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Addressing Racism & Discrimination in Academic Rheumatology Settings

Renée Bacher  |  Issue: July 2021  |  

  • Ask a clarifying question—“You seem surprised I received a high score. Are you surprised?”
  • Come from a place of curiosity—“I don’t understand why you said that.”
  • Tell what you observed—“I heard you say all Hispanic people have fibromyalgia and that doesn’t make sense to me.”
  • Explore the impact—Explain the impact the microaggression had on you. “Your surprise makes me feel like people doubt my intellect and ability.”
  • Own your thoughts and feelings—“I get upset when people generalize about ethnic groups.”
  • Remain open to next steps—Talk about how to proceed going forward.

References

  1. Cooper LA, Roter DL, Carson KA, et al. The associations of clinicians’ implicit attitudes about race with medical visit communication and patient ratings of interpersonal care. Am J Public Health. 2012 May;102(5):979–987.
  2. Elliott AM, Alexander SC, Mescher CA, et al. Differences in physicians’ verbal and nonverbal communication with Black and white patients at the end of life. J Pain Symptom Manage. 2016 Jan;51(1):1–8.
  3. Simon RJ, Fleiss JL, Gurland BJ, et al. Depression and schizophrenia in hospitalized Black and white mental patients. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1973 Apr;28(4):509–512.
  4. Sue DW, Capodilupo CM, Torino GC, et al. Racial microaggressions in everyday life: Implications for clinical practice. Am Psychol. 2007 May–Jun;62(4):271–286.
  5. Ackerman-Barger K, Jacobs NN, Orozco R, London M. Addressing microaggressions in academic health: A workshop for inclusive excellence. MedEdPORTAL. 2021 Feb 11;17:11103.

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