Earlier this week, a new mom and I'm ashamed to say MD/PhD graduate of Harvard University was granted permission to receive extended breaks for breast feeding. And on many levels, women in medicine for decades in the future, will suffer the consequences of this decision.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070926/ap_on_re_us/breast_feeding_dispute
And the original article:
http://www.thebostonchannel.com/news/14150393/detail.html
The idea of this angered me on too many levels to count and for a variety of reasons, but the main reason was because when thoughts of sliding through the medical training/receiving different treatment in admissions/residency come up, the more than likely poster child for that in the minds of the majority of premeds/med students is the URM with the 3.4 GPA and an 26 MCAT. But this case highlights what every URM on the planet knows, is that the folks receiving the special favors not are not only NOT a URM but are in the majority in both race and socioeconomic status and yeah, I said it.
What I've learned in the 20+ years I've observed medical school admissions is that the number one factor in who can successfully navigate admission to med school and beyond is the person with parents that are Doctors and/or Scientists or one that comes from such a family and information published by AMCAS clearly indicates that this is the case. In addition to that, we all know that being a premed is expensive and a person could easily spend thousands of dollars just getting into med school and that doesn't include living expenses and tuition/fees during the school year! So medicine, ends up being like any other profession like Business or Law where who you are, your SES, and who you're related to, plays a role in your future success. Now let's not get it twisted, I'm not hatin' because I know that having parents who were college graduates I'm sure led to my entrance into and success in college and beyond. But the difference is that I don't try to pretend that my background didn't play a role. However, I think the narcissistic personalities then tend to pursue medicine won't allow them to keep it real in this regard.
So what does all this have to do with the article? It seems to be that slowly but surely we have become a society where entitlement attitudes are very prevalent, a concept most URM's don't understand because it's only in the last 40 years that we've had even basic civil rights. However the Jena 6 situation, tells us something different, but I digress. And like all controversial rules that get changed or bent, the person from the ghetto or rural America is going to be more negatively impacted than the person for the New Your City suburbs in Connecticut simply because they don't have the resources as the woman in the article, to duke it out in a court of law.
The end result, I think is going to be that medical schools and residency directors are going to give second thoughts to admitting women of childbearing age. I met with one of the emeritus faculty members and adcom member at my school, and he was clear that this was going to negatively impact women training to become physicians. Personally, I already see the negative ramifications of women like the one in the article in medicine, who pursue demanding fields like medicine and when they realize they can't dealing with the CHOICES they've made, feel entitled to special treatment with things like extended breastfeeding breaks (how oh how did all the thousands of women BEFORE her manage breastfeeding while taking tests?). The fact is the many professional women successfully handle life and career everyday by simply using good ol common sense, and that poor women do an even better job than with less than half the pay and even fewer perks. Or maybe it's simply that women who work in our grocery stores, fast food chains, and department stores don't deserve to also have extended breaks for breast feeding and that women of means feel entitled to it?
Blog of a 40 something Scientist turned future Doc (again).
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Saturday, September 22, 2007
What a Crazy Week!
This week was in one word, CRAZY! I had my exam and I started my new research gig. I also started attending seminars in Emerging Infectious Diseases/ Biological Agents and in doing so, I realized just how much diplomacy and politics plays such a HUGE role in averting international crises. So I guess that means I'm going to have to work really hard on developing my diplomacy skills, lol! I actually have no issues with diplomacy, except on the Internet. Then as many of you well know, I let it rip.
I can say though that for the first time, it's kinda strange to work in a lab where the people are young enough to be my kids. REAL HARD, considering so many born in the 80's have no clue about things like integrity and respect. While a persons integrity tends to be a personal issue unless they make your lab work disappear, the respect thing will get checked with a quick!
The one thing I really liked about working at the NIH was that not only were the people there amazingly smart, but as long as you held your own, you would get treated as a colleague. At least that was my experience and what I observed. There, I felt like another up and coming MD/PhD, but being back in an academic environment brings about some of those same ol' nagging issues of race, class, and gender. In other words, I realize that to be successful, I'll have to "dance" a LOT. For example, I've already realized that I'll need to downplay just how much I know so as not to intimidate other students and I know there's a woman, minority, or both that knows exactly where I'm coming from with this. So strange, this knowledge as intimidating game that gets played in certain environments and VERY tiring! But I realized that until you get your "letters", are presenting research at a lab meeting or national meeting, it's best to keep a relatively low profile.
