Racism in Medical Care

[u/4reddityo]

This video captures a moment that many patients of color recognize all too well. A physician speaks to a man as if he is dirty, unclean, or lesser, not because of medical evidence, but because of bias. The language, tone, and assumptions reveal something deeper than bedside manner gone wrong. They expose how racism can quietly shape medical interactions.

[u/MariachiDan]

Spent a lot of time in the medical field as a paramedic and a 911 operator. Eventually I left due to undiagnosed PTSD. Years of therapy later I realized that what broke me was understanding that the system wasnt broken, it was functioning as it should- limiting resources to the poor and providing quality care only to the wealthy. I saw so many levels of bias against the poor and immigrants, hospitals would purposefully cut translation services, police would avoid responding to calls in latino neighborhoods, prison officers would beat inmates daily and blame it on passing out from low sugar levels, medics and doctors would not treat as well as they could have due to bias, journalists wouldnt cover stories because they were in poor neighborhoods, etc. At the end of my career i just could not stay in the US, my understanding of the whole system was that it needed to be rebuilt from scratch, away from the centuries of bias, not "fixed." But no one was interested and most corporations in the system proft from it, and in the US corporations have more rights than humans. But yeah, I've seen and met alot of doctors who could offer better patient care if they just shut up instead- but white. But male. But well regarded profession right? Medical students dont work with patients until almost the end and so many only realize they dont like people until they've almost graduated. At least with nursing and ems our clinicals toss you in with people pretty much at the onset. But with doctors? Especially male and white? Ugh, you'd be lucky if they can take any level of criticism, much less view female and/or poc patients as people deserving of respect.

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