Dear future queer Medical student,
Welcome to medical school! We at the Medical Student Pride Alliance (MSPA) are so excited to have you here. Medicine and healthcare need you and your queer-self! We have been working on a collection of welcome letters for you all!
Why?
Every medical school is different. Some schools are filled with queer medical students and some have a few. Regardless of the amount of queer students around you, we want you to know that we are here to support you. We are a group of queer medical students who are passionate about improving the queer healthcare and education experience while also building community and supporting each other.
Being in medical school can be stressful and tiring. You will need moments and people to support you. We hope that these letters can serve as a pillar of support for you to lean on during your medical training.
Always remember, you belong.
Dear Future Queer Medical Student,
First and foremost – congratulations on successfully navigating your premed years and making it to medical school! This is an exciting time in your life, and I truly hope that you are taking the time to celebrate your accomplishments and to be proud of all that you have overcome to reach this point. You’ve made it. You’re here. You are a medical student!
Medical school is wild. You’re going to go through so many emotions as a medical student, but that’s part of the fun, no? There will be really great moments like when you receive your white coat or when you find your people among your classmates. There will also be some really not great moments like when you fail an exam for the first time or when one of your Standardized Patient encounters doesn’t go as well as planned. Each moment, up or down, will contribute to your growth as a student doctor and help you become a better doctor for your future patients. Never let your failures discourage you or make you doubt your seat at the table. You belong in medical school and are there for a reason. Imposter syndrome is very real and is something that you will inevitably experience. Turn to your peers, your family, your support network for help through your lows. Look back on all that you have already overcome and remind yourself of ‘your why’ when you need extra motivation to crank through those last few lectures.
During your undergraduate medical training, while you’re working hard to learn all those enzymes and how to palpate and percuss, don’t lose sight of the patients you will serve as a physician. Remember the human underneath the gown and remember that your experiences will help you help them better. Think about how you would want to be treated at your most vulnerable. Be compassionate and understanding. Be caring and empathetic. Most importantly, be yourself throughout all of this. Don’t let anyone try to change you or persuade you otherwise. We, your fellow queer med students, are here to support you during this journey. Congrats again, good luck, and welcome!
Queerly yours,
Sabina Spigner
University of Pittsburgh SOM, MD Class of 2023
MSPA Director of Campus Affiliates
Dear Future Queer Medical Student,
Congratulations on making it to this stage of your training. As you start to get ready to start classes, you may feel overwhelmed, shocked, out of place, and confused. I want you to know these are natural to feel, especially in our current context. Though this is a journey I recently started, here are some lessons I would like to share with you: you will feel like you're failing but you’re not, your team will carry you through, you are not alone.
Medical school is hard. Between the amount of information you have to learn, exams, and the overwhelming feeling that you need to be doing more it is easy to feel like you are failing. There will be moments where you do fail an exam. There will be moments where the overwhelming feelings of self-doubt and imposter syndrome will take over. This is a journey one in which you’re supposed to fall only to get back up. Medical school is a marathon not a sprint. Know that it is okay to ask and seek help either for academics or for your mental health. I hope you remember that you belong. You matriculating to medical schools is not a mistake or an accident, you belong.
Your team will be there to support you. This is a journey in which you will need to lean in to your support team! Remember that before you got here, you had a team that supported you. You will feel like you have no time to connect with your friends and family outside of medical school, though you will be busy, I encourage you to find the time to stay connected.
Medicine is a team sport. You are not alone on this journey. I hope that you are able to find a community where you are. If not, know that we are here. We are here to be your cheer team. I truly hope that you all succeed. We are bringing the “queer agenda”. The road has been paved by those who came before us and now it’s our turn to expand that road and make room for more of us to come after us.
Best,
Joseph Rojo
SLUSOM, MD Class of 2023
MSPA Director of Organizational Development and Administration
Read More Letters
“Dear Queer Med 2024, you may be feeling a bit out of place and not like yourself. That’s okay. Please remember listen to your gut and be your authentic self. Also buy those 5 lb bags of sour patch kids, you’ll thank me later.”
Jordan Rashaun Bilbrew
Western University COMP-Northwest, DO C’2021
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“Congratulations on making it this far. The road to becoming a doctor is long and twisty, but so far you’re doing a great job. My big advice is to find your community and be who you are. You don’t want to be in a place where you have to be anything less than YOU. So wear your identity proudly, you’re going to make a difference!”