Other things on my mind this week is the Jena 6 situation in Jena Louisiana and as much as this is shocking to some people, I find it pretty typical. Black kids in the South having the justice system punish them unjustly. The question I asked is where's the news"?? It's clear that inequities in the justice system exist and the punishment these kids received versus that which the white kids received is blantantly unfair. But some in the black community have tied this issue to the case of the young black Georgia man in prison for 10 years and charged with child molestation for having oral sex with a 15 year old white girl, a "crime" he committed when he was 17. Now I definitely think his sentence was unfair especially given that his "victim" told police she was a willing participant. However, most blacks are aware of the violent history of being black in the South, and with this realization, avoided certain situations just to stay alive. And in my mind especially if you live in the South, you need to do what you can to avoid any situation that could potentially place you at the feet of the justice system.
I can say though that for the first time, it's kinda strange to work in a lab where the people are young enough to be my kids. REAL HARD, considering so many born in the 80's have no clue about things like integrity and respect. While a persons integrity tends to be a personal issue unless they make your lab work disappear, the respect thing will get checked with a quick!
The one thing I really liked about working at the NIH was that not only were the people there amazingly smart, but as long as you held your own, you would get treated as a colleague. At least that was my experience and what I observed. There, I felt like another up and coming MD/PhD, but being back in an academic environment brings about some of those same ol' nagging issues of race, class, and gender. In other words, I realize that to be successful, I'll have to "dance" a LOT. For example, I've already realized that I'll need to downplay just how much I know so as not to intimidate other students and I know there's a woman, minority, or both that knows exactly where I'm coming from with this. So strange, this knowledge as intimidating game that gets played in certain environments and VERY tiring! But I realized that until you get your "letters", are presenting research at a lab meeting or national meeting, it's best to keep a relatively low profile.
Other things on my mind this week is the Jena 6 situation in Jena Louisiana and as much as this is shocking to some people, I find it pretty typical. Black kids in the South having the justice system punish them unjustly. The question I asked is where's the news"?? It's clear that inequities in the justice system exist and the punishment these kids received versus that which the white kids received is blantantly unfair. But some in the black community have tied this issue to the case of the young black Georgia man in prison for 10 years and charged with child molestation for having oral sex with a 15 year old white girl, a "crime" he committed when he was 17. Now I definitely think his sentence was unfair especially given that his "victim" told police she was a willing participant. However, most blacks are aware of the violent history of being black in the South, and with this realization, avoided certain situations just to stay alive. And in my mind especially if you live in the South, you need to do what you can to avoid any situation that could potentially place you at the feet of the justice system.
Friday, September 14, 2007
The Little Engine That Could
Crazy title for a post, right? Well I guess these days that just about sums my life up perfectly.
Earlier today, I got the OK to return to school. Notice I didn't say work because I finally quit my clinical research gig that I LOVED dearly. I'm really going to miss the people I met especially the Black woman professor with a PhD in Physics! She was absolutely amazing! But given the health issues that seem to keep on coming, I know that with my thesis research, studying for the MCAT, and Pharm class, my plate was full enough.
I also met with my advisor today who also happens to be the lead for the course I'm taking and he said something to me that I REALLY needed to hear. "If you keep up your performance in this program, you'll have your choice of what you want to do next". So after I picked my jaw up off the floor, I told him that I really needed to hear that because I was starting to have concerns taking PhD and MD courses at the same time. OTOH, doing so gives me a perspective that few other students have when it comes to really learning and understanding the material presented in class. Unfortuntely this isn't always reflected in my grades, but I think it certainly comes out in my research.
I have my first examin pharm next week and as usual, I'm expecting BIG things!!
Earlier today, I got the OK to return to school. Notice I didn't say work because I finally quit my clinical research gig that I LOVED dearly. I'm really going to miss the people I met especially the Black woman professor with a PhD in Physics! She was absolutely amazing! But given the health issues that seem to keep on coming, I know that with my thesis research, studying for the MCAT, and Pharm class, my plate was full enough.
