gay/lesbian

[1MADMD]

Hey everyone,
I was wondering if students and staff at Saba were gay/lesbian friendly. If anyone has any positive or negative experienes, please share.

[Miranda]

I would hope so. I would like to believe that the students and faculty we will be associating won't be biased toward our religious and/or sexual preferences. However, I know I'm being naive in this presumption b/c as I'm sure you know, you'll find biase and ignorance wherever you go. Nevertheless, just so you know, as long as you're friendly and honest, you will have atleast one friend ;) (and I'm sure more, b/c the majority of people seem extraordinarily friendly).

[swinginislanddoc]

Send a PM to scoobz who has posted on here a few times. He's open and could tell you a lot more about his experience than a straight girl could.

[scoobz1981]

Too funny... if you search back a few months to around September - Novemberish of last year (2004) you will find this topic discussed to death. I believe I was the first out student at Saba. And I am not sure if any others are, but to my knowledge (which is limited since I transferred from there after basic sciences) the answer is no. There were/are gay/lesbian students there just like anywhere else, but you just may not be aware of it. PM me if you have any questions.

Val

"I'd just like to say, quitting the Boy Scouts was probably one of the most painful experiences I've ever had to endure. But they are wrong and you are right."
Filmmaker Steven Spielberg speaking Oct. 13, 2002, at the Human Rights Campaign's Sixth National Dinner

[plabon]

yeah, my response is exactly same like miranda. you will always find a friend in me. my best friend is gay, and he only told me that after we have been frinds for 5 years. we still talk and wonder why he couldnt confide in me sooner casue it would have increased our friendship.

Plabon

[1MADMD]

I'm glad you guys are open minded. I just don't want to deal with ** on the island when people find out I'm a lesbian. I will stay in touch with you guys when I get close to applying. Right now I'm finishing my AMCAS application. Saba is my first choice as far as schools in the Caribbean. How do you guys like it so far?

[elliemd]

Hi Miranda and all,

Skimming over the board and came across this topic and just wanted to add my 0.02 if thats all right.

Miranda will you be attending in Sept'05? If so, I have already met another student who is lesbian. We will be rooming together (I think), come 2nd semester. She mentioned it to me in an email actually and at first I laughed because I thought she was backing out on rooming together (I was so relieved when I found out she was only lesbian!).

Nonetheless, (here is my 2 bit), we all have something in common and that is the drive we feel to become physicians (I hope). I don't think being a different race or sex should interfere with what has been (for me), my largest and longest aspiration.

I honestly don't think its a big deal, and if anyone else does I really think they should chose a different profession. In my 3rd year of undergrad one of my friends (now acquaintances) told me that people with AIDS have been put on this earth to wipe out the gay and poor (this person also aspires to be a physician). Honestly, I have no tolerance for that kind of crap statement! It still makes me so angry (ughhh!!) I think I'm going on another tangent. In the end, my 0.02 being that you need an open and clear mind to not only be a good physician but an excellent one, IMHO, so I don't think your sexual preference should matter at all. :)

Cheerio, Ellie
ps. There will always be an ignorant mother $#@*%! wherever you go and she/he may turn out to be your patient, it's how you roll with the punches, this is the world for you.

[JV]

Dear Gay Students,

Sorry to disappoint you, but unfortunately you will be treated the same as heterosexual students. For some odd reason, the faculty and staff at Saba University don't discriminate and factor in your private sexual preferences when considering your personal/academic qualifications. I don't know why, but they seem to neglect that vital statistic when dealing with students on an individual basis.

Believe me I know from personal experience, as I looked all over the island for professors and students that were "hetero-friendly" to no avail. You must understand my shock when I realized that nobody that I met even cared about the fact that I have been actively attracted to women since middle school (and maybe even before that). I eventually had to learn to deal with professors and students based on my intellect and interpersonal skills!! You can imagine my dismay. I was really hoping that my status as a "breeder" would open some doors. The tough lesson I learned was to accept the fact that to everyone else, I was just a medical student who "happened to be straight".

I thought that once I left the island and started seeing patients in clinicals things would change. Alas, I have yet to meet a sick patient who was concerned about my erotic interests. Apparently, like the close-minded individuals on Saba, all they care about is whether or not I am a competent and caring person. I can only hope that one bright day my patients (and colleagues) will be more concerned about where I focus my libido.

Oh well, I guess my best advice to all my gay colleagues is to try to work as hard as you can while studying for a kick butt score on Step I. At the very least, you will become an expert medical student and excellent future physician. But with a little luck, you will also make some friends on the island in the process (even if those friends rudely disregard your sexual orientation).

