Mentioning sexual orientation on application or interview?

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virtuoso735

virtuoso735

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What are your guys' thoughts on this? I was reading through a view book for a medical school I'm interviewing at next week, and it said that they value diversity and encourage applicants to "identify" themselves. Mentioning sexual orientation was something that never occurred to me as I didn't see how it would fit in my primary or secondary applications, and I never had it brought up during interviews. However, if it will help (however little), would it be somehow beneficial to bring it up during an interview?
 
Interviewer: Tell me about yourself

Me: I'm a heterosexual

Interviewer:
tumblr_m8tyrfJ3B91qhckyg.jpg
 
A friend of mine from college chose to identify himself as gay in his application and wrote extensively about his overcoming of adversity with his parents, friends, peers etc. He has finished 5 interviews already and has another 8 upcoming. He is a good student, by all means, but not spectacular/unique in terms of his numbers and EC's, so maybe his essays helped him out a ton, or maybe not, who knows.

If you are heterosexual, I don't really see how that will help you at all by mentioning it an interview (unless you've been bullied for being heterosexual [which I also can't imagine] and overcame that adversity). If you are bisexual or gay, and you have faced problems in your life as a result of that and you can coherently discuss how you have overcome the adversity and what you learned from it and how it made you a better person, then by all means you can bring it up if it fits in with the conversation somehow. However, I'm pretty sure simply mentioning "I'm straight", or "I'm gay" will do little to nothing.
 
Gay=stupid or gay=homosexual?

Later seems an "overshare"

Former kind of self defeating

Maybe stop using where u like your joint as an identity. If you do, then you probably arent even terribly good at it
 
It could help or hurt depending upon what you say (like most things). You need to "know" your audience. Being self-aware and others-aware (i.e., situationally aware) is a crucial skill set for a medical student...
 
Some people mention it in the application, particularly if they have been involved in clubs/groups or in volunteerism related to LGBTQ issues. I've never had anyone who had not mentioned it in the application bring it up during the interview but I'd be ok with it in the context of something such as, "I was "out" in high school and it wasn't always easy; I'd like to make the path smoother for kids in the future and that's why I'm leaning toward primary care, particularly with LGBTQ youth."

Unless your gaydar is better than mine, you may not know that your interviewer is gay. Some are.
 
i will be mentioning my identity in my personal statement in the context of my involvement in LGBTQ organizations. i volunteer at a health clinic serving the LGBTQ community so i think it's relevant. i think you should mention it if it's relevant. i was cut off by my parents for 2 years in college and even though they have come to accept me now, it was a very difficult time, but i still haven't decided whether or not i will mention that specifically because it's very personal and i'm not sure i'd feel comfortable talking about it in an interview
 
AiyaTuc said:
Unless you've been actively involved in a club or something like that, nobody cares.
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i think that even if someone wasn't involved in an LGBTQ organization but overcame adversity and can discuss that effectively/they are comfortable discussing it, it can be relevant. for example i have a friend who was homeless in high school after coming out and despite that went on to earn a GED and attend college. also at the clinic where i work there are a lot of transgender folks who have been turned away by physicians and had very bad experiences with the medical community, so i think someone who has had experiences like that and can discuss overcoming adversity effectively, it could be worth mentioning even if you weren't in any clubs
 
I wrote a very long explanation for why I wouldn't include it.....then SDN froze.

Anywho, here's the short version:

I wouldn't. You shouldn't unless it's pertinent to your ability to be a doctor, which would be very rarely. If you had a leadership role in a group, faced significant discrimination and you can write it into a stellar PS, or other things of the like, then it would be pertinent and you should include it. You shouldn't just say "Guess who has two thumbs and is gay? This guy!!!!"

I imagine it would be uncomfortable for the adcom because they may be afraid you would sue over discrimination if you were rejected even for a valid reason (not saying you would). Also, you don't want to be that person who always talks about just one thing. Everyone knows "that guy" - the person who takes every conversation, regardless of the topic, back to the same fact about themselves. The nontrad in your class who always brings up "well, in the job I had before med school...." ; the person with the mph who asks "well how does this relate to public health" or the person who did a year abroad "well, during my year in London...." I'm not saying you're that guy/girl, you just don't want to come off that way. You don't want to be the person who let's your sexuality be the one thing that defines you and it somehow pops up in every single conversations even when it's entirely unrelated.

