3 2 • O U T P A T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • J U L Y 2 0 2 0
I
was born in Haiti
and came to
America when I was
11 years old. I've always
been interested in health
care, which is why I
became a surgical tech-
nologist 15 years ago. The
job takes me to many dif-
ferent hospitals in differ-
ent states.
I think discrimination
takes place everywhere,
even in the operating
room. And while it's not
always in your face, it is
something you can see
and feel. Some surgeons
prefer to work with a cer-
tain race. They might not say so directly, but it's apparent because of
their attitudes toward minorities. Some surgeons go out of their way
to request management doesn't put a certain person in their room to
assist during a procedure.
I've been doing this job a long time, and discrimination happens so
often that it becomes part of your environment. I have become numb to
it. If it's happening, you just brush it off. You can't change people, so
you do what you can to get through the day.
Racism has no place in the operating room. To maintain my peace
of mind, I go with the flow and don't say anything. I never let my per-
Let's Work With, Not Against Each Other
