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Manifestation of Sexual Minority Identity in First‐Year Medical Students

How do sexual minority medical students navigate their first year of medical school? How do their sexual identities affect this learning environment and wellness? Two theories about underrepresented individuals offer general perspectives to social experiences. Queer theory establishes that sexual identity is a vital part of the human experiences, while minority stress theory indicates that minorities experience higher levels of stress in situations than their majority counterparts. How can these theories be used to be proactive and supportive of sexual minority students? This qualitative research examines first‐year sexual minority medical students at Indiana University School of Medicine–Bloomington as they experience encounters with peers, instructors and LGBTQA+ specific curriculum. This research was approved by the Indiana University Institutional Review Board (IRB # 1810842950). Each sexual minority medical student volunteer completed 2 interviews about their experiences and were observed during a classroom activity. Thematic analysis of field notes and interview transcripts was performed. Five major themes of identity manifestation were identified and will be discussed in this poster: Advocacy, Representation, Ignorance/Disrespect, Heteronormativity, and Humor. A model for manifestation of LGBTQA+ identity in medical school is also proposed using the tenets of queer and minority stress theories. Understanding the unique experience of sexual minority medical students may provide instructors with more tools to better assist students during a major life transition.