Tag Archives: racism

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Arundhati Dhara is an Assistant Professor at Dalhousie University in the Department of Family Medicine

Saroo Sharda is an Anesthesiologist in Oakville and an Assistant Clinical Professor at McMaster University

 

There are few data available on the racial make-up of Canadian female physicians. What data exist suggests that South Asian and East Asian groups are over-represented relative to their proportion of the general population and Black and Indigenous people remain underrepresented.

There is also evidence that non-white physicians experience discrimination from colleagues and patients ranging from daily microaggressions to more overt acts. While organizational anti-discrimination policies often exist, we are generally ill-prepared to deal with incidents when they occur and in their immediate aftermath. The clinicians experiencing bias are often left to act, and must weigh power dynamics against speaking up. The damaging effects of physician discrimination based on race or gender are clear, and yet we know little about the ways in which gender and race intersect to further marginalize women physicians of colour. ...continue reading →

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Ruth Habte is a medical student in the Class of 2019 at the University of Manitoba

 

I have been privileged to take part in implementing global health programming while in medical school, both at my own school and across the country. Throughout this time, I have often been prompted to answer the infamous question: “What is global health?” I have also encountered the misconception of global health being synonymous with international health. Based on my learning and experiences, I have come to define global health in my own terms.

While global health is an incredibly broad field, the cornerstone of global health (in my opinion) is attaining health equity for all people. That means that a person with less privilege in life should be afforded greater means to reach the same health outcomes as those with more privilege. ...continue reading →

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Bader Alamri is an Internal Medicine Resident (R3) at Dalhousie University

 

Since 1978, more than 4,500 Saudi physicians and surgeons have been trained and have provided healthcare in Canada. These individuals have trained and practiced at many university hospitals across Canada over the past forty years, working within a very wide range of specialties—from general residency training to subspecialty fellowships, as well as very specific areas of research and clinical interest [1].

The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons in Canada (RC) recently signed a Master Executive Agreement with the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties (SCFHS) to increase and improve the quality of training in Saudi Arabia, which reflects the long-standing relationship between the two parties [2]. In fact, the current SCFHS CEO is himself a Canadian-trained gastroenterologist at the University of British Columbia, and the current CEO of RC is a hematologist who established the first bone marrow transplant program in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. ...continue reading →

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sarahCSarah Currie is a medical copy editor on CMAJ

 
Whether or not you’re a fan of the NFL or the Minnesota Vikings, chances are you’ve heard of Adrian Peterson and the debate over corporal punishment that has been reignited as a result of his indictment on charges of negligent injury to a child. Mr. Peterson used a “switch” to discipline his four-year-old son. In text messages to his son’s mother, he admitted that he may have gone too far in doing so. The child’s skin was broken in several places across the backs of his thighs and buttocks. At least once, the switch hit the child’s scrotum.

“It doesn’t matter where you’re from, right is right and wrong is wrong,” said Jim Rome of CBS Sports’ The NFL Today, when interviewing Charles Barkley, who appeared to defend corporal punishment in some cultural contexts. Is he right? Is there no room for moral relativism in some debates?

Professor Britney Cooper, PhD, author of a Salon article, commenting on the Adrian Peterson case and exploring the intersection of parenting and race, provides some perspective on the differences between how white and black parents discipline their children ...continue reading →