Race, Medicine, & Society Notes - April 10, 2018

Race, Medicine, & Society Notes - April 10, 2018

Discussion Questions:

1. How does Tweedy’s narrative intersect with McIntosh’s “invisible knapsack” essay?
2. In Tweedy’s account, how much are racial disparities the result of structural vs individual factors? How do you evaluate his views?
3. How much are these racial issues intersectional?

Unique perspective - Doctor’s perspective of race

Pregnant woman came in with symptoms that were consistent with combination of pregnancy and drugs

• One doctor assumed that she used crack/cocaine
• Controlled image of black single moms as cocaine addicts

Demographics of diseases is raicaized in the way it’s taught in medical schools

• ‘African Americans are more likely to contract _____  than whites’

To what extent is crack racialized?

Cocaine - costs more, sold to higher white class

Crack - cheaper, sold to lower class

Cocaine less time in jail than crack.

War On Drugs - law enforcement cracking down in neighborhoods that had more black families than white.

Racist assumptions in the medical field

What do we make of Tweedy’s response to the racial assumption?

Doctors intellectual privilege

Social and economic factors that people live in reflect their medical problems

Tweedy, as an African American, felt that he needed to represent every black person in the medical profession

• Felt anxiety to fit in and do well at Duke
• Cannot be a black student that fails or just becomes a number

Professor thought that Tweedy was there just to change lights as a janitor, inspired Tweedy to work hard and prove that he deserved to be there.

Tweedy may doubt ability to be at Duke medical school. Insecurities about being at such a good school and the thought that he was accepted because of race.

P15 - Tweedy’s MCAT a little lower than average, grades a little better than average. Not a contender in schools like Duke if they viewed him in a colorblind way

• If Tweedy had not been black, maybe not admitted or full scholarship

Tweedy - top of class, good education. Admission to Duke because he was black?

Prestigious schools need to take in populations that don’t quite meet up to their standards to preserve diversity.

Because prestige of school demands are higher and more is asked of people

Tweedy fits into paradigm of going to Duke on full scholarship (doesn’t want people to think its just because he’s black)

Duke selected Tweedy because they had a lack of diversity (obligations and expectations pile on to him)

What criteria should be involved in admitting people to college?

Racist discourses in scholarships