Concentration Directors
Denise Crooks, MPH, LICSW
950 Warren Avenue
East Providence, RI
401-606-0606
Chelsea E. Graham
Clinical Assistant Professor of Family Medicine
Bio Med Medical Education
This scholarly concentration provides students with a dedicated space to design and pursue individualized projects that deepen their understanding of how to assess and improve healthcare outcomes for members of the LGBTQ+ community. Through guided inquiry, structured reflection, and collaborative discussion, students will explore the structural, social, and clinical factors that contribute to inequities in care.
Our directors will assist each student in identifying a mentor whose ongoing work aligns with their interests, ensuring meaningful support and real-world engagement throughout the project. The concentration will also include 2–3 seminars each year on topics relevant to LGBTQ+ health advocacy and systems-level change, including sessions on how to prepare testimony for the legislative session. For students interested in a policy-forward experience, faculty can help orient them toward a more policy-focused elective pathway.
In addition, we can assist students in finding third and fourth-year clinical rotations that align with their interests in LGBTQ+ health, providing opportunities to gain real-time clinical experience working with and advocating for this community.
Emphasis is placed on understanding the role of healthcare providers in advancing equity and leveraging professional privilege to advocate for a more just, inclusive, and affirming healthcare system. By the completion of the LGBTQ+ healthcare and advocacy scholarly concentration, students will have developed a project that not only expands their knowledge, but also positions them to enact meaningful and sustainable change within the communities they will serve.