I also met with my advisor today who also happens to be the lead for the course I'm taking and he said something to me that I REALLY needed to hear. "If you keep up your performance in this program, you'll have your choice of what you want to do next". So after I picked my jaw up off the floor, I told him that I really needed to hear that because I was starting to have concerns taking PhD and MD courses at the same time. OTOH, doing so gives me a perspective that few other students have when it comes to really learning and understanding the material presented in class. Unfortuntely this isn't always reflected in my grades, but I think it certainly comes out in my research.
I have my first examin pharm next week and as usual, I'm expecting BIG things!!
Saturday, September 8, 2007
2007 US Open
In between finishing up modules required for my certification in Bioterrorism and studying some bu not nearly as much as I should in Pharm, I've been religiously watching the US Open. I grew up playing tennis but had to quite once I reached high school to be in the marching band, but I still play every now and then. In fact, after looking at all of my sporting past-times, bowling, roller skating, cycling, I've decided to get reacquainted with tennis since I can walk there from my home and my daughter who's been playing for 5 years, will have a practice partner.
My all time favorite tennis player is Billie Jean King, followed by Martina Navartalova and Pete Sampras, but since the Williams' sisters entered the sport they, along with James Blake, are my new favorite players. Obviously I'm not happy with their play in the US open this year, but because they are true athletes, I know if they make the decision to make a big comeback, they can.
In other news, I was thinking the other day about absolutely insane it was for me to take medical biochem in 6 weeks along with working full-time in a demanding research position over the summer. I know that decision cost me an HP grade in that class, but given how extraordinarily hard the class was, I'm not too unhappy. OTOH, I think this experience was my first real taste of how it will be in the future. Of course, the thing I'm asking myself is if this is the future I want for myself right now of later.
My daughter will graduate high school in 6 years and when I think about how much easier it would be for me to be in med school after she's finishes high school, I start to think that maybe for ME, I should give delying unitl she graduates some real thought. Of course, I'd finish my PhD in that time, but honestly I don't know how I can be the kind of parent MY child needs, during the 2nd and 3rd years of med school. It would be one thing if I had family support and I could, if I were willing to relocate back down south where I HATE living. But that means uprooting my family and for what? An opportunity I could have had if I'd waited a few more years? I"m just not sure that kind of sacrifice is what I'm willing to do right now. That, and I'm making such good progress toward my PhD right now. I know LOTS of people who essentially had their families sacrifice for their goals by moving, but I just don't know if I could do the same. It took literally YEARS to get my daughter on the right academic track and I'm terrified of disrupting her routine now. I dunno well see what happens, I know for sure there's a Dr in my future, I'm simply not sure which will be first.
My all time favorite tennis player is Billie Jean King, followed by Martina Navartalova and Pete Sampras, but since the Williams' sisters entered the sport they, along with James Blake, are my new favorite players. Obviously I'm not happy with their play in the US open this year, but because they are true athletes, I know if they make the decision to make a big comeback, they can.
In other news, I was thinking the other day about absolutely insane it was for me to take medical biochem in 6 weeks along with working full-time in a demanding research position over the summer. I know that decision cost me an HP grade in that class, but given how extraordinarily hard the class was, I'm not too unhappy. OTOH, I think this experience was my first real taste of how it will be in the future. Of course, the thing I'm asking myself is if this is the future I want for myself right now of later.
My daughter will graduate high school in 6 years and when I think about how much easier it would be for me to be in med school after she's finishes high school, I start to think that maybe for ME, I should give delying unitl she graduates some real thought. Of course, I'd finish my PhD in that time, but honestly I don't know how I can be the kind of parent MY child needs, during the 2nd and 3rd years of med school. It would be one thing if I had family support and I could, if I were willing to relocate back down south where I HATE living. But that means uprooting my family and for what? An opportunity I could have had if I'd waited a few more years? I"m just not sure that kind of sacrifice is what I'm willing to do right now. That, and I'm making such good progress toward my PhD right now. I know LOTS of people who essentially had their families sacrifice for their goals by moving, but I just don't know if I could do the same. It took literally YEARS to get my daughter on the right academic track and I'm terrified of disrupting her routine now. I dunno well see what happens, I know for sure there's a Dr in my future, I'm simply not sure which will be first.
Sunday, September 2, 2007
Well, I'm supposed to be resting at home in an attempt to recover from pneumonia. But sitting around all day on my arse isn't exactly my idea of a good time. The thing is that I'm so tired all the time that it's hard to focus on anything school related, so I end up spending most of my day sleeping. I guess my body really needs rest and lets face facts here, I ain't no spring chicken.
