Ever since I entered a health professional program, there were things that made me feel isolated but I couldn't quite grasp what it was. I was coming in with both a chronic illness, which inspired me to become a health professional in the first place, and a minority background in a class that was majority white. I started to get the impression by both peers and professors that we by default knew better than others. The constant insinuation seemed to establish the lack of importance of listening and emotional intelligence in working with people. It wasn't unusual for students to joke around about accents, mock people who live in underserved areas and the such. Discussions on a healthy lifestyle would be framed as "I hope I don't become obese" or "get diabetes."
I tried to ignore these as best as I could because being the only minority student, I didn't want to be seen as somebody lacking a sense of humor or being "overly PC". But I would also be lying to myself if I didn't admit I felt out of place many times.
There were hardly discussions on health disparities, but I do remember one diversity initiative. I heard peers asking why we should learn this stuff and some expressing that it goes away if you don't talk about it. An atmosphere that rejects understanding the social circumstances of others made me continue to lose sight of why I chose to be in a health profession in the first place. With my own personal experiences and a prior interest in journalism, I had the tendency to focus on people in the context of current events, especially the focus on socioeconomic/political circumstances leading to injustices both domestic and abroad. It sometimes felt that paying attention to these things was divulging in an entirely different subject matter than my major, and sometimes I wondered if I was "wasting my time" being too invested in stuff that were not posed as issues relevant to my program. I'd go back and forth questioning if I should have studied something else.
Finally, I had an opportunity to do a project relating to health disparities. I was encouraged by faculty, so I felt that my environment was likely very supportive. During the course of the project, I discussed my ideas with a director working in a multicultural facility on campus. He had warned me not to be overly optimistic about its reception, as past efforts didn't always work out well. When I presented on the topic, some of the same faculty members who had encouraged me in my endeavors didn't even make eye contact throughout the presentation and were rather lost on their phones or other business. When I was finished, I was hoping I'd be asked questions or suggestions, but instead what ensued was an awkward silence.
Later, I worked at a clinic which specifically served an underserved population. Often I was working under white practitioners who I would get visibly frustrated when a patient didn't understand English or make assumptions that I knew made the patients uncomfortable as well. Sometimes patients would look to me to answer questions or facilitate the appointment just because I was the only other visible minority present and seemed to show some sense of understanding, even though I didn't have the full medical expertise. I felt exhausted and unsure of how to tackle many of these issues sadly pervasive in healthcare from academia to the practice setting. But seeing initiatives like these and spaces for students and practitioners to discuss their experiences makes me realize I'm not the only one and that my focus on these issues is something that is certainly very important.
I tried to ignore these as best as I could because being the only minority student, I didn't want to be seen as somebody lacking a sense of humor or being "overly PC". But I would also be lying to myself if I didn't admit I felt out of place many times.
There were hardly discussions on health disparities, but I do remember one diversity initiative. I heard peers asking why we should learn this stuff and some expressing that it goes away if you don't talk about it. An atmosphere that rejects understanding the social circumstances of others made me continue to lose sight of why I chose to be in a health profession in the first place. With my own personal experiences and a prior interest in journalism, I had the tendency to focus on people in the context of current events, especially the focus on socioeconomic/political circumstances leading to injustices both domestic and abroad. It sometimes felt that paying attention to these things was divulging in an entirely different subject matter than my major, and sometimes I wondered if I was "wasting my time" being too invested in stuff that were not posed as issues relevant to my program. I'd go back and forth questioning if I should have studied something else.
Finally, I had an opportunity to do a project relating to health disparities. I was encouraged by faculty, so I felt that my environment was likely very supportive. During the course of the project, I discussed my ideas with a director working in a multicultural facility on campus. He had warned me not to be overly optimistic about its reception, as past efforts didn't always work out well. When I presented on the topic, some of the same faculty members who had encouraged me in my endeavors didn't even make eye contact throughout the presentation and were rather lost on their phones or other business. When I was finished, I was hoping I'd be asked questions or suggestions, but instead what ensued was an awkward silence.
Later, I worked at a clinic which specifically served an underserved population. Often I was working under white practitioners who I would get visibly frustrated when a patient didn't understand English or make assumptions that I knew made the patients uncomfortable as well. Sometimes patients would look to me to answer questions or facilitate the appointment just because I was the only other visible minority present and seemed to show some sense of understanding, even though I didn't have the full medical expertise. I felt exhausted and unsure of how to tackle many of these issues sadly pervasive in healthcare from academia to the practice setting. But seeing initiatives like these and spaces for students and practitioners to discuss their experiences makes me realize I'm not the only one and that my focus on these issues is something that is certainly very important.