mt Sinai
Einstein
Penn
Temple
MCP Hahnemann
Pittsburgh
MUSC
Case Western
U of Miami
Ohio State
U of Washington
Oregon
Stanford
UCSF
UCLA
UCD
Robert Wood Johnson
U of Minnesota
Additional schools that appear to be somewhat LGBT-friendly, but don't seem to
have groups currently:
Maine
SUNY Brooklyn
Cornell
Maryland
Hopkins
Duke
George Washington U
Medical College of Wisconsin
Tulane
Rush
University of Illinois
-=-=-=-=
New York Gay & Lesbian Physicians present:
TO BE OR NOT TO BE
Dealing with the issue of sexual identity during
the residency application and interview process
An informal discussion led by residents and attending physicians
on the pros and cons of being "out" when applying for residency.
NB. Many of the attendings and residents in attendance are interviewers
themselves for residency programs in the NYC area and elsewhere, so listen
up to what they have to say!
WEDNESDAY, September 19, 2001
1) Basic info
a) If you write something down on your application, it's fair game to be
asked about during the interview
i) Write down what you're comfortable discussing
b) Do some research on the programs to which you're applying
i) Use the GLMA directory to locate potential contacts at different programs
ii) Network, network, network and use it to your advantage
iii) Use your contacts to find out what the interview process is like at
particular programs
iv) Programs that may not look like G/L/B/T-friendly environments on paper
may actually prove to be otherwise and vice-versa
c) There are G/L/B/T physicians in all specialties
i) Some specialties have traditionally been less tolerant of alternative
lifestyles while others are more accepting.
(1) Yes, there are queer surgeons somewhere out there; network and/or use
other resources to find them if you are interested in this field so that
you can get a better idea of what to expect
d) Figure out what your priorities are
i) Determine if getting into the best possible program, regardless of how
homophobic that environment may be, is your top concern
ii) Determine what things you will and will not compromise on (e.g.,
domestic partner benefits, same-sex housing, etc)
2) Should I be out?
a) It's a personal decision - there are no "right" answers so you need to
figure out for yourself if you want to be out or not
i) Realistically, being out may hurt your chances at some programs because
not everyone is a progressive thinker
b) Writing about your involvement in G/L/B/T- (e.g., queer youth outreach)
or HIV-related issues (e.g., AIDS outreach) does not necessarily out you
i) If you devoted a lot of time and energy or exhibited leadership and
other desirable qualities in this area, then don't sell yourself short by
omitting it from your application
ii) Even though your interviewers shouldn't jump to conclusions based on
your involvement in this area, be prepared to deal with it during your
interview since it'll be fair game once you write it down
c) Don't be out for the sake of being out, especially if it doesn't relate
to anything else in your resume
i) Don't necessarily volunteer info that won't help your cause
3) Interviewing
a) You are trying to get a job so act like it and sell yourself well. You
want them to rank you highly on their list!
i) Be professional and try to remain composed no matter what happens
ii) Don't hit on or try to date your interviewer even if he/she may be
hitting back on you
iii) Don't be too chummy with your interviewer during your interview since
the two of you may have different ideas of what's acceptable and not
iv) Make sure to review whatever you wrote down in your application and be
prepared to discuss ANYTHING that you wrote down on it
b) Sound genuine
i) Your interviewer picks up on hesitancy and such things - that's not a
good thing
ii) Being radically different from what you seem like on paper is probably
not a good thing - you wouldn't want your interviewer to think that you
have some type of psychopathology!
iii) If you weren't out on your written application, then don't be during
the interview
c) Think about all the negative or not-so-stellar things on your
application and be prepared to answer questions about them during interviews
i) If the interviewer doesn't bring it up and your conversation is going
well, don't feel obligated to mention the not so positive stuff - this may
lead your interviewer to believe that you're insecure
ii) Rehearse your answers to these not so stellar things so that if and
when they come up, you can calmly explain what happened
d) Interviewers may not necessarily know the "rules" (e.g., it is illegal
to ask you about your sexual orientation or how you are planning to rank
their program) or he/she may just be an "evil" person. If you are asked
such inappropriate questions, you have several courses of action:
i) Downplay the question by not answering it, and continue on with your
conversation. Hopefully your interviewer will realize that he/she has
committed a faux pas and move on or
ii) Calmly tell your interviewer that you do not want to answer such an
inappropriate question, and try to go on with the interview or
(1) You might consider writing the program director separately to say that
such inappropriate behavior transpired
(2) You should also probably consider crossing the program off your list
iii) Answer the question forthrightly if you feel comfortable doing so
(1) Realize that if you answer the question, you will be disclosing info
which may or may not affect your application adversely
e) If your gaydar suspects that your interviewer may be gay, don't out him
or her unless he or she does so first
i) Your interviewer's orientation is immaterial to YOUR application
ii) You might have totally bad gaydar so be careful
iii) Your interviewer may not be out or comfortable being out to casual
acquaintances
f) Your interviewer may not be the appropriate person to ask about G/L/B/T
concerns, benefits, what life is like as an intern/resident
i) The program director is the one who should know about these things like
benefits, etc
ii) To find out about life on the wards, ASK THE HOUSESTAFF
(a) If you can't seem to find housestaff during your interview, beware and
figure out why?
g) G/L/B/T and non-G/L/B/T folks, including your interviewers, may not have
gaydar and may not pick up on the "subtle" clues you've put down in your
application or during the interview
i) Play it by ear. If the interviewer doesn't ask you about it, you may not
necessarily want to bring it up.
ii) Interviewers who are not out may not want to pick up your clues. Don't
press the issue if you sense that your interviewer may not be comfortable
talking about such things.
4) Figuring out what program is right for you
a) During your interview, you're selling yourself to the program as much as
the program is selling itself to you
i) You want THEM to rank you highly even though YOU may not rank them highly
b) Take advantage of 2nd look opportunities
i) This could signal to the program that you are really, really, really
interested
ii) This is a good opportunity to go on rounds, follow the housestaff,
while not being the focus of attention
iii) It's also a great opportunity to get a feel for how you'll fit in here
c) The program will try to put together a class that is cohesive and works
well with each other
i) Try to get a feel for your potential classmates since they will be the
ones you'll interact with a lot
ii) Showing signs of not wanting to be there or lack of interest or of not
being a team player will probably hurt your chances
and not only that, but these smileys are intese lol Anyways, best of luck to all of you in the pursuit of your dreams!