Unfortunately, I had yet another "disagreement" with a physician about my care, so maybe I should consider another vocation. However, I can't escape the fact that speaking up has saved my life on a few occasions, so I'll continue to respectfully do what I must to ensure I get quality health care. The issue this time was being told by an asthma specialist that I didn't have asthma. Well, that was news to me since I've had it diagnosed in 1997. She read my pulmonary function test (incorrectly) and concluded that I didn't have asthma. I told her I did and after going back and forth with her a few times, I finally said "then I don't know what you call coughing that only stops after I use albuterol, tightness in the chest during allergy season, and shortness of breath. I was told that was asthma". Bottom line, be your own health advocate! So I leave her office shocked but adamant that I have asthma, and as I'm about to walk out of the main office, she calls me back to her office. She begins with a huge apology, then apologizes over and over again. Then she tells me that she read my test results wrong and that I do appear to have residual air pockets in my lung, indicative of asthma. I then thanked her for being so forthright about her mistake and made a follow up appointment to see her in six weeks.
In other news, my daughter started middle school last week at a school with grades from 6th to 8th. Now I was a little nervous about her attending school with teenagers and their raging hormones, but I'm sure it will all be OK. She is now wearing her ponytails in curls, after I pressed her hair out. And for anyone familiar with black culture, the first time a little girl gets a perm or gets her hair pressed out is a special occasion, lol! Still, I know there are folks out there who think it's "selling out" to press or straighten hair, to which I respond that wearing natural hair hasn't kept peace in Africa and it didn't prevent the genocide in Rwanda so maybe black folks ought to define blackness by something other than hair. Back to the subject, I think my daughter is adjusting well to middle school although we both share a concern about bullies. She changes classes and has a locker which are things I didn't experience until I was in the 8th grade.Thankfully she continues to enjoy close friendships with people from all racial backgrounds, enjoys being in the orchestra, and playing tennis along with her academic studies.
Here's a humorous situation, after posting the following on a premed website, I was banned for a practice called "trolling". I was actually banned for calling people out on their BS, but here's what I wrote:
"As I continue to successful move along my career path toward an MD/PhD, I'm starting to loose interest at an exponential pace with participating in debates with a bunch of conservative minded/anti affirmative action, spoiled/entitlement attitudinal, intellectual kiss a$$es, who not only balk at dissenting opinions but who cowardly try to cover up their disparaging retorts with slick a$$ attempts to be looking for an atmosphere of truth, peace and honesty in a debate. To that I say, Pluuueeezzze and maybe I should go for a JD instead!"
Now obviously, I must have said more than that to get banned and I did, but I certainly never said the kinds of things like disparage a group of people, frequently blacks, on that site but as I found out all too frequently, that behavior was allowed. I simply spoke my opinion sometimes with a 'tude, but often not. And the sad thing about all this is that one minority member in particular on that site allowed herself to be used in typical uncle tom fashion, to give me warnings, temporary ban me, ect, ect. which contributed I'm sure to my banning. So let me be real clear here, I'd never in a million years allow anyone to encourage me to disparage a minority person for speaking thier mind publically. And you know, this kind of behavior reeks of situations that occured during slavery, where a slave would be in charge in making sure none of the other slaves tried to run away. Well lets just say that when I made the above statement, I KNEW I'd ruffle a few feathers and in retrospect, should have followed the advice of MRM member Crooz 2 years ago to essentially avoid intellectual sewers.
Ironically, I've learned over and over again that often times in life, the person who does you the most harm will often look a lot like you and to be perfectly honest, I don't know how sad I think this is anymore. It simply "is" the way things are and I attribute it to slavery since I don't see too many Africans not sticking together in America. Unfortunately, it seems to be true that some black folks can be a LOT like crabs in a bucket, and don't let an Uncle Tom get a little power. Your arse can be TRUE grass in that situation.
But what can you do other than keep on keeping on with the definitive knowledge that one day, EVERY misdeed a person has done will be accounted for. I'm eternally thankful that I'm at a place where I live my life in a manner where I don't feel the need to go out of my way to bring my own people down and it's too bad so many of us in positions of power and/or authority don't feel the same. Still, I'll continue to do my part to uplift ALL minority people and I'm happy there are others out there that think and do the same.
