I just started as a first-year medical student at Howard University College of Medicine. As a young black lesbian aspiring physician, all I want is to be a change agent and help create space for BIPOC queer youth to feel safe, to ask questions they may be afraid to ask others and also to show them that despite the national temperature and the loud voices of hate, healthcare can be a safe space for them. As a medical student, I hope to start a free clinic dedicated to the particular health needs of queer individuals and their families. It is my belief, that given the current political climate, and the attacks on our trans brothers and sisters, now is the time more than ever to create a space for queer folks to receive healthcare. Not only would this clinic create impactful opportunities for the community, but this space will be filled with a diverse representation of bipoc student doctors. The interactions between the families coming to seek services and the doctors in training will be long-lasting. In the age of disinformation, it's an opportunity for our patients to hopefully have a positive experience with a health institution and its medical providers. And the kids who come to the clinic would be able to see their future selves as medical students. By creating a safe queer space in healthcare, we are also creating a space for members of our community to imagine a potentially unimaginable future for themselves, as a doctor.

I just started as a first-year medical student at Howard University College of Medicine. As a young black lesbian aspiring physician, all I want is to be a change agent and help create space for BIPOC queer youth to feel safe, to ask questions they may be afraid to ask others, and also to show them that despite the national temperature and the loud voices of hate, healthcare can be a safe space for them. One initiative I am hoping to initiate during my time as a medical student is to start up a free clinic dedicated to the particular health needs of queer people and their families. Similar initiatives have been in motion for adjacent communities for years, trying to address health disparities specific to people of color, typically in low-income areas or medical deserts. It is my belief, that given the current political climate, and the attacks on our trans brothers and sisters, now is the time more than ever to create a space for queer folks to receive healthcare. On the flip side, not only would this clinic create impactful opportunities for the community, but it would also be an opportunity for me to loop in my medical school classmates, and immerse them into an environment where their life experiences might not have led them before. It creates a space for young doctors to address any potential underlying biases within themselves, and confront those in a school space, before becoming licensed practitioners. But the final effect and perhaps the one with the most longevity is that this space will be one filled with a representation of young bipoc student doctors. The interactions between the families coming to seek services and the doctors in training will be long-lasting. In the age of disinformation, it's an opportunity for our patients to hopefully have a positive experience with a health institution and its medical providers. And perhaps most importantly, the kids who come to the clinic, if they so choose, would be able to see their future selves as medical students. By bringing my classmates, and creating a safe queer space in healthcare, we are also creating a space for members of our community to imagine a potentially unimaginable future for themselves, as a doctor. As I embark on my new journey as a medical student and future physician know that throughout the remainder of my education, and my career, I will always look back. I will always be a soldier and fight for the needs of my people. Our situation is dire, with an already crumbling healthcare system, and the attack on our lives. but our country needs black and brown doctors to emerge. Our country needs queer folks to enter the medical spaces, if only so that we may look after our own. We have to be the keys to our own futures. Thank you.