Ok, so that wasn't much shorter....but that's my take on the situation. Good luck and try to have some fun for the rest of the year!
 
I didn't mention my sexual orientation in my primary because it wasn't relevant to anything in my application. I did mention my work with LGBT organizations, however. In secondaries that had "diversity" essays, I did make sure to mention that I'm gay. It came up in both of my interviews because the interviewers asked me certain questions (hardest thing you've had to do outside of academics, time you've shown compassion, etc) that allowed to me discuss my sexuality. If it's not relevant to the situation, I wouldn't bring it up.
 
Thanks guys. I haven't mentioned it in any of my application materials or interviews, and I have been doing just fine. I just thought maybe it would be advantageous to mention it, but I guess it's not that large a part of my life so I will just leave it out.
 
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I would be nervous about stating anything about my sexual orientation. I am not ashamed or anything but I think some things are just too personal. I understand including it if you have overcome some sort of obstacle as a result of your orientation, but if you haven't i wouldn't share it. Honestly, I think that could lead to some prejudice. Even though people are becoming more open minded to sexual preferences, the interview and application process seems to be formal and not the place to be discussing your sexuality.

All of this changes though, if you being gay, lesbian, transgendered (etc) affected your life and has some correlation to your future as a doctor. Then by all means, share it.
 
If it has an impact on your decision to be a doctor or will help you become a better doctor, then feel free to mention it. As long as it doesn't derail your train, then I see no harm in it.
 
cheechootrain said:
If it has an impact on your decision to be a doctor or will help you become a better doctor, then feel free to mention it. As long as it doesn't derail your train, then I see no harm in it.
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like this answer
short and sweet!
 
Doesn't seem to be hurting me. I was out on my primary since it related to why one of my activities was particularly meaningful.(And it was mentioned in many secondaries, and it came up in a few interviews but not all)

Oh and for the record I was not involved in any LGBTQ activities/organizations and people still cared. Whether you agree with me being out on my app or not, the experiences I have had identifying as gay have shaped how I perceive and interact with the world so it's certainly a significant part of me.
 
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Tots said:
Doesn't seem to be hurting me. I was out on my primary since it related to why one of my activities was particularly meaningful.(And it was mentioned in many secondaries, and it came up in a few interviews but not all)

Oh and for the record I was not involved in any LGBTQ activities/organizations and people still cared. Whether you agree with me being out on my app or not, the experiences I have had identifying as gay have shaped how I perceive and interact with the world so it's certainly a significant part of me.
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My point exactly. You should definitely include it. Its who you are.
 
AiyaTuc said:
Unless you've been actively involved in a club or something like that, nobody cares.
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I disagree with this. I briefly mentioned being out in several secondaries that asked about diversity. I didn't make a big deal out of it because I wasn't involved in any LGBTQ clubs/activities. Surprisingly though, my being gay was brought up in multiple interviews by the interviewers (at one school, ~40% of the interview time was focused on my being out, even though I haven't faced any major discrimination due to my sexuality before). The interviewers obviously thought this topic was relevant enough to spend a signficant portion of their time on it. My being out was generally received well last cycle.

Obviously a person shouldn't mention being gay just to gain some sort of advantage. Playing the 'gay card' like that will end up hurting them significantly. And as others have said, be able to talk about why you feel being gay is relevant (that's a question that was asked at one interview). The point isn't to be diverse for diversity's sake, it's to be able to contribute to the class through your diversity.
 
thlaxer said:
I disagree with this. I briefly mentioned being out in several secondaries that asked about diversity. I didn't make a big deal out of it because I wasn't involved in any LGBTQ clubs/activities. Surprisingly though, my being gay was brought up in multiple interviews by the interviewers (at one school, ~40% of the interview time was focused on my being out, even though I haven't faced any major discrimination due to my sexuality before). The interviewers obviously thought this topic was relevant enough to spend a signficant portion of their time on it. My being out was generally received well last cycle.

