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- Oct 8, 2012
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I'm deciding to make this post because in the hopes that it could be helpful to others in the future. I wasn't sure how this process was going to go for me to be honest. One of the biggest decisions I had to make before the application process was whether or not I wanted to include it as part of my personal statement. Having gone through less than favorable situations with faculty at my school in the south I wasn't sure If I would be setting myself up for a difficult interview season/match. I have some LGBT friends who didnt mention it at all in fears of it hurting their chances, and some, like me who made it the center piece of their application, which ultimately was brought up in around half of my interviews. That being said I applied for Internal medicine with the hopes of doing primary care, so that translated well during interviews. I can't speak for other specialties.
I personally decided to go all "out" with it because being a part of this marginalized group is truly what galvanizes me to want to practice medicine and serve my community. It is a major part of my life and I know that I wouldnt be happy if I spent three years at the residency that wasn't an accepting/open environment. Three (or more) years is a long time to not be able to be yourself. Residency can be pretty close knit.
If you do decide to be an open applicant I do have some advice. Research residency programs on their Healthcare equality index. I noticed that some of my best interviews were at programs that were publicly open on their websites about their views on LGBT health care. Also if you know other LGBT applicants from classes above you, where did they go? Ask about their experiences. Also the GLMA website has a provider directory that may have faculty in the program youre interested in.
I applied very broadly and had interviews everywhere from the south, the Northeast, and the west coast. Some programs knew my personal statement very well and were open to talking about it, others didnt really mention it or kind of kept it brief and awkwardly skirted around it. For me if it was awkward, or the PD didnt even talk about it, it was a red flag. Which for you it may not be, it really depends on how important it is. Not to mention factors like, research, location etc.
Do I regret it? Not at all. I dont have the best test scores and got some pretty decent out of region interviews that solely wanted to interview me based on my personal statement and LOR's. You as an LGBT applicant can offer diversity to your residency. Some programs really seek that out. Especially since this population of patients is continually growing and has its own niche of issues that you may be able to provide insight for to your fellow colleagues.
For me the gamble of it all worked out for the best. I had a fantastic interview day with a program in California that really made me feel so welcomed and was encouraging with the work I wanted to do. I had 15 interviews and I matched my number 1. For some of you who are already attending school in a more progressive mindset this may seem trivial, but for me it was such a sigh of relief. If anyone else has any personal stories to share/advice on this I think it would be great. I'll try to answer whatever I can. Good luck people and congrats to everyone who matched.
I personally decided to go all "out" with it because being a part of this marginalized group is truly what galvanizes me to want to practice medicine and serve my community. It is a major part of my life and I know that I wouldnt be happy if I spent three years at the residency that wasn't an accepting/open environment. Three (or more) years is a long time to not be able to be yourself. Residency can be pretty close knit.
If you do decide to be an open applicant I do have some advice. Research residency programs on their Healthcare equality index. I noticed that some of my best interviews were at programs that were publicly open on their websites about their views on LGBT health care. Also if you know other LGBT applicants from classes above you, where did they go? Ask about their experiences. Also the GLMA website has a provider directory that may have faculty in the program youre interested in.
I applied very broadly and had interviews everywhere from the south, the Northeast, and the west coast. Some programs knew my personal statement very well and were open to talking about it, others didnt really mention it or kind of kept it brief and awkwardly skirted around it. For me if it was awkward, or the PD didnt even talk about it, it was a red flag. Which for you it may not be, it really depends on how important it is. Not to mention factors like, research, location etc.
Do I regret it? Not at all. I dont have the best test scores and got some pretty decent out of region interviews that solely wanted to interview me based on my personal statement and LOR's. You as an LGBT applicant can offer diversity to your residency. Some programs really seek that out. Especially since this population of patients is continually growing and has its own niche of issues that you may be able to provide insight for to your fellow colleagues.
For me the gamble of it all worked out for the best. I had a fantastic interview day with a program in California that really made me feel so welcomed and was encouraging with the work I wanted to do. I had 15 interviews and I matched my number 1. For some of you who are already attending school in a more progressive mindset this may seem trivial, but for me it was such a sigh of relief. If anyone else has any personal stories to share/advice on this I think it would be great. I'll try to answer whatever I can. Good luck people and congrats to everyone who matched.
