The Philadelphia-based University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine created a mentorship program to help LGBTQ students and faculty connect and share their experiences in the industry, according to NewsWorks.
Judd Flesch, MD, an assistant professor of clinical medicine at Penn Medicine, said as a medical student, he elected not to publicize his sexual orientation because he didn't want it to interfere with his education. Despite many positive changes for LGBTQ individuals, such as Dr. Flesch's own opportunity to mentor an openly gay medical student, he said the medical industry still needs some time to adjust to those changes.
"Medicine, I think has been a little bit slower to respond. It's always been a bit of a conservative profession," he said.
In response to students' and faculty's concerns, Penn Medicine formally launched a LGBTQ mentorship program during the 2016-17 academic school year. The program intends to make networking easier and make LGBTQ physicians more visible, according to the report.
Sean Udell, a second-year medical student involved in the mentorship program at Penn Medicine, said such a program is important because it allows LGBTQ students to meet with faculty and industry leaders and use those connections to find professional opportunities.
Mr. Udell said he and his mentors through the program discuss the realities of medical school, and he occasionally reaches out to LGBTQ professors about their experiences with discrimination or other delicate professional situations, according to the report.