Obviously a person shouldn't mention being gay just to gain some sort of advantage. Playing the 'gay card' like that will end up hurting them significantly. And as others have said, be able to talk about why you feel being gay is relevant (that's a question that was asked at one interview). The point isn't to be diverse for diversity's sake, it's to be able to contribute to the class through your diversity.
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I'm an Erin Burnett-ual. Should I share?
 
FSU2013 said:
I wrote a very long explanation for why I wouldn't include it.....then SDN froze.

Anywho, here's the short version:

I wouldn't. You shouldn't unless it's pertinent to your ability to be a doctor, which would be very rarely. If you had a leadership role in a group, faced significant discrimination and you can write it into a stellar PS, or other things of the like, then it would be pertinent and you should include it. You shouldn't just say "Guess who has two thumbs and is gay? This guy!!!!"

I imagine it would be uncomfortable for the adcom because they may be afraid you would sue over discrimination if you were rejected even for a valid reason (not saying you would). Also, you don't want to be that person who always talks about just one thing. Everyone knows "that guy" - the person who takes every conversation, regardless of the topic, back to the same fact about themselves. The nontrad in your class who always brings up "well, in the job I had before med school...." ; the person with the mph who asks "well how does this relate to public health" or the person who did a year abroad "well, during my year in London...." I'm not saying you're that guy/girl, you just don't want to come off that way. You don't want to be the person who let's your sexuality be the one thing that defines you and it somehow pops up in every single conversations even when it's entirely unrelated.

Ok, so that wasn't much shorter....but that's my take on the situation. Good luck and try to have some fun for the rest of the year!
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Let me make a small addition to this:

Another appropriate time to mention it would be when they ask "why this school?" if your partner likes the area or could get a job in the area, etc. I don't know if there is an analogous saying to "happy wife, happy life" for homosexuals, but I imagine the concept still stands.

Also, a diversity question would be an appropriate time. I think diversity essays are completely bogus and as a straight, white male from a middle class family with two married parents who is a Protestant......well, you get the picture, lol. I just hate the idea of well, that other guy/girl has a 4.0/35/great ECs did everything anyone could ask him/her to do, but this other person adds diversity.......I'll stop my rant now.
 
virtuoso735 said:
However, if it will help (however little), would it be somehow beneficial to bring it up during an interview?
Click to expand...

If they ask you about diversity, what situations you have encountered, how you have overcome it, etc. then that's a homerun for you. Even if it's "I'm gay, people know, and they respect me for it." I'm convinced that schools don't want to see diversity just for sheer numbers, but also because I think people from different background provide a better learning environment.

Note: I'm an upper-middle class white heterosexual male. That puts me into the nowhere-near-minority category, and I'm no expert on any of this, but that is just my personal opinion. Good luck!
 
thlaxer said:
I disagree with this. I briefly mentioned being out in several secondaries that asked about diversity. I didn't make a big deal out of it because I wasn't involved in any LGBTQ clubs/activities. Surprisingly though, my being gay was brought up in multiple interviews by the interviewers (at one school, ~40% of the interview time was focused on my being out, even though I haven't faced any major discrimination due to my sexuality before). The interviewers obviously thought this topic was relevant enough to spend a signficant portion of their time on it. My being out was generally received well last cycle.

Obviously a person shouldn't mention being gay just to gain some sort of advantage. Playing the 'gay card' like that will end up hurting them significantly. And as others have said, be able to talk about why you feel being gay is relevant (that's a question that was asked at one interview). The point isn't to be diverse for diversity's sake, it's to be able to contribute to the class through your diversity.
Click to expand...

Don't read too much into the interviewer's decision to devote a major portion of the interview time to a specific subject whether it is your sexual orientation, a mission trip, or an odd-ball job. Interviews can be dull and repetitive if all that there is to talk about it volunteering in the pediatric wing, being a lowly lab tech and tutoring in organic chem. So, interviewers will often seek out what is novel in your application compared to others as a conversation piece. it doesn't mean that they 😍 your sexual orientation, your mission trip or your job in a bologna factory. Most of us are curious and like to learn new things so something "different" is often a pleasant conversation starter.
 
