Gay Doctors

[onedaydoc?]

Hey everyone,

 

long time lurker, first time poster.

 

I've had a few medical school interviews at Ontario schools and was wondering if anyone knew how gay friendly the environments at each school were. As a gay man, if I am to be accepted, I'll have to take these aspects into consideration as I'll be living there for four years.

 

Also, can anyone comment on how accepting the medical community is in general? I'm not afraid to forge my own path, but I'm curious as to what everyone thinks.

 

Thanks a lot for your help!

[sirop]

I've wondered about this as well. I don't think you'd be frowned upon.

[FacetheMusic]

There are a number of people in our class who are out. There is also an interest group surrounding LGBTQ populations and medicine. I'll see if one of them can come on here and give you their opinions.

[rmorelan]

At western several of our instructors are openly gay if that helps

[Jochi1543]

There are a number of people in our class who are out. There is also an interest group surrounding LGBTQ populations and medicine. I'll see if one of them can come on here and give you their opinions.

 

Ditto at my school.

[bloh]

Hey everyone,

 

long time lurker, first time poster.

 

I've had a few medical school interviews at Ontario schools and was wondering if anyone knew how gay friendly the environments at each school were. As a gay man, if I am to be accepted, I'll have to take these aspects into consideration as I'll be living there for four years.

 

Also, can anyone comment on how accepting the medical community is in general? I'm not afraid to forge my own path, but I'm curious as to what everyone thinks.

 

Thanks a lot for your help!

 

You must be in the closet.

 

This honestly never even occurred to me. I kissed my bf right besides the registration desk at my last interview lol. I still wouldn't be flamboyantly gay at your interviews but once you are in, no one can give you an trouble for it.

[rmorelan]

You must be in the closet.

 

This honestly never even occurred to me. I kissed my bf right besides the registration desk at my last interview lol. I still wouldn't be flamboyantly gay at your interviews but once you are in, no one can give you an trouble for it.

 

... or even WILL give you trouble for it

[hck]

I still wouldn't be flamboyantly gay at your interviews

 

I wouldn't be flamboyantly straight at your interviews either. Don't be flamboyantly black or white. Don't be flamboyantly a doctor, lawyer, or indian chief even if you are those things. Don't be flamboyantly anything.

 

It's an interview, not a date. You're demonstrating professionalism, not personality. Any strong and irrelevant impression you leave could work against you; you might get an interviewer who's homophobic (or heterophobic or whatever-o-phobic) or more likely they might just not favour applicants who show poor judgement about theatricality in interviews.

 

That being said, giving your lover a spontaneous kiss after your interview is only natural. It might reduce your chances of an acceptance by a smidge but you gotta be who you are.

[hopeforthebest]

You must be in the closet.

 

This honestly never even occurred to me. I kissed my bf right besides the registration desk at my last interview lol. I still wouldn't be flamboyantly gay at your interviews but once you are in, no one can give you an trouble for it.

 

I'm also gay, and I don't think I would echo that nobody can give you trouble for being gay. Maybe the poster is more concerned about starting a life somewhere and just wondering how attitudes are in certain places. I don't see how wondering about gay life in different communities means you are in the closet.

 

To the OP, I've also had these kinds of concerns. From talking to medical students, it doesn't seem to be a huge issue, though I'm sure there are a few bad eggs around here and there. Good luck!

 

EDIT: Perhaps the OP is also speaking of opportunities to meet people, gay social life, things like that as well. It's not necessarily always about homophobia.

[charmer08]

At western several of our instructors are openly gay if that helps

 

haha no way

[sgt.pepper]

Don't worry you probably won't be the only gay in the village. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJ-D8CXpUQs&feature=related

 

Anybody watch Little britain

[Superking25]

Lots of openly gay students at profs at UBC. At orientation there was a short presentation from one of the member's of the medical GLBT-type group, and there have been lectures on queer health and such. I haven't seen any kind of discrimination against gays in the program at UBC

[Tango Charlie]

"Queer health"? What exactly would a lecture on such a topic entail?

[NorthernDude]

Here's an example from the American Medical Students Association.

 

http://www.amsa.org/AMSA/Libraries/Committee_Docs/NCOD_LGBT101_1.sflb.ashx

[Julie]

I'd say it's the same thing at Ottawa U. Several openly gay students & profs, I'm not aware of any problems they have had. As someone else said, I'm sure it's possible to have homophobics anywhere, but I think most people are pretty accepting here, at least from what I've seen in my class. We've also had presentations on GLBT parenting/adoption, health issues, tansgender & transexual issues, etc. I haven't specifically asked the openly gay students if they've felt discriminated against at any point though, but I haven't seen anything that lead me to think that they did.

[123coco]

I wouldn't be flamboyantly straight at your interviews either. Don't be flamboyantly black or white. Don't be flamboyantly a doctor, lawyer, or indian chief even if you are those things. Don't be flamboyantly anything.

 

 

About not being overtly anything ....If they ask you the question "what makes you different from the wrest of the applicant pool" would it be inappropriate to incorporate in your answer how being gay gives you access to a community whose health needs are unmet. Therefore, by admitting you into med school they are admitting an advocate who will lobby for better health care services for the gay community.

