Lgbtq

[Eraserhead]

Hey again,

What do people think about being explicitly out as Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, etc. in the personal statement?

Bad idea? Not relevant? Only if related to experiences?

Do you think it would be a potential red flag for interviewers?

Thanks,
Kevin

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[Rapid Decomposition]

I doubt it would be a "red flag" for too many admissions officers (I still wouldn't press my luck...), but I think you should only include something like this in your PS if it is relevant to why you want to be a doctor. Since it usually isn't, I would lead towards not including it.

 

[PMED99]

Depends, how relevant is it? Does it help explain struggles in your life? I say include what you wish about it, it is your personal statement. I would not use it to try to help get in cause it most likely will not help like being a underrepresented would.

Also, if it throws up a red flag to an interviewer, or if it causes the interviewer to think less of you, then you did not want to go to this school anyway.

Best of Luck to you.

 

[Yogi Bear]

o/t but what ever happened to drkevin40 from usc? where's he going?

 

[Jalby]

Originally posted by Yogi Bear
o/t but what ever happened to drkevin40 from usc? where's he going?

Read my mind.

I know at my school, they wouldn't mind, and might even like you more because of it. But I'm not sure other schools will.

 

[sfjohn]

i made it clear in my personal statements (amcas and individual school apps) that i am gay. didn't make a big deal out of it, but since it's a big party of who i am, it wrote itself naturally into my essays. i also wanted to portray the most honest picture of myself that i could in order to find a good fit between myself and the school.
the results: i applied to 20 schools. 12 interviews 10 accepts. "gayness" came up during interviews at about 3 schools. those conversations were not at all confrontational - more educational/curious in nature. overall, i'd say it didn't help, didn't hurt. personally, i'm more comfortable knowing that i applied and was accepted/rejected based on who i really am.
i asked the same question of out vs. not out while applying. a lot of people advised that i play the game, and not give any potential red flags to my app. personally, i didn't have any interest in going to a school where sexual orientation would have been an issue. while applying, i felt as though i was gambling a bit, but everything worked out in the end. be yourself, and have confidence in whatever decision you make. good luck!

 

[LoneCoyote]

Hey Kevin,

I'm applying soon for 2004 admission. I've given this one a lot of thought and talked to a lot of people who have, for the most part, advised me not to discuss it in the personal statement. I was advised only to bring it up if it really played a big role in my decision to become a doctor. For me, being a lesbian did not really play a big role in helping me decide that I want medicine. So for that reason I will not be out in my personal statement. But I do think my coming out process really shaped my life up to this point and that it has influenced how I will practice medicine. So on secondaries that ask about overcoming challenges, diversity, etc., I will talk about it. It seems from everyone I have talked to who has been through this process that you shouldn't have any trouble being out for the UCs, USC, Stanford, U of Washington, and most of the schools in the Northeast. I have heard mixed stuff about listing participation in GLBTQ activites on your application. I think it probably wouldn't hurt unless you were to list so many it seemed like that was all that you did. I may end up listing one or two. I am undecided on that. Best of luck to you in this process

 

[closertofine]

I agree that you should discuss it if it seems relevant...or if you want to make sure you will be accepted at the school...but not to make it the focus of your application. I'm not gay myself, but I am totally fine with those who are...but I do know that some schools in my area (or the South in general) might be less accepting than others...actually, my pre-med advisor is the epitome of a Southern old boy, and I doubt he would look too highly on a gay applicant. But I am all for being honest and having integrity, so I wouldn't try to hide who you are...

 

[sperry]

To reiterate what others have said - only talk about it if it pertains to your experiences or why you want to go into medicine. I talked about my experiences serving lesbian and bi women at a clinic in DC b/c it greatly affected my attitudes about medicine and my desire to become an MD. I also had the lgbt activities listed - it was a bit hard not to when my last job title was lesbian health center manager

I've never had it come up in interviews - I think there may have been some discomfort with the topic so we talked about other things - but I didn't get the feeling it was a bad thing. It can be hard to discuss lgbt issues w/out the interviewer feeling s/he's inquiring about your orientation - which is a no-no.

After all that - just assess what role being lgbt or involved in queer activities plays in your life. Allow your app to accurately reflect who you are. If you haven't done much other than a student group - don't worry about it. But if you're actively involved - be sure to mention it. Also - don't forget that lgbt patients are a recognized underserved population - every bit as important as volunteering at an urban/rural clinic setting.

Feel free to PM me if you want to talk further....good luck!!

 

[jamylk02]

I would say write what you feel like. I wrote about comming out to my athletic team on my personal statement. Used this to show leadership skills, but it was not directly related to becomming a doctor. It worked out great in the end for me. I ended up at my number one school and was personally told by the dean of admissions there that he thought my essay was well written and very moving. He also said it was one of the 3 or 4 most memorable essays he had ever read.

A word of caution though. A lot of interviewers are old and seem to have lived in a hospital their whole lives so are somewhat sheltered. I met a lot of old men and women who seemingly had never talked to a gay person before as far as they knew. They seemed very akward at times disscussing gay topics, and it became something that I had to overcome in every interview. But I feel like I learned a lot from the experience. I got into a top 10 school, my first choice, being myself and that probably means more to me than anything.

Good luck with your decision.

 

[bridgie]

Just a small anecdote, I am a heterosexual woman but during an interview at a school in the midwest one of my interviewers referred to homosexuals as queers. You just never know who is reading your file or where the decision rests.