LizzyM said:
Don't read too much into the interviewer's decision to devote a major portion of the interview time to a specific subject whether it is your sexual orientation, a mission trip, or an odd-ball job. Interviews can be dull and repetitive if all that there is to talk about it volunteering in the pediatric wing, being a lowly lab tech and tutoring in organic chem. So, interviewers will often seek out what is novel in your application compared to others as a conversation piece. it doesn't mean that they 😍 your sexual orientation, your mission trip or your job in a bologna factory. Most of us are curious and like to learn new things so something "different" is often a pleasant conversation starter.
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Making bologna or a factory in bologna? I feel like I'd this we're on an app, it would need clarification.
 
So what is left for an interviewer to bias on? I'd take the person who shows up on time but then I am biasing against people who aren't punctual!
 
LizzyM said:
Don't read too much into the interviewer's decision to devote a major portion of the interview time to a specific subject whether it is your sexual orientation, a mission trip, or an odd-ball job. Interviews can be dull and repetitive if all that there is to talk about it volunteering in the pediatric wing, being a lowly lab tech and tutoring in organic chem. So, interviewers will often seek out what is novel in your application compared to others as a conversation piece. it doesn't mean that they 😍 your sexual orientation, your mission trip or your job in a bologna factory. Most of us are curious and like to learn new things so something "different" is often a pleasant conversation starter.
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That's definitely fair. In my case, being out helped some of my interviewers get a better sense of who I am outside of academics (e.g. what I value, etc.) and just helped the interview flow much more smoothly.
 
thlaxer said:
Obviously a person shouldn't mention being gay just to gain some sort of advantage. Playing the 'gay card' like that will end up hurting them significantly. And as others have said, be able to talk about why you feel being gay is relevant (that's a question that was asked at one interview). The point isn't to be diverse for diversity's sake, it's to be able to contribute to the class through your diversity.
Click to expand...

I knew someone who played the "gay card" to get into medical school. He is gay but was never involved nor cared tremendously about the gay community. When he was a pre-med, he took part in ECs almost exclusively centered around the LGBT community. Now he is in medical school and doing well, though he has no interest in serving the LGBT community like he promised in his personal statement.

You make a strong statement by saying "Playing the 'gay card' like that will end up hurting them significantly." How exactly is this any different than a URM who ends up doing ECs based around his or her race yet doesn't care whatsoever about helping the community, or better yet, the majority of pre-meds who take up community service ECs to show their commitment to the underserved, while a majority would never even dream about serving this community?

It's strange to single out groups and say that they are hurting themselves when they put on a facade, while pre-meds as a whole are mostly putting on a big show for the sole purpose of gaining admission.
 
Planes2Doc said:
You make a strong statement by saying "Playing the 'gay card' like that will end up hurting them significantly." How exactly is this any different than a URM who ends up doing ECs based around his or her race yet doesn't care whatsoever about helping the community, or better yet, the majority of pre-meds who take up community service ECs to show their commitment to the underserved, while a majority would never even dream about serving this community?
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I think the person you quoted was assuming that the italicized ISN'T the case. Saying that being _____ sexual orientation, ______ race, or having ______ passion is meaningless (and thus unimportant) unless you can substantively demonstrate that interest. Saying you're homosexual without context is likely going to net you very little benefit. On the other hand, saying you're gay and describing your work with a free clinic that targets underserved gay individuals, your activism for expanding healthcare access to gay individuals, etc. would be extremely positive.
 
NickNaylor said:
I think the person you quoted was assuming that the italicized ISN'T the case. Saying that being _____ sexual orientation, ______ race, or having ______ passion is meaningless (and thus unimportant) unless you can substantively demonstrate that interest. Saying you're homosexual without context is likely going to net you very little benefit. On the other hand, saying you're gay and describing your work with a free clinic that targets underserved gay individuals, your activism for expanding healthcare access to gay individuals, etc. would be extremely positive.
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Yeah I was saying that people do undertake activities in order to show it, even though the activities are just a facade.
 
