Skip to content
  • About
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Book
  • Careers
  • Podcast
  • Recommended
  • Speaking
  • All
  • Physician
  • Practice
  • Policy
  • Finance
  • Conditions
  • .edu
  • Patient
  • Meds
  • Tech
  • Social
  • Video
    • All
    • Physician
    • Practice
    • Policy
    • Finance
    • Conditions
    • .edu
    • Patient
    • Meds
    • Tech
    • Social
    • Video
    • About
    • Contact
    • Contribute
    • Book
    • Careers
    • Podcast
    • Recommended
    • Speaking

Where do trans and visibly queer people go to residency?

Miles McIntosh, MD
Physician
September 28, 2022
42 Shares
Share
Tweet
Share

I came out as transgender in my post-baccalaureate years. I grew up in California and was enjoying my time in college at Boulder. Although I had been severely bullied in middle school, there were never any problems for me in the adult world.

Discrimination was not something I thought really existed because I had not seen it.

Blissfully discovering my new self, I began my social transition. I was finally coming into myself when my premed advisor told me succinctly that I needed to find the closet I had just come out of and get right back in.

The thought of crawling back into my old closet was pure insanity, or so I thought. It was not until two more instances where physicians told me that “you look too gay” and that I needed to “tone it down” that the seriousness of the situation set it. I climbed back into my closet, tossed out all of my men’s clothes, and replaced them with women’s clothes. I remember going to Express the day before my white coat ceremony trying to find something that was not “too gay.”

The façade did not last long. It was too hard to be someone else every day. Looking in the mirror and seeing what was looking back at me made me cringe. I spend hours trying to find the perfect balance between feminine and masculine. Trying for the unisex look was somewhat acceptable. After the first year of medical school, I went full butch. I let the whole school think that I was a lesbian. It was so much easier than explaining I was trans. I began to see what discrimination meant. My medical school was in the Midwest.

Being a hidden transman in a lesbian costume was a massive daily struggle. Medical school is not easy, and the added LGBTQ stress was a weight. When it came time to enter the Match with my mediocre grades and USMLE score, I was posed with the question, “Do you want to disclose your LGBTQ identity to your programs?” I did not mention it in my personal statement because I was afraid of not finding a match.

All of my activities were LGBTQ related, but I remained silent about the biggest part of myself in the most important part of my application. It had not helped that my photo had been critiqued as being too “masculine.” I had been advised to shove myself back further into my closet.

Because my application was only just mediocre, I was advised to apply to programs that might be willing to accept me. Unfortunately, many of these places are located in conservative areas. Even now, people advise me to apply to places where I know I would be unsafe living and where I know the institution would probably not want me.

And here we have the point of the article and the real question.

Where do the mediocre trans and visibly queer people go to residency?

Residency is a highly competitive process, and it is only getting worse. If you are in the top 10 percent of your class, you can certainly apply to UCSF, which is a Mecca for the LGBTQ population.

But for people like me, who are not exceptional, where do we turn? Do we choose a less competitive specialty? Now that I have fully transitioned, people tell me to go “stealth,” which means hide that I am trans and take everything off my application that might give me away. Besides having that feel like a whole different type of closet, it is nearly impossible. I have published papers in my deadname, and there is no way to change that. I have training verification letters in my deadname, and I cannot seem to have some of those changed either.

Right now, I am standing out of the closet, and the door has been padlocked shut. What a luxury to be able to apply to residency in a state that is less competitive and not have to worry if I will be harmed if I try and live there. An even bigger luxury would be the thought that a conservative institution would even consider allowing me into their residency program.

What a privilege to be able to apply wherever I want with only my credentials being considered.

What a privilege not to have to worry about my LGBTQ status affecting my application process.

But that is not reality, and I am not alone. This begs the question. What are we going to do to change things? How are we going to equalize the playing field? And I think it is going to come down to the institutions that are in “safe” places to reconsider their application practices and perhaps consider some applicants who might not have the luxury of applying in less desirable areas.

Miles McIntosh is a physician.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com

Prev

Is our health care system based on untruths?

September 28, 2022 Kevin 6
…
Next

A physician's reflections with certainty in medicine [PODCAST]

September 28, 2022 Kevin 0
…

Tagged as: Residency

Post navigation

< Previous Post
Is our health care system based on untruths?
Next Post >
A physician's reflections with certainty in medicine [PODCAST]

Related Posts

  • Residency training, and training in residency

    Michelle Meyer, MD
  • A physician’s addiction to social media

    Amanda Xi, MD
  • Advocating for people with disabilities: People First Language

    Leonard Wang
  • How to change your specialty during residency

    Danielle Kelvas, MD
  • Why residency applications need to change

    Sean Kiesel, DO, MBA
  • Let’s talk residency: COVID edition

    Angela Awad and Catherine Tawfik

More in Physician

  • The power of business knowledge for medical professionals

    Curtis G. Graham, MD
  • Using the language of art to create work-life balance

    Sarah Samaan, MD
  • Lively communication in the service industry

    Deepak Gupta, MD
  • Reigniting after burnout: 3 physician stories

    Kim Downey, PT
  • Inside the grueling life of a surgery intern

    Randall S. Fong, MD
  • The shifting landscape of gastroenterology manpower and compensation

    Brian Hudes, MD
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Reigniting after burnout: 3 physician stories

      Kim Downey, PT | Physician
    • I’m a doctor, and I almost died during childbirth

      Bayo Curry-Winchell, MD | Physician
    • I’m tired of being a distracted doctor

      Shiv Rao, MD | Tech
    • Inside the grueling life of a surgery intern

      Randall S. Fong, MD | Physician
    • 5 things to know about weight from a bariatric surgeon

      Maria Iliakova, MD | Conditions
    • Balancing motherhood and medicine [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
  • Past 6 Months

    • Medical gaslighting: a growing challenge in today’s medical landscape

      Tami Burdick | Conditions
    • Balancing opioid medication in chronic pain

      L. Joseph Parker, MD | Conditions
    • I want to be a doctor who can provide care for women: What states must I rule out for my medical education?

      Nandini Erodula | Education
    • Mourning the silent epidemic: the physician suicide crisis and suggestions for change

      Amna Shabbir, MD | Physician
    • Reigniting after burnout: 3 physician stories

      Kim Downey, PT | Physician
    • Misunderstandings about opioid use disorder

      Amy Baxter, MD | Conditions
  • Recent Posts

    • 5 things to know about weight from a bariatric surgeon

      Maria Iliakova, MD | Conditions
    • Out-of-office infusions in oncology care [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • The power of business knowledge for medical professionals

      Curtis G. Graham, MD | Physician
    • Using the language of art to create work-life balance

      Sarah Samaan, MD | Physician
    • Levamisole is good for your dog, but bad for your cocaine

      Robert Killeen, MD | Meds
    • Physician autonomy and patient interactions in corporate health care

      Michele Luckenbaugh | Conditions

Subscribe to KevinMD and never miss a story!

Get free updates delivered free to your inbox.


Find jobs at
Careers by KevinMD.com

Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now.

Learn more

View 1 Comments >

Founded in 2004 by Kevin Pho, MD, KevinMD.com is the web’s leading platform where physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses, medical students, and patients share their insight and tell their stories.

Social

  • Like on Facebook
  • Follow on Twitter
  • Connect on Linkedin
  • Subscribe on Youtube
  • Instagram

CME Spotlights

From MedPage Today

Latest News

  • Long COVID Rare in U.S. Kids, Has Affected 7% of Adults
  • Vascular Conditions Offer No Clarity on Pollution-Dementia Link
  • FDA Staff Voice Serious Concerns About Investigational ALS Cell Therapy
  • Primary Prevention Benefits of Lowering LDL Also Apply to the Elderly
  • Doctors Should Stay Away From 'Grateful Patient' Fundraising

Meeting Coverage

  • Loneliness Needs to Be Treated Like Any Other Health Condition, Researcher Suggests
  • Stopping Medical Misinformation Requires Early Detection
  • AI Has an Image Problem in Healthcare, Expert Says
  • Want Better Health Outcomes? Check Out What Other Countries Do
  • ERS Roundup: Cell Transplant Boosts Lung Function in COPD Patients
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Reigniting after burnout: 3 physician stories

      Kim Downey, PT | Physician
    • I’m a doctor, and I almost died during childbirth

      Bayo Curry-Winchell, MD | Physician
    • I’m tired of being a distracted doctor

      Shiv Rao, MD | Tech
    • Inside the grueling life of a surgery intern

      Randall S. Fong, MD | Physician
    • 5 things to know about weight from a bariatric surgeon

      Maria Iliakova, MD | Conditions
    • Balancing motherhood and medicine [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
  • Past 6 Months

    • Medical gaslighting: a growing challenge in today’s medical landscape

      Tami Burdick | Conditions
    • Balancing opioid medication in chronic pain

      L. Joseph Parker, MD | Conditions
    • I want to be a doctor who can provide care for women: What states must I rule out for my medical education?

      Nandini Erodula | Education
    • Mourning the silent epidemic: the physician suicide crisis and suggestions for change

      Amna Shabbir, MD | Physician
    • Reigniting after burnout: 3 physician stories

      Kim Downey, PT | Physician
    • Misunderstandings about opioid use disorder

      Amy Baxter, MD | Conditions
  • Recent Posts

    • 5 things to know about weight from a bariatric surgeon

      Maria Iliakova, MD | Conditions
    • Out-of-office infusions in oncology care [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • The power of business knowledge for medical professionals

      Curtis G. Graham, MD | Physician
    • Using the language of art to create work-life balance

      Sarah Samaan, MD | Physician
    • Levamisole is good for your dog, but bad for your cocaine

      Robert Killeen, MD | Meds
    • Physician autonomy and patient interactions in corporate health care

      Michele Luckenbaugh | Conditions

MedPage Today Professional

An Everyday Health Property Medpage Today
  • Terms of Use | Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
All Content © KevinMD, LLC
Site by Outthink Group

Where do trans and visibly queer people go to residency?
1 comments

Comments are moderated before they are published. Please read the comment policy.

Loading Comments...