Charting a Course to Medical School: The AMSA Map for Success

Out. The word doesn't mean much to a heterosexual pre-medical student, but to an other-than-heterosexual pre-medical student the word can be anxiety-provoking. Being "out" may mean many different things to a gay, lesbian or bisexual individual. When the gay, lesbian, or bisexual pre-medical student is applying to medical schools across the country, he or she may wonder, "Should I reveal my sexual orientation during the application process?" When considering this, he or she should ask the following questions:

• Do I need to be in a gay- or lesbian-supportive environment?
• How out am I to myself?
• How important is it for me to be open with others?
• What do medical schools think of gay or lesbian applicants?
• How many gay, lesbian or bisexual pre-meds choose to be open?
• How can I be open in the application process?
• What can I do if I decide not to reveal my sexual orientation?
• Where do I find gay- or lesbian-supportive health care groups?
• So...should I be open?

Do I need to be in a gay- or lesbian-supportive environment?

The field of medicine is often homophobic, as are many other business and professional careers. Indeed, there are also areas within medicine which are very "homophilic" or accepting and supportive of gay men and lesbians. As a pre-med you may feel that this doesn't matter. But if you feel the need to be in a gay- or lesbian-supportive environment, then you need to find out which schools are the most supportive of gays or lesbians. You can do this in a variety of ways, including contacting other gay and lesbian medical students through AMSA's Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual People in Medicine, a committee in the Standing Committee on Advocacy, or simply investigating the curricula of schools to see if they address gay and lesbian issues. Bear in mind that even in programs that are not gay or lesbian supportive there are "pockets" of support. If you end up in a very non-supportive school, you may find yourself frustrated and alone. This can be especially true at smaller schools.

How out am I to myself?

Before a person can be open with others, he or she needs to find within him/herself the extent to which a gay, lesbian or bisexual orientation exists. If a person is very open to everyone in his/her world, he or she could still not be ready to feel comfortable disclosing this in medical school. Moreover, even if you are very comfortable with yourself, if you are in a non-supportive environment you may not feel comfortable being open. Therefore, you must evaluate, by whatever method you find helpful, how comfortable you are with your own sexual orientation. To this extent, you may also ask yourself several other related questions such as, "How much do I worry about what people think?" "What do I do when I am faced with difficult situations regarding my sexual orientation?" "Do I give or receive support from my gay or lesbian friends?" "Am I uncomfortable with the topic of sexual orientation?" "Do I deny the knowledge of my true sexual orientation to others?" "When do I reveal my sexual orientation?" "Why do I reveal my sexual orientation?"

How important is it for me to be open with others?

Many gay or lesbian individuals find it unnecessary to reveal their sexual orientation to others, while others feel the need to be open. You can only answer this after you evaluate how "out" you are to yourself. If you are an individual who feels very strongly about being open with others, then you may need to be perfectly honest in the application process, regardless of how open you are with yourself or to others. On the other hand, you may feel that being open is unrelated to your medical career and interaction with other health care professionals. If this is so, it would not be appropriate to reveal your sexual orientation. Each individual will find him/herself in a different position based on their life experiences and world view.

What do medical schools think of gay or lesbian applicants?

Rather the question should be, "Will being gay or lesbian affect my chances of getting in to medical school?" Generally, the answer is no since most medical schools have several or many gay or lesbian medical students who are well-integrated into the medical school curriculum. Unfortunately, this is not true of all schools and, as stated before, homophobia exists everywhere, so be warned that if members of the selection committee happen to be especially homophobic, you may not be accepted. While people may deny their homophobia, in reality they often do not even realize how and in what subtle ways they discriminate. However, this should not discourage the pre-med who wants to be open about his/her sexual orientation. Remember, that if you do not get into a school that rejects you based on your sexual orientation, it is probably good that you did not end up there because the atmosphere of the school in all probability is not supportive of gay and lesbian issues or individuals. So, this can be an advantage, since essentially, schools will weed themselves out of your prospective list.

How many gay, lesbian or bisexual pre-meds choose to be open?

You will find that although many gay or lesbian pre-meds are open, they choose not to reveal their sexual orientation during the application process. Many students wait until they have been accepted to medical school to make others aware of their identity. With the constant reality of homophobia in our society, this is probably the most common approach.

Just how open to be during interviewing is an individual decision. But remember to anticipate negative responses, and then decide what is really the negative part -- having the interview go sour and not be accepted or being in a homophobic program which may not have taken you if they knew?

How can I be open in the application process?

If you find that you would like to be open in the application process, you could do so in a variety of ways, depending on how much emphasis you want to give that part of your life. In your personal statement, you could discuss briefly your interest in lesbian and gay issues or you could list your gay and lesbian affiliations in the application itself. There are many other ways as well. However, these are the two most obvious and direct, and both will tend to mark you as a gay or lesbian applicant. You also may choose not to include such information in your application but instead refer to your interest in gay and lesbian issues during your interviews. This will also allow you to evaluate the homophobic or homophilic aspects of the school at which you are looking. You may even ask the admission office to put you in contact with some gay or lesbian medical students at that school.

What can I do if I decide not to reveal my sexual orientation?

If you feel that you do not want or need to reveal your sexual orientation, you need not feel alone. You can still find and access other gay and lesbian support groups within your community and across the nation.

You can feel comfortable that these groups are confidential and that your privacy will be strictly respected. These groups provide support and education to lesbian, gay and bisexual students, physicians, and patients and should be your resource to gay and lesbian issues that come up during medical school. Use them, you will find them rewarding and helpful!

Where do I find gay- or lesbian-supportive health care groups?

In the past, the health care system has neglected homosexual individuals as well as other minority groups within its ranks. One of the first gay and lesbian health care support groups was formed in 1976 by members of the American Medical Student Association (AMSA). This group is now known as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender People in Medicine (LGBTPM), a committee in the Standing Committee on Advocacy and has grown immensely since its inception. LGBTPM is a diverse and eclectic group of several hundred members, of all sexual orientations, who have a variety of interests in lesbian, gay and bisexual issues. LGBTPM is dedicated to promoting quality health care for lesbians, gay men and bisexual individuals, as well as providing networking opportunities and support for lesbian, gay and bisexual medical students. LGBTPM has a large network of medical school chapters around the country which hold meetings and events. Also, LGBTPM publishes individual newsletters for its members. Newsletters contain information about activities at local chapters, news from around the country, conference listings and a directory of contact students at various medical schools. LGBTPM also has workshops and speakers at the annual AMSA National Convention.

Other gay and lesbian health care support groups exist, including the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association (GLMA, a gay and lesbian physicians group, the Association of Gay and Lesbian Psychiatrists (AGLP), as well as many local gay and lesbian people in health care groups. These groups can all be easily accessed by contacting the executive director or coordinators of these groups who will be glad to give you feedback or any assistance with your application or any other questions you might have. As a student you are welcome to join any or all of these organizations.

So...should I be open?

Only you can answer this question, and although it is a tough decision, it can be important because it can affect where you end up in medical school and how you go through medical school. Remember to find out how you feel about yourself and how comfortable you feel being open with others. These are the important aspects to consider. Additionally, find out about the gay and lesbian atmosphere of the schools to which you are applying. Try to contact gay or lesbian students at the schools in which you are interested, and if that is not possible contact an LGBTPM Coordinator for more information. Do not let anybody tell you what you should do or how you should do it. Be informed, ask yourself the above questions and then make your decision. Most importantly, trust your feelings about your comfort zone and what you think is best for you.

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