Unfortunately, I had yet another "disagreement" with a physician about my care, so maybe I should consider another vocation. However, I can't escape the fact that speaking up has saved my life on a few occasions, so I'll continue to respectfully do what I must to ensure I get quality health care. The issue this time was being told by an asthma specialist that I didn't have asthma. Well, that was news to me since I've had it diagnosed in 1997. She read my pulmonary function test (incorrectly) and concluded that I didn't have asthma. I told her I did and after going back and forth with her a few times, I finally said "then I don't know what you call coughing that only stops after I use albuterol, tightness in the chest during allergy season, and shortness of breath. I was told that was asthma". Bottom line, be your own health advocate! So I leave her office shocked but adamant that I have asthma, and as I'm about to walk out of the main office, she calls me back to her office. She begins with a huge apology, then apologizes over and over again. Then she tells me that she read my test results wrong and that I do appear to have residual air pockets in my lung, indicative of asthma. I then thanked her for being so forthright about her mistake and made a follow up appointment to see her in six weeks.
In other news, my daughter started middle school last week at a school with grades from 6th to 8th. Now I was a little nervous about her attending school with teenagers and their raging hormones, but I'm sure it will all be OK. She is now wearing her ponytails in curls, after I pressed her hair out. And for anyone familiar with black culture, the first time a little girl gets a perm or gets her hair pressed out is a special occasion, lol! Still, I know there are folks out there who think it's "selling out" to press or straighten hair, to which I respond that wearing natural hair hasn't kept peace in Africa and it didn't prevent the genocide in Rwanda so maybe black folks ought to define blackness by something other than hair. Back to the subject, I think my daughter is adjusting well to middle school although we both share a concern about bullies. She changes classes and has a locker which are things I didn't experience until I was in the 8th grade.Thankfully she continues to enjoy close friendships with people from all racial backgrounds, enjoys being in the orchestra, and playing tennis along with her academic studies.
Here's a humorous situation, after posting the following on a premed website, I was banned for a practice called "trolling". I was actually banned for calling people out on their BS, but here's what I wrote:
"As I continue to successful move along my career path toward an MD/PhD, I'm starting to loose interest at an exponential pace with participating in debates with a bunch of conservative minded/anti affirmative action, spoiled/entitlement attitudinal, intellectual kiss a$$es, who not only balk at dissenting opinions but who cowardly try to cover up their disparaging retorts with slick a$$ attempts to be looking for an atmosphere of truth, peace and honesty in a debate. To that I say, Pluuueeezzze and maybe I should go for a JD instead!"
Now obviously, I must have said more than that to get banned and I did, but I certainly never said the kinds of things like disparage a group of people, frequently blacks, on that site but as I found out all too frequently, that behavior was allowed. I simply spoke my opinion sometimes with a 'tude, but often not. And the sad thing about all this is that one minority member in particular on that site allowed herself to be used in typical uncle tom fashion, to give me warnings, temporary ban me, ect, ect. which contributed I'm sure to my banning. So let me be real clear here, I'd never in a million years allow anyone to encourage me to disparage a minority person for speaking thier mind publically. And you know, this kind of behavior reeks of situations that occured during slavery, where a slave would be in charge in making sure none of the other slaves tried to run away. Well lets just say that when I made the above statement, I KNEW I'd ruffle a few feathers and in retrospect, should have followed the advice of MRM member Crooz 2 years ago to essentially avoid intellectual sewers.
Ironically, I've learned over and over again that often times in life, the person who does you the most harm will often look a lot like you and to be perfectly honest, I don't know how sad I think this is anymore. It simply "is" the way things are and I attribute it to slavery since I don't see too many Africans not sticking together in America. Unfortunately, it seems to be true that some black folks can be a LOT like crabs in a bucket, and don't let an Uncle Tom get a little power. Your arse can be TRUE grass in that situation.
But what can you do other than keep on keeping on with the definitive knowledge that one day, EVERY misdeed a person has done will be accounted for. I'm eternally thankful that I'm at a place where I live my life in a manner where I don't feel the need to go out of my way to bring my own people down and it's too bad so many of us in positions of power and/or authority don't feel the same. Still, I'll continue to do my part to uplift ALL minority people and I'm happy there are others out there that think and do the same.
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