Planes2Doc said:
Yeah I was saying that people do undertake activities in order to show it, even though the activities are just a facade.
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Agree with you for MOST applicants, though there are some that really do have a passion for the things that they do and what interests them. It's also usually obvious who those people are since the facade is so recognizable.
 
NickNaylor said:
Agree with you for MOST applicants, though there are some that really do have a passion for the things that they do and what interests them. It's also usually obvious who those people are since the facade is so recognizable.
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That's true. I guess that when you are an experienced interviewer/ADCOM member, you can probably see through peoples' lies. I really hope I get the chance to work with the ADCOMs!
 
Planes2Doc said:
You make a strong statement by saying "Playing the 'gay card' like that will end up hurting them significantly." How exactly is this any different than a URM who ends up doing ECs based around his or her race yet doesn't care whatsoever about helping the community, or better yet, the majority of pre-meds who take up community service ECs to show their commitment to the underserved, while a majority would never even dream about serving this community?
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Personally, I think of the 'gay card' as when someone makes a big deal about how they're interested in helping LGBT community etc. because they're gay but haven't demonstrated any sincere initiative or interest in doing so. I would like to think that it's pretty obvious in these cases the applicant is just saying what they think the adcoms would like to hear and that'll end up hurting them if the interviewer catches on. Things like these say a lot about an applicants' character in my opinion.

You're right though that many people do put on facades, whether it is with the LGBT, URM or other underserved communities. In these cases, it's harder to tell whether or not they are "playing the game" or genuinely passionate about helping that community..
 
thlaxer said:
Personally, I think of the 'gay card' as when someone makes a big deal about how they're interested in helping LGBT community etc. because they're gay but haven't demonstrated any sincere initiative or interest in doing so. I would like to think that it's pretty obvious in these cases the applicant is just saying what they think the adcoms would like to hear and that'll end up hurting them if the interviewer catches on. Things like these say a lot about an applicants' character in my opinion.

You're right though that many people do put on facades, whether it is with the LGBT, URM or other underserved communities. In these cases, it's harder to tell whether or not they are "playing the game" or genuinely passionate about helping that community..
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Oh I'm sorry, I totally misread what you were trying to say before. Yeah, if someone is trying to play a card that has no backing, they will probably be screwed. This is why I tell people to use caution when they try to bring up their "extreme desire to help the underserved," since I think this can become very obvious to the ADCOMs. So why shoot yourself in the foot? I definitely agree that trying to say what the ADCOMs want to hear can end up causing more harm than good.
 
FSU2013 said:
Let me make a small addition to this:

Another appropriate time to mention it would be when they ask "why this school?" if your partner likes the area or could get a job in the area, etc. I don't know if there is an analogous saying to "happy wife, happy life" for homosexuals, but I imagine the concept still stands.
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I had a question about this. I'm gay and currently living in a state that doesn't accept any form of legal gay partnership, and has a constitutional amendment against any of them. (gay marriage or civil unions or whatever.) Me and my partner got married in new york, however obviously does us no good here.

I plan on applying to a lot of medical schools in states were gay marriage is recognized. (like Iowa, New York, Connecticut, etc). Obviously this would be a huge draw to me to go to one of those schools, if i could be legally married to my spouse, especially since I could get benefits through him while he's working and I'm in school, tax benefits, etc.

Would this be appropriate to bring up during the "why this school?" question of an interview? Obviously I would talk about the mission of the school and all the other typical stuff you say during that question, but then maybe throw this on at the end? I wasn't sure if this would be appropriate or not and wanted to know what you guys think.

I'm not applying until the class of 2019 cycle, so a lot could happen with this whole subject in 2 years, but I was just curious.

EDIT: I will more than likely be out in my application due to a huge amount of volunteer experience with LGBT rights organizations in my state.
 
