I am currently in training to become a doctor, and am getting near the part where I choose my specialty. The trouble is while I am in the closet at school (and plan to remain so until I am finished with my training) I am hoping (someday) to have a family and all that jazz which would be a rather large challenge if me, future someday misses and progeny are all trying to fit in a closet together. This will mean choosing a medical specialty that people won't mind having a lesbian person as. My original pick was OB/GYN, that is out now because I am afraid women would think I was some sort of pervert. Then I was thinking Adolescent Medicine or Pediatrics, but I am afraid parents will be afraid that I would do something inappropriate with their teen/child behind closed doors (I never would, but the stereotype still exists). So right now I am bouncing between Emergency (you wouldn't see me long enough to know/ you absolutely need someone to avoid death or disfigurement) or correctional medicine (they don't get to reject a lesbian physician) What do you think would be the best specialty choice? Oh for those you horrified that I am picking a specialty in this way don't be, it is in the end of course my choice but I like opinions.
I think you should do whatever it is that you really want to do. That is gonna bring out the best in you, and ultimately that's what everyone wants from their doctor: to perform at their very best. And honestly I've never heard of the stereotype that people wouldn't want to let their children alone with a lesbian doctor. I have heard it about gay male doctors, but even there I think the majority of people would be intelligent enough to know the doctors are just doing their jobs. I really really think you shouldn't let your sexuality be of any importance in whatever you choose to be. If you wanna be a gynaecologist, go and become one!
I think that you should do what you feel most comfortable doing. For example, if you do not like the fast-paced life of the emergency room, then I would not go into emergency medicine. I don't think that you should let your orientation get in the way of what you want to do with your life.
There are plenty of lesbian OB/GYNs and adolescent/pediatric physicians. I think you're still wrestling with a lot internalized shame and self-judgment because you aren't yet out. Once you are, you'll realize that your fears are pretty unfounded. There are plenty of hetero male OB/GYNs too, so if everyone had a concern that their doctor was a perv... those guys would have no patients, right?
You know what, do what you enjoy doing. If they don't want your help, they can deliver their own babies! People will be jerks no matter what you do. It's your life and you only get one (unless you're Hindu).
While there might still be some females who would be uncomfortable with a gay ob/gyn (and that number may vary in different parts of the world), have you thought of all the gay women who would be much more comfortable discussing certain details or topics with a doctor that would understand them beyond a textbook manner, and probably be less prone to judging?
What he said. Anyways, all you'd have to do is practice in a large metro area and alla us LGBT?s would bring our kids or daughters or partners or whoevers to you. lol But seriously, even when a doctor is out i didn't think many people pay attention to that. I'm in a small fishing town and we have gay and lesbian doctors here, but no one cares, they have jest as many patients. Some people don't know, and other just don't care.
I was thinking this SAME thing! I just resently posted a thread about my concern of going to the gyn (I'm a sexual abuse/rape survivor). I have so much anxiety about it that it has kept me from going. With all of that anxiety, it would be comforting to me to know that my doctor is understanding and nonjudgmental about my sexuality. It would help to ease some of my discomfort a little, if that makes any sense. I really think lesbians and open-minded straight women everywhere would love a lesbian ob/gyn. If that's what you really want to do, go for it. It's all about what will make you happy. You're the one who will have to live with your choice of field.
You want to be a doctor, so it means You want to help people and this is always will go first in your life! if You doubt your specialty it will affect your job and this is good for You and your patients... why don't You ask open-mind or gay doctors? I think they understand your doubts not only theoretically))) by the way, my gyn is lesbian and I don't think it's important to her patients
+1 @ awesome and whitwhit. Please, please, please become an OB/GYN. I'm a man and I really would rather have a gay/bi doctor--so many more things you could talk about health-wise that I'd be less comfortable talking about with a straight doctor. If I were a lesbian, I'd really be happy to have a lesbian doctor, especially for something so closely linked to sexuality. Even in a non-so-big town, you could have a lock on the market for lesbian patients, not to mention all the women who just don't care about their doctor's sexuality. I'm guessing you are living in an area where there are a lot of conservative people, but there have to be lesbians there and they'd be all the more grateful to have you. So, please, do it for the lesbians. We need more non-straight doctors!
I think you should go for whatever you WANT to do! Do people stereotype male OB/GYNs as "perverts," no. The fact that you're gay doesn't affect the quality of your work. Coming from someone who worked in OB/GYN office, when the male doctor goes in with a patient, there has to be a medical assistant or nurse in the room with him. If your patient is uncomfortable, they can always request someone else be in the room with you, so no sweat.
I was born in a small enough area that if I return there for practice and am not super careful about never being seen with a partner or any kids then it would spread by word of mouth. Of course being an OB/GYN means I would be doing a fair amount of traveling and course seeing patients from other regions. I love OB always have, I just don't want to go through the multitude of hoops required to get certified, only to find out opps, no one will be willing to see you. As far the kids stereotype when I was younger I had a lesbian teacher at my school. People flipped when they found out and started pulling their children, boys and girls, out of her class because they were afraid that she might do something to them, in the middle of the day in the middle of a school. I can't imagine how they would feel about letting their kid stay alone in a room with a closed door with one. Basically I either need to choose my specialty very very carefully or start looking at maps. The strange fact is it never occurred to me that other lesbians might want a doctor who was also a lesbian. I use a Catholic physician for my own health care so I'm just used to talk in that area being limited to "your still virgin right?" and then moving right along.
hi i jus finished medical school and i m joining my speciality soon. i would recommend pls dnt let being gay cm in between. its nothing to do with you being gay. follow your passion. if u wana take ob/gynae take it. even men take it. the patients will not care dat der doc is a lesbian or straight. if you like the subject and feel that you will be good at it take it. emergency medicine is an upcoming field and it requires quick decisions and great mind strength as the mortality rates are very high. and pediatrics is always been a good field. you cn surely take up some super speciality like neonatology further. and internal medicine , anaesthesia , surg etc are all great. you follow your dream and try to find out your passion you ll make a great specialist one day. pls dont narrow your choices on basis of your sexuality. it hardly matters patients know that docs are professionals
any specialty can't help when You meet homophobic people... think about yourself, it's your life and in any case You will face a lot of challenges
I wouldn't worry about what people think. There will always be a handful of people who won't want a lesbian doctor, but most people won't care. And in all honesty, there's no reason you'd have to be out to all your patients. It's not relevant to your professional role.
I think that you should do what u want to do if it brings the best out in you it doesnt matter whether you are gay, lesbian, bi or anything else its about how you treat the patient and getting them back to health they may not want to know your sexual preference only if you want to tell them. As long as you are doing a good job you shouldnt be worrying about what other people think. I think you should go for it as you may regret it in later in life about why you didn't do it
I did an internship in the maternity ward and there were several lesbian and gay staff-members at my hospital. Nobody seemed to have a problem with it, I think mostly because there is NOTHING sexy about giving birth. There are also many males in the OB/GYN field, and nobody thinks they're perverts, they just think that they are talented doctors who are committed to improving women's health. Personally, emergency surgery has always been my thing. But I'm in veterinary medicine, so my patients couldn't care less about my orientation. It sounds to me like you should think of moving somewhere that would be a a little more accepting.