 

If you're gay, how are the interviewers supposed to know unless you tell them? Whereas if you're a member of a visible minority group who is grossly under represented in the medical field would it be inappropriate to underline how your intersectionality gives you a special edge. Or should you avoid bringing up the elephant in the room?

 

of course in both instance the gay or visible minority doctor would be accessible to the entire community irrespective of race, or sexual preference.

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[Cnussey]

About not being overtly anything ....If they ask you the question "what makes you different from the wrest of the applicant pool" would it be inappropriate to incorporate in your answer how being gay gives you access to a community whose health needs are unmet. Therefore, by admitting you into med school they are admitting an advocate who will lobby for better health care services for the gay community.

 

If you're gay, how are the interviewers supposed to know unless you tell them? Whereas if you're a member of a visible minority group who is grossly under represented in the medical field would it be inappropriate to underline how your intersectionality gives you a special edge. Or should you avoid bringing up the elephant in the room?

 

of course in both instance the gay or visible minority doctor would be accessible to the entire community irrespective of race, or sexual preference.

 

I see no difference in mentioning the fact that one has kids or is married or is gay and married (or cohabiting, whatever). Your personal relationships are your support and aid in proving strength, familial support, maturity, and so forth.

[Tango Charlie]

Here's an example from the American Medical Students Association.

 

http://www.amsa.org/AMSA/Libraries/Committee_Docs/NCOD_LGBT101_1.sflb.ashx

 

Nice to see the Westboro Baptist Church making yet another appearance. I think every presentation designed to promote awareness of LGBT issues will feature images from their silly protests.

 

Anyway, interesting powerpoint, thanks for sharing that.

[apache]

yeah, there isn't any stigma at all really, at least that ive noticed

 

Ditto at my school.

[bloh]

About not being overtly anything ....If they ask you the question "what makes you different from the wrest of the applicant pool" would it be inappropriate to incorporate in your answer how being gay gives you access to a community whose health needs are unmet.

 

You better be ready to answer as to what the unmet needs are of the gay community.

[123coco]

You better be ready to answer as to what the unmet needs are of the gay community.

 

Gotta be able to to back up anything you say when you are being interviewed. If you can't then don't bring it up period.

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NEVADA MEDICAL MARIJUANA

[bloh]

Gotta be able to to back up anything you say when you are being interviewed. If you can't then don't bring it up period.

 

That is exactly my point; it was more of a question. As a gay man, I don't see any issues that my straight doctor can't deal with. I think it'd be a loaded argument that is more likely to backfire then to help you.

[123coco]

That is exactly my point; it was more of a question. As a gay man, I don't see any issues that my straight doctor can't deal with. I think it'd be a loaded argument that is more likely to backfire then to help you.

 

well my cause doesn't pertain to gay health issue..(but I do find some gay health issue to somewhat mirror health concerns in my community ...so that's why I brought it up here).

 

Rather, my question pertains to the intersection of culture/ethnicity and medicine. I'm a member of an extremely under represented ethnic group in medicine. Some med schools, (especially uoft) encourage qualified members of my community to seek admission in their program. Others who have been successful at gaining admission state: if your GPA and MCAT is competitive enough to make it to the interview stage, you have an extremely high chance of being accepted in the first rounds of admission (May 15th). And honestly, all six of my friends who applied got in on their first attempt, maybe they were all exceptional at interviewing!!! Or, this may go to show that there's is some subjectivity after the interview stage!

 

That being said, there's a lot of reluctance from members of my community to utilize modern medicine. In part its because of trust issues, cultural disparity between physician and patient, and just preference for traditional or no medicine at all (these are not exhaustive reasons). In light of this, some people in my community will delay accessing health services until the issue becomes severe. Furthermore, the health status of members of my community has statistically been proven to be sub-par to the health status of the general Canadian population. Therefore, by training a health care professional who is committed to the health status of his/her community, (and also the wrest of the general population) they may actually be providing preventative health care measures and leveling their health status in the long run.

 

ps. I do not intend to make sweeping generalizations here about the health behaviour of my community.

 

pps. I'm ready for the backfire!

________

PLYMOUTH A ENGINE

[bloh]

It seems to me that you are both gay and part of an ethnic minority. If you wish to go that way, then I'd suggest playing the ethnic card rather than the sexuality. In my opinion, it would just be seen as grasping at straws and could negatively impact you. There are no outstanding issues specific to the gay community that a regular straight doctor and Walter, a non-MD at the STD clinic, can't tackle.

[123coco]

It seems to me that you are both gay and part of an ethnic minority. If you wish to go that way, then I'd suggest playing the ethnic card rather than the sexuality. In my opinion, it would just be seen as grasping at straws and could negatively impact you. There are no outstanding issues specific to the gay community that a regular straight doctor and Walter, a non-MD at the STD clinic, can't tackle.

 

lol...not gay...just an ethnic minority. thanks for your advice though ....I think I'll just have to get the advice my friends who are of the same community and were admitted.

 

Cheers!

________

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