FSU2013 said:
Making bologna or a factory in bologna? I feel like I'd this we're on an app, it would need clarification.
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A factory in beautiful Bologna would be capitalized. A factory making bologna would not be capitalized.

We're eating bologna in Bologna. If this were on an application, we would clarify.
 
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LizzyM said:
A factory in beautiful Bologna would be capitalized. A factory making bologna would not be capitalized.
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I was typing on an ipad.

Either way, well played.
 
LGBT activities were all over my primary application, both in college years and in my later career. Therefore, I saw no need to go "over the top" by outing myself in so many words, (especially as I'm bi, and there's a lot of misconceptions about bisexual women)...

Except for one super-reach school. Since it was super-reach, I thought "eh, what the heck" and wrote a secondary essay about being openly bi and working with LGBT and straight teens... Got an interview. So now I'm kind of thinking that I should have been more out, actually. Guess it could have been a lot of factors, but that was the thing that made this particular secondary unique compared to other places where I've been rejected.

I'm from a rural area and know a lot of conservative professional people. I wouldn't count on "playing the gay (or bi or trans) card" working in your favor. But I think that it can go against you or for you, depending on who is looking at your app. Therefore, it's not really "playing a card." So I would address it if it comes up and feels right. If it doesn't fit in, though, don't force it. Good luck :luck:

Whoops... just realized you already had your interview, but maybe this will be relevant in future interviews or for the thread stalkers.
 
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I just said in my interview "I'm not gay but I could learn"

A wink sealed my admission
 
virtuoso735 said:
What are your guys' thoughts on this? I was reading through a view book for a medical school I'm interviewing at next week, and it said that they value diversity and encourage applicants to "identify" themselves. Mentioning sexual orientation was something that never occurred to me as I didn't see how it would fit in my primary or secondary applications, and I never had it brought up during interviews. However, if it will help (however little), would it be somehow beneficial to bring it up during an interview?
Click to expand...

I wouldn't mention that I'm hetero, so why would you mention that you are homo?
 
MedPR said:
I wouldn't mention that I'm hetero, so why would you mention that you are homo?
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Wow, old thread. I didn't mention it in any interviews. The view book said applicants should "identify" themselves as the school is looking for diversity. Also, being a sexual minority provides a different perspective that straight people don't have. In any case, I ended up on the wait list for the that school, but I'm not sure that mentioning my sexual orientation would have helped anyhow.
 
Good Question. I was actually considering doing this aswell.

I'm not applying to any schools in the "bible belt" of the US, and schools which did not explicitly mention their tolerance of social issues such as sexual orientation were dropped from my list.

+pity+ Loma Linda +pity+

That being said, I would think it would be OK to mention your orientation, as long as it has some relevant and positive aspect to the person you came to be today. 👍

Edit: Just saw your post. Yeah it probably wouldn't have made a difference. Thanks for asking the question though!
 
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I don't think it's fair to say that if you're straight, you would have never declare that you're hetero, because we live in a world that is heteronormative and as LGBT people we have our own set of issues to deal with.

My opinion is that you're, yes, you're applying for school, but really you're applying for a job. There are some things that are protected by law from discrimination and interviewers are prohibited from asking: matters of race, gender, religion, and I think sexual orientation, but it is fair game if the interviewee brings it up. So, someone somewhere recognized that all these things are a flashpoint for discrimination, so in my mind the only reason to bring it up is if it places you in a positive light to "get" the job.

I think if you've worked on behalf of LGBT in organizations or advocacy, especially with regards to health issues, you should definitely bring it up. Remember straight people can be a part of these things too.

I may consider bringing it up if it was a point of adversity that you had to conquer, but I would only bring it up if it was a big thing. You have to remember that you're going for a job, not going for therapy. It's deceiving because the people you're talking to are physicians and PhD's and whatnot, and human after all, so they'll have a penchant to listen and attempt to be non-judgemental. But think in terms of "how is this relevant to me getting the job?" If you want to dedicate your professional career to serving the LGBT community and their health issues, say it. If you're wanting to say it because it makes you feel better, I think you can save it for another time and another place.
 
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