Systemic racism has recently become one of the most frequently discussed issues across the United States. Although it has often been hidden beneath the surface, the effects of structural racism at the expense of the Black community have branched out across various areas of daily life in America. As a young black man living in this country, it is especially frustrating to see the blatant disregard for Black people that we find in areas including police brutality, housing inequality, unemployment, and numerous others. However, one of the biggest things that has caused it to somehow hit home even more has been to see structural racism spread its roots in a direction that impacts my own future aspirations. This area, being one of the greatest victims of systemic racism, is the field of medicine and healthcare.

 In fact, this structural problem has gone as far as impacting healthcare in a rather unique way. The effect of racism in medicine has come from a place different from the passing of certain laws or unjust regulations. Rather, it has come from the spreading of prejudiced notions that have come at the expense of Black people, not only in the medical setting but in medical education. Racist ideas that are common amongst many medical students and caretakers have created a system of unfair treatment that has cost the lives of countless African American patients throughout the country. Doctors in the healthcare system are more likely to believe that black patients are lying when complaining about their pain due to the circulation of the idea that black people are able to bear more pain in comparison to white people.

Observing the effects of systemic racism in the medical field is not in the slightest way difficult to see. Various statistics and observations have been made to show the depths of systemic racism in medicine amongst the many other elements of American society that are impacted by it. For instance, a Twitter post made by the NPR states that “an estimated 14,000 black Americans would have died from the opioid crisis had they been prescribed the drugs at the same rate as their white counterparts, a new analysis finds” (@NPR). This furthers the idea that black Americans are often ignored when in need of drugs and medications for easing pain. Due to the belief of many doctors that black people are able to handle pain better than white people, a number of physicians deem it unecessary to provide as much pain relief to their black patients. 

In addition, a large variety of medical settings outside of the hospital scene, for example Emergency Medicine, also falls victim to systemic racism. According to MedicalNewsToday, “A 2020 study shows that between 2005 and 2016, medical professionals were 10% less likely to admit Black patients to the hospital than white patients” (“Racism in Healthcare: Statistics and Examples”). “Systemic Racism and US Healthcare”