In 2010, not long after starting my first year of medical school at UNE COM, I met several other students who shared my passion for LGBTQ+ rights and health equity. Aviva Wallace, Lisa Kaplin, and Laurie Garabedian were in the class above me, and had been considering starting a LGBTQ+ Club at UNE COM. I agreed that this would be a great idea, and joined their discussions about how to get the club off the ground. Our goal was to create a safe space for LGBTQ+ students and advocate for LGBTQ+ rights on campus, in our community, and in the field of medicine. We also wanted an organized way to work with the school’s administration to update the UNE COM curriculum to include dedicated hours for teaching culturally competent LGBTQ+ health (at the time there were zero hours dedicated to this topic). QMed, as the organization was originally called, was quickly approved by the student government and started making positive changes that first year.
One of our biggest accomplishments was working with student government leaders, including Christine Fitzsimmons, to draft an amendment to the American Osteopathic Association’s code of ethics to include sexual orientation and gender identity in the patient non-discrimination policy. Together, we drafted the proposal at a coffee house in Portland, advocated for its passage first at the Student Osteopathic Medical Association and then the Council of Student Government Presidents. Once these student organizations were on board, their membership helped advocate for the passage of the amendment at the American Osteopathic Association House
An LGBTQI+ Club is Born
by Keith Egan, DO '14
About the Author:
Keith Egan is a board certified family medicine physician practicing with the Mid-Atlantic Permanente Medical Group in Washington, DC. He completed medical schools at the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine in 2017 and completed his family medicine residency at the Wright Center’s National Family Medicine Residency based at Unity Health Care in Washington, DC.