OUTreach is a new and exciting initiative housed in Student Affairs, MD Undergraduate Program, UBC Faculty of Medicine. Given the context of historic and continued discrimination of queer identities, both in society at large and in medicine in particular, finding queer and out physician mentors can be a challenge, resulting in often sparse and fragmented opportunities for support of 2SLGBTQIA+ medical students. Students brought this initiative forward to address this gap by creating an online platform where self-identifying 2SLGBTQIA+ physicians, both faculty and residents, can be out to UBC medical students, allowing for meaningful mentorship relationships to develop. OUTreach is modeled after Harvard Medicine’s “OutList”, giving students access to a list of physicians who are open to being visible or who are interested in providing support. Queer-identifying students may face particular challenges as they navigate their medical careers, and OUTreach intends to provide a welcoming community that can help them through this process. See below if you are interested in becoming involved.
Information for potential mentors:
Are you a 2SLGBTQIA+ physician interested in supporting queer medical students? Support can be embodied in various ways such as providing:
- Visibility by adding your name to the OUTreach list, even if currently you are not able to provide more formal mentorship
- Individual mentorship through informal networking or through more longitudinal connection
- Group mentorship in collaboration with the UBC 2SLGBTQIA+ in Medicine Mentorship Group through formal events held during the academic year
- Or any other form of support you may envision
If you are interested in becoming involved, please sign up here.
Please note your information will only be accessible through the Entrada portal and thus will be accessible by students currently enrolled in the UBC MDUP as well as current and affiliated Faculty of Medicine physicians and staff with CWL access. For more information please contact: UBCMedQueerOUTreach@gmail.com
.