Psychiatry: Deciphering the Adolescent Brain Medicine: Strategy Is Developed to Fortify DNA Vaccine Against AIDS Virus Social Medicine: Conference Takes Global Measure of Mental Illness Research Administration: New Office Protects All Research Subjects Diversity: Program Probes Barriers to Benefits for Gays, Lesbians, Presents 2nd Annual Diversity Awards No Home Run, But Batter on Base Against Lou Gehrig's Disease Study Makes Sweet Discovery of Bitter Taste Receptors Mutation Bias Maintains Length of Genetic Repeats MRI May Predict Alzheimer's Disease HMS Faculty Council: Faculty Growth, Library Discussed In Memoriam: Sharon Clayborne New Appointments to Full Professor A View from the Inner City: Tolerance Is Not Enough Front Page

FORUM A View from the Inner City: Tolerance Is Not Enough About halfway through my third year of medical school, I began to feel claustrophobic and isolated. Life in the hospital seemed narrow and the culture of medicine confining. My goal of trying to better the lives of others was not being met. Previous experience told me that I enjoyed teaching and that it would be a great medium for getting outside the walls of the hospital and back in touch with society. So since September, I have been teaching eighth-grade science at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle School in Dorchester. Little did I know how out of touch I was. Fear's Edge Teaching in an inner city classroom has taught me a lot, and there are many lessons for me to remember in becoming a physician. I remember the day one of my students was caught carrying a knife at school. The immediate concern was whether he intended to use it, but then the real story unfolded. He explained that after school he has to walk home with his younger sister through a dangerous neighborhood, feeling so unsafe that he needs the weapon to maintain his sense of security. This was not the answer I was expecting. When another one of my students gets home, no one is there because his mother is in jail and his father is always at work. He was a new transfer student who was constantly speaking out in class. Before we knew anything about his home life, the teachers had a conference with him about his disruptive behavior. When asked why he thought he talked so much, he explained that no one is ever at home. He revealed his fear that if he didn't talk out in class, no one would ever notice him. He would be left without any friends. This was not the answer I was expecting, either. Then there was the student whose behavior changed during the year. She became withdrawn; she didn't raise her hand in class anymore. I found out she had been living with her grandmother and older sister because her mother was recovering from a drug addiction. When the mother got better, she only took back the older sister because she didn't think she could take care of two children. The student felt abandoned. Again, this was not what I was expecting. These stories remind us of the importance of the environment in each person's life. When we want to understand what is going on with our patients (or people we come across in life), we must have the openness of mind and heart to step into their world. If we limit ourselves to our own perspectives, we may miss out on the real issues. There have been other lessons, as well. The students I have taught have brought me great pleasure through their young spirits and creative minds. When asked what AM and FM radio stood for, one student replied, "American music and foreign music." How could I not accept that answer? Though differences certainly exist, and some of these children have faced challenges I will never have to deal with, when the focus is on all that we have in common, wonderful relationships begin to form. What makes the above stories so moving is that everyone knows these feelings. Who hasn't felt lonely? Who hasn't felt abandoned by a loved one? Who doesn't deal with fear? We all endure the human condition. A Second Look at Diversity And so as I have gotten to know and develop friendships with my students, I have been stimulated to take a better look at the way we handle the issue of diversity both here at HMS and in society at large. What I have come to realize is how deficient our approach really is. My concern is that current discussions on diversity emphasize making sure we are all aware that there are different cultural groups and that we are sensitive to those differences. The vocabulary of this concept of diversity consists of words like tolerance and awareness. We must be aware of cultural differences and tolerant of them. But let me ask you this. When was the last time you told someone you care about how much you tolerate them? When was the last time you went to a card shop to find a card letting someone know how aware of them you are? We need to realign our discussion of diversity to be consistent with the language and notion of building relationships. The focus should not be on getting past the differences, but rather on building upon all that is held in common. My hope is that HMS will continue to evaluate how diversity is handled, taught, and envisioned. We have a diverse student body, but do we really interact with one another? Do students of different races even sit together in lectures? How can we improve the way students are taught about diversity? My other hope is that more of you at HMS will become involved in the growing number of community outreach programs that take place here. Whether it's tutoring, providing resources, or simply speaking to students about what it's like being a clinician or scientist, you do have a lot to offer. And I assure you, you will feel revived. —David Gordon, HMS '01