the fear of getting black-
balled is always on my
mind. I pick and choose
my battles. Deciding how
to walk that line is diffi-
cult. Despite my fears that
sharing my thoughts here
might harm my career, I
feel like I have no choice
but to speak out.
Patients who know me
by last name only are
often surprised I'm a
short African American
woman instead of a tall
white man. I'm also told
how articulate I am, even
though I'm no more so
than my white col-
leagues. My first name is
Imani. It's pronounced phonetically and easy to say. Yet many col-
leagues have told me they're going to call me Elizabeth, my middle
name, because it's easier to pronounce.
Some of these acts might not seem overtly racist to you, but they're
microaggressions that make it incredibly difficult for a person of color
to practice medicine. Dealing with subtle racism on a daily basis is
exhausting. It's become a way of life for me and other minorities, and
I don't think people realize how much stress it produces. Of course,
overt acts of racism also happen. Patients have called me racial slurs
or have asked to be seen by a different doctor after they meet me.
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