My wife took our 4-month old to his pediatrician this morning in Harlem. His doctor is black. My wife gets along very well with her and they started talking about race in Harlem. My wife stated that I talk about race on my blog and the doctor shared some of her experiences as a black doctor in a gentrifying neighborhood.
She stated that when new patients are referred, some grill her about her medical credentials, what school she attended, and whether she is a licensed pediatrician.
She stated that sometimes when she is meeting a new patient, she enters the exam room and the parents assume she is a technician or assistant. One parent told her that there were no paper towels in the dispenser.
The doctor reports that the medical field does not train or talk much about race and black doctors have very little professional support or literature to address racism when working with patients.
Last summer, the American Medical Association apology for decades of discrimination against black doctors and their silence during landmark racial legislation and policies.
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