Good luck!

[JPFL81]

Does anyone happen to know any gay guys at Ross?

[blueeyes]

Dear Gay Students,

Sorry to disappoint you, but unfortunately you will be treated the same as heterosexual students.
:confused:
You can imagine my dismay. I was really hoping that my status as a "breeder" would open some doors.
I don't think the OP was asking about any "doors that would be opened". It's not as if there are a number of neurosurgery residency spots set aside just for gay and lesbian grads.

[3xy]

:confused:

I don't think the OP was asking about any "doors that would be opened". It's not as if there are a number of neurosurgery residency spots set aside just for gay and lesbian grads.

DARN! I was counting on those spots to get me into neurosurgery...I guess my only consolation is that I’m assured of a few accepting classmates.



I’m the classmate that ellie mentioned and my take on it is that any med school you go there’ll always be that risk of meeting a conservative mind or two. Everyone's free to believe what they want to – as long as I'm treated with respect then it's a none issue. ---Although--- I might be saying this because I haven’t had any traumatic experience ever since I came out. Not that I didn’t have any EX-homophobic friends --- let me clarify that – they’re not ex-friends --- they’re just ex-homophobic since they realized they have a lesbian friend. I've also met a lot who are just really open from the beginning. As far as I know I treat people with respect and dignity and if my luck runs out and I do meet someone who’ll let my sexual preference get in the way of a possible friendship, then I don’t think it’s worth my time/energy to stress about it.



Go to the school of your choice. SABA's cheaper tuition definitely caught my attention but I know that if it’s a bad choice I’d still end up wasting about $125,000 and 4 yrs of my life. I chose SABA because I considered the low attrition rate and good passing and match rate, which, I believe reflects on a school’s training. .



Good luck with you AMCAS applications. I do hope you get in but if that doesn’t work out then I think SABA is the way to go.

[Miranda]

elliemd
While I see absolutely nothing wrong with being gay--I have multiple friends who are, I myself am not. I would just like to clarify that b/c somehow you seemed to have been confused, sorry.

Miranda

[radboy710]

Dear 1MADMD

The admin here on Saba and the students are gay/lesbian friendly, there actually has been an increase in number of students who are homosexually oriented and a club has been formed on the island. I am not sure who you can contact for more information about it but you may attempting contacting Dr. Anita Radix, she is the island doctor who also teaches at the school part time.

good luck
R

[elliemd]

delete post

[gasdr]

I am a graduate and while I did not know of any openly gay students, I am sure that there were likely some there. I probably did not know because I did not get caught up in gossip while on the island.

Saba itself has a reputation as a haven for homosexuals. I have heard this from many people and some gay tourism is directed there becuase of the open minded attitude of the island. The island physician, Dr. Radix is openly gay.

I would not worry about being openly gay, like I said it is a very accepting island. I am sure you will enjoy it there. BTW, St. Maarten is also quite liberal and accepting of alternative lifestyles.

Good luck with med school and study hard for the boards.

[swimguy23]

BTW, St. Maarten is also quite liberal and accepting of alternative lifestyles.


I can attest to that.....my first semester I had someone who helps students find apartments, i dont know what you would call him.....he didnt even help me find my apartment but was in the building when i moved in and came in to talk. I was talkin about my ex from home and when he left he hugged me.....i thought it was really strange and then i felt the hips undulate and i was like whoa ok im on my way to see some friends. so he left. i left the door open by mistake as i was getting organized and he came back in and was like can i show you something.....me being naiive i was like sure, and he wanted me to go to my bedroom with him......then i had to tell the guy i wasnt gay and he got mad and left.....eh whatever

[blueeyes]

BTW, St. Maarten is also quite liberal and accepting of alternative lifestyles.
I can attest to that.....my first semester I had someone who helps students find apartments, i dont know what you would call him.....he didnt even help me find my apartment but was in the building when i moved in and came in to talk. I was talkin about my ex from home and when he left he hugged me.....i thought it was really strange and then i felt the hips undulate and i was like whoa ok im on my way to see some friends. so he left. i left the door open by mistake as i was getting organized and he came back in and was like can i show you something.....me being naiive i was like sure, and he wanted me to go to my bedroom with him......then i had to tell the guy i wasnt gay and he got mad and left.....eh whatever

Dude, the fact that some guy hit on you doesn't show that St. Maarten is necessarily "accepting of alternative lifestyles".