Dismantling Systemic Racism: Reflections on "Medical Apartheid"
UVM Larner Med Blog
Elise Prehoda, Class of 2024 medical student, Sheridan Finnie, Class of 2022 medical student, and Mialovena Exume, Class of 2024 medical student
Excerpt: I recently saw a quote by Dr. Paz: “Let’s stop saying ‘The Black community’s distrust of the medical community’ and instead let’s start saying ‘The medical community’s violation of trust in the Black community.’ Why? Because the latter puts the ownness of the issue on the medical community where it rightfully belongs.” As a Black woman, I can attest to the fact that iatrophobia is very difficult to overcome because it is founded on so many true and terrible abuses targeted at Black bodies by doctors, researchers and the government. It is even more pervasive because of the way that history and media tell a one-sided story that invalidates the fears and mistrust of Black individuals.
Read more at https://uvmmedicineblog.wordpress.com/2021/04/12/dismantling-systemic-racism-reflections-on-medical-apartheid/
Bystander or Advocate for Equity and Inclusion—Who Do You Choose to Be?
UVM Larner Med Blog
by Diane Magrane, M.D., former associate dean for medical education at the University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine, served as keynote speaker for the College’s Celebration of Gender Equity in Medicine and Science on March 4, 2021.
Excerpt: Culture almost always supports the status quo. The culture of medicine was established by immigrant physicians from Europe in the 19th century; medical schools were largely founded by wealthy property owners, and until the mid 20th century pretty much limited to married, white men in independent practice. So much has changed in the way we learn medicine and the way we practice, but so much of the culture remains to confine the change efforts needed to better serve ourselves and our communities. And culture change is difficult because culture is largely invisible to those within it until someone calls it out.
#StopAsianHate: Addressing Recent Hate Crimes Against Asian Americans
UVM Larner Med Blog
By Erik Zhang, Linda Cui, Lily Deng, Ying Loo, Natalie Qin, Class of 2024 medical students
Excerpt: This year, February 12th marked the start of Lunar New Year. It is a time meant for reuniting with family, honoring our ancestors, and ushering in luck and prosperity. Traditionally a time of festivities and hope for the new year, this year’s celebrations were marred not only by the challenges of COVID-19, but also by a string of violence against the Asian/Pacific Islander American (APIA) community. While we, as individuals of East Asian descent, recognize that the perspectives conveyed in this piece may not and cannot capture the entire range of experiences within the broader APIA community, the reality of the situation is that violence against Asians in America occurs regardless of ethnic boundaries. In instances of discrimination, the vastness of the Asian diaspora is reduced to one.
Read more at: https://uvmmedicineblog.wordpress.com/2021/03/23/stopasianhate-addressing-recent-hate-crimes-against-asian-americans/
Living with a Fallible Body: A Chronically Ill and Disabled Medical Student Guide
UVM Larner Med Blog
by Emerson Wheeler, Class of 2022 medical student, co-founder, Alliance of Disabilities and Chronic Illnesses in Medicine (ADACIM)
Excerpt: I’m embarrassed to be sick. I’m not supposed to be. As a future physician, I’m supposed to be a monolith without flaws, without a need for sleep or food. I’m supposed to have an inexhaustible capacity to help others. Right? While most people know this is an unrealistic ideal, it doesn’t stop them from harboring these ingrained subconscious expectations and it doesn’t stop us, as future medical providers, from feeling pressured by it and self-conscious about falling short.
Read more at: https://uvmmedicineblog.wordpress.com/2020/12/03/living-with-a-fallible-body-a-chronically-ill-and-disabled-medical-student-guide/
Physicians and Their Role as Advocates
UVM Larner Med Blog
By Anneliese Lapides, Class of 2024 medical student
Excerpt: How do we advocate for our patients who are negatively impacted? It is easy to say that we will do this, but it takes effort and time to take actionable steps to right the wrongs particular groups have experienced and to improve moving forward. Therefore, it is crucial that physicians are consciously working toward this goal. We get close to our patients; we see them and their families at their most vulnerable moments; we learn about their personal lives—the good and the bad. We observe first-hand what policy makers don’t see. Being a physician comes with societal privilege and prestige; people respect physicians and think of them as experts. So, with that privilege, policy makers may be more likely to listen to us and enact changes based on our calls to action.
Read more at: https://uvmmedicineblog.wordpress.com/2020/10/30/physicians-and-their-role-as-advocates/
“We Are Ready for Change:” United We Stand in Milwaukee
UVM Larner Med Blog
Chris Veal, UVM Larner Med Medical Student, Class of 2021
In the second part of a 2-part series, UVM medical student Chris Veal speaks about his participation in the Jacob Blake protests in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
Read the post at: https://uvmmedicineblog.wordpress.com/2020/09/24/we-are-ready-for-change-united-we-stand-in-milwaukee/
On the Price of Being a Black Scientist
UVM Larner Med Blog
Debora Kamin Mukaz, M.S., Ph.D., Postdoctoral Associate, UVM Department of Medicine
Debora Kamin Mukaz, M.S., Ph.D., a postdoctoral associate in the Department of Medicine at #UVMLarnerMed writes about "what it means to be Black, woman, immigrant and scientist" in the United States.
Read the post at https://uvmmedicineblog.wordpress.com/2020/08/10/on-the-price-of-being-a-black-scientist/
Health and Racial Disparities in COVID-19
UVM Larner Med Blog
Maria Mercedes Avila, Ph.D., UVM Associate Professor of Pediatrics
Excerpt: COVID-19 has resurfaced long-standing health and racial disparities in the U.S. If we look at the demographics of our state for non-Hispanic whites, Vermont is the second whitest state in the country, yet we still see racial disparities related to COVID-19 across the state. This speaks to the systemic nature of racism in Vermont and the U.S. Some cities are declaring systemic racism a public health issue. I strongly believe every city across the U.S. should be taking this action.
Read more at https://uvmmedicineblog.wordpress.com/2020/07/16/health-and-racial-disparities-in-covid-19/
Written by Maria Mercedes Avila, Ph.D., associate professor of pediatrics, director of Vermont Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (LEND) and health equity liaison in the Larner Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion