On May 21, Physician’s Weekly, along with Philomena Asante, MD, MPH, Jasmine Marcelin, MD, and Linda Girgis, MD, co-hosted a live, interactive tweetchat on racial/ethnic microaggressions.
Topics discussed were: situations in which an incident of microaggression due to race/ethnicity from patients, other colleagues, or support staff was handled well by a colleague or supervisor and what that individual specifically did or said that was effective, situations in which an incident of microaggression due to race/ethnicity from patients, other colleagues, or support staff was handled poorly by a colleague or supervisor and what that individual specifically did or said that was ineffective, and how victims of microaggression due to race/ethnicity would want a colleague or supervisor who witnesses the incident (the bystander) to respond both in real time and after the incident.
Below are the highlights from the chat. You can read the full transcript here, by scrolling down to the corresponding responses.
Click here for a look at our #PWChat schedule and recaps.
Question 1
Q1: Please describe a time when you thought an incident of #microaggression due to race/ethnicity from patients, other colleagues, or support staff was handled well by a colleague or supervisor. What did that individual specifically do or say that was effective? #PWChat pic.twitter.com/te2TpfnZL7
— Physician’s Weekly (@physicianswkly) May 21, 2019
Had a med student that was Phillipino who was seeing a woman while her child was running all over. He asked if the child could sit down and she told him to go back to China where he came from. My MA pulled her out of the room, told her to apologize or r/s her appt. #PWchat
— Linda Girgis, MD (@DrLindaMD) May 21, 2019
A1 | Had a supervising attending make some really offensive jokes about latinas while we were all rounds. Had a resident call him out on the spot. Said that language wasn’t appropriate, wasn’t a joke and shouldn’t be tolerated. #PWChat
— Christle Nwora (@ChristleNwora) May 21, 2019
A1 A group facilitator sais that I cant think “clearly” about racism in a discussion about Tuskegee b/c I was too biased as a POC. Course director, Dean of diversity & dean of MedEd guided me through speaking with him & getting my grade changed after he gave me a bad eval #PWchat
— Priyanka V. Chugh, MD (@AntiWheatGirl) May 21, 2019
Allison Larson from BU joining #PWChat in between clinic patients A1. An attending when I was a 1st yr med student confronted a patient about her views that a black resident was less qualified. We debriefed about it after. I’ve borrowed her language in patient encounters since.
— Allison Larson, MD (@AllisonLarsonMD) May 21, 2019
A1: There was a peer who attempted to remove me from his favorite seat in the resident work room. He kept saying “That’s my seat.” After multiple times a usually quiet colleague said, “You can sit over here.” Sometimes a microaggressors purpose is to cause a conflict. #PWChat
— Kaishauna Guidry, MD (@DrMamaKai) May 22, 2019
Question 2
Q2: Please describe a time when you felt an incident of #microaggression due to race/ethnicity from patients, other colleagues, or support staff was handled poorly by a colleague or supervisor. What did they specifically do or say, if anything, that was ineffective?#PWChat pic.twitter.com/OQKAqMAtjJ
— Physician’s Weekly (@physicianswkly) May 21, 2019
A2 Unfortunately too many examples come to mind. But boiled down, I think it’s most poorly handled when people shut down, get offended or defensive and don’t want to change. People see these things as huge personal attacks and I find it hard to get past that barrier #PWchat
— Priyanka V. Chugh, MD (@AntiWheatGirl) May 21, 2019
One way to limit this defensiveness is to attack the microaggressive comment or behavior not the person. You can also “disarm the microaggressor ” by focusing on impact rather than intent #PWChat
— DIVA DOCS BOSTON (@divadocsbos) May 21, 2019
Attending physician at a major teaching hospital in the Midwest and when I went to greet the family of a child admitted to me, I was met with dietary requests and given the tray with uneaten food. They let me know that they would let the “doctor” know about the menu mistake
— Michael Traylor (@drtraylor) May 21, 2019
A2: I did a sim scenario about MERS-CoV where the nurse refused to touch the patient and kept ranting about “camel disease.” Afterward, the 2 attendings (white women) asked me (middle eastern) what the point of the sim was. When I said “implicit racism” they got offended. #PWChat
— Ana Safavi, MD (@ana_safavi) May 21, 2019
Question 3
Q3: How would you want a colleague or supervisor who witnesses an incident of #microaggression (the bystander) due to race/ethnicity to respond both in real time and after the incident?#PWChat pic.twitter.com/MmQVuZ2J0x
— Physician’s Weekly (@physicianswkly) May 21, 2019
A3 First-RECOGNIZE IT. So many don’t even see it happening- acknowledging is the first (& most basic) step. Then taking responsibility as a bystander to speak up. It IS NOT the job of marginalized groups to constantly be putting themselves out there. We have to do better #PWchat
— Priyanka V. Chugh, MD (@AntiWheatGirl) May 21, 2019
A3: Real-time is favored, if possible (I know we can all be stunned into silence). Its the lack of acknowledgment that an incident even occurred that has been most hurtful and damaging to my relationships. Complete silence can seem like implicit support of the incident. #PWchat
— Nicole R. Jackson, MD, MPH (@NicoleJacksonMD) May 21, 2019
A3 | Accountability is key. These can’t be repetitive behaviors so…
🔑 Say something in the moment (from “what did you mean by that” to “that’s inappropriate”)
🔑 Say something to the person who was harmed (assure them that it wasn’t in their head)
🔑 Escalate if necessary— Christle Nwora (@ChristleNwora) May 21, 2019