Mia
Nova Southeastern University-KPCOM, DO C’2021
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“Welcome to the wonderful, exhausting, hopeful, scary, brave, goofy, inspiring, resilient, expansive world of queer med students! We love you, we are here for you, we are so grateful to have you join us, and we’ve been doing our best to pave the way. Please remember those who have machete hacked the path we walk and do your part to clear it a little more for those who follow. And most of all, be kind to yourself and stay true to yourself, even when others pressure you to doff your trans/queer identities when you don that short white coat. Your whole self belongs here and will make you a better doctor.”
Teddy Goetz
Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, MD C’2021
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“Welcome to medical school! I hope your class is full of love and support, and know that there are so many of us out there. I am so excited to see the unique diversity you bring to your class, your patients, and the field of medicine. You’re gonna do great!”
Michele
University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine, MD C’2022
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“We are so incredibly happy to have you as a new member of our Queer Med family. Medical school can be physically, emotionally, and spiritually exhilarating and exhausting at the same time. As you start this phase of your life, I want you to feel secure in the knowledge that you have a community of fantastic people to support you through every part of this journey. Wherever you are, however you’re feeling, we’ll be right there with you. Welcome to the family!”
Fae Kronman
Penn State University College of Medicine, MD/PhD C’2026
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“Congratulations on getting into medical school! You completed that daunting hurdle and hopefully you will find your first year of medical school as amazing as I did. Remember how you felt when you first got in and use that to motivate you during these long hours of studying anatomy. There is also a huge community of queer medical students all around the country and world, we’re here to help and cheer you on! Looking forward to being colleagues one day, future physician!”
Brad Blanksy
Larner College of Medicine at University of Vermont, MD C’2023
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“Welcome to your new life! As you embark on your medical school journey, remember how special and unique you are. Never forget how your queer perspective is valid and should not be silenced. I wish you the best of luck! Feel free to find me if you ever need to talk!”
Jake Givens
University of Nebraska Medical Center COM, MD C’2022
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“You earned this opportunity and deserve to be here! I’m SO EXCITED to have another family member from the LGBTQ+ community in the medical community. Together, we can truly create a better world for underserved communities like ours. Work hard, be gracious to yourself and those around you, be empathetic, share your light, and always remember you and every other being on this earth is worthy of all the love the world has to offer.”
Jacob G
Pacific Northwest University College of Osteopathic Medicine, DO C’2020
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“YOU are L G B T Q I A+ ! These letters are something to be so incredibly proud of. In such polarizing times like these, the idea of becoming a queer physician can be scary. But let me tell you this HEEENY! WE ARE HERE FOR YOU! You have an entire community supporting you and encouraging you to succeed. We are meant to love, be loved, and save lives! So, as you start your career in medicine remember this: You are queer and you are, and will be, amazing.”
Nick Nicoletti
Michigan State College of Human Medicine, MD C’2023
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“What you have accomplished is no small feat and you should be very proud of yourself. The next four years of you life (especially the first didactic years) will be incredibly stressful and difficult in ways that you couldn’t imagine, but it will also be rewarding beyond measure.
Remember to think back to the reasons you wanted to pursue a career in medicine and don’t forget about the communities around you - yes, scores and academic progress is important, but remember the end goal and what the job really entails.”
’Be the person you needed when you were younger.’
- Ayesha Siddiqi
’Be ashamed to die until you have won some victory for humanity.’
- Horace Mann
Always know that you have a supportive community behind you and you will excel in your healthcare career - good luck!!”
Demetri Tsiolkas
The Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine Carolinas, DO C'2021
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“Stay altruistic the way you are and love yourself through self-care no matter how hard it may get!”
Chang Xu
The Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine, DO C’2023
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“Welcome to this amazingly vibrant community! We are so excited to have you! Welcome to those of you who want to serve patients in primary care and those who want to practice surgical sub-specialties. Welcome to those with years of experience advocating for the LGBTQ community and those just finding their footing within it. You all belong here.”
Natalie LaBossier
Boston University School of Medicine, MD C’2023
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More Tips and Resources
-Don’t pre-study over the summer. If you need to feel productive learn how to use Anki.
-U(Uworld) F(First Aid) A(Anki) P(Pathoma) S(Sketchy) These are commonly used study tools. Typically students will use Uworld during dedicated to prep for Step 1.
-OutCare Health: (LGBTQIA+ competent healthcare providers in your area)