My Black Skin Makes My White Coat Vanish Summary

The “My Black Skin Makes My White Coat Vanish” reading by Newsweek Staff touched upon the idea of sexist racism. The narrator described her predicament of not being viewed as a doctor because of her sex, but most importantly because of her race. She also pointed out that even individuals from her own race participates in undermining her status as a physician, which is the result of the system of racism. This can be directly linked to Allan Johnson’s reading on how everyone participates in the system, whether it was consciously or unconsciously. Also, the narrator mentioned that the white female physicians do face problems regarding sexism, but not to the extent of sexist racism. This problem can be related to the reading on la feministas and
how the Chicanas could not find a intersectional social conversation that addressed both racism and sexism. The “Hippocratic Oath Today” reading by Peter Tyson showcased the advances in modern medicine reflected in how much the oath has to be changed. The advancing medical world had outgrown the original oath and the modern version of the oath holds the physicians to modern standards and practices. The part of the modern oath that left an impression was “I will remember that I do not treat a fever chart, a cancerous growth, but a sick human being, whose illness may affect the person's family and economic stability.” This portion of the oath reminded the physicians to use an intersectional approach while treating patients. As a student on the premed track, these readings brought new understandings to the medical field and helped me think about how social issues are present in every field, including medicine.