Follow-up survey of support services for lesbian, gay, and bisexual medical students

To replicate and extend a pilot study conducted in 1990 regarding support services for lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) medical students.

In 1994 the authors surveyed all 320 members of Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual People in Medicine, a standing committee of the American Medical Student Association. Chi-square analyses were used to compare responses by subgroups.

Responses were received from 185 students (58%) at 92 medical schools. Students who had access to school or community support groups were significantly more likely to disclose their sexual orientation and to know faculty with whom to discuss LGB issues. Nonwhite students were significantly less likely to know faculty with whom to discuss gay-related concerns, to disclose their orientation, and to know of support services. No difference between the academic experiences of lesbians and gay men was reported. Additionally, 115 (62%) of the students reported exposure to anti-gay comments, and 28 (15%) indicated they would not choose to enter the medical field if they were in college today.

Although the needs of LGB medical students appear to be receiving increased attention (albeit with great variability from school to school), the survey results suggest that more student-faculty liaisons and more support groups are needed, that LGB patient care should be taught more widely, and that all medical students have too little exposure to non-pejorative descriptions of LGB patients.