Neurology:
Huntington's Defects Manifest Far from Damaged Brain Tissue
Public Health:
Sugary Drinks Raise Risk of Obesity, Type 2 Diabetes
Neuromuscular Research:
Action Uncovered in Mutant Protein's Link to Nerve Cell Death in ALS
Leadership
Brugge Named Chair of Cell Biology
Knipe to Lead Graduate Program in Virology
Armenise Program:
Postgenome Technology Illuminates Cancer Biology at Eighth Armenise Symposium
Protein Reveals How a Growing Axon Steers
Genetic Variation Among People May Be Ten Times Higher than Previously Thought
Compound Fends Off Stroke Damage
Novel Drug Design Apporach Aims at Resistant Bacteria
Integrated Gradaute Program Created in Life Sciences
Innovators of Tomorrow
Center to Probe Immune Tolerance in Type 1 Diabetes
SPORE Grant Awarded in Ovarian Cancer Research
Broad Breaks Ground for New Building
Named Professorships Approved
In Memoriam:
Edward Frank
Cultural Competence May Limit Stereotyping
CDC Overhauls Organization, Shifts Toward Preparedness
Cultural Competence May Limit Stereotyping
The response below was written by Nawal Nour, HMS instructor in obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive biology at Brigham and Women's and director of BWH's African Women's Health Center.Incident: Commenting on a patient with an Italian surname, a professor remarked that the patient must be a member of the Mafia.
Response: Ethnic stereotyping in the media, movies, and even e-mail constantly bombards us. A recent widely circulated e-mail, for example, quoted the comedian Chris Rock as saying: "You know the world is going crazy when the best rapper is a white guy, the best golfer is a black guy, the tallest guy in the NBA is a Chinese guy, [... and] Germany doesn't want to go to war...."
Following this logic, does the medical professor mean that every Italian patient belongs to the Mafia, every Arab is a terrorist, every Irishman works for the IRA, and every German is a Nazi? Ethnic stereotyping represents either a positive or negative perception reflecting traits, characteristics, or values of an ethnic group regardless of accuracy or applicability. Some stereotypes are based on historic events and, unfortunately, individuals from these groups suffer. The National Opinion Research Center recently conducted a study that found many Americans still hold strong racial and ethnic stereotypes.
Nevertheless, many of us in the United States pride ourselves on the nation's diversity. In the same spirit, learning about other ethnicities is valuable not only in drawing us closer, but in applying our medical knowledge. Health care providers who are responsive to cultural and linguistic needs have the potential to improve access to care, the quality of care, and ultimately, health outcomes. Cultural competence is critical in medicine since clinical management, diagnosis, and treatment of preventable and chronic diseases can differ by the race and ethnicity of patients.
Students may be unable to voice their discomfort when a professor blurts out culturally inappropriate comments. None of us are innocent of ethnic stereotyping, but when we are role models and teachers, we must be aware of our own preconceptions and find ways to understand the reasons behind them, with a sincere effort to change them. Prejudice begets prejudice, and it is simply unacceptable in our workplace. To prevent further ethnic stereotyping, we have to strive to perpetuate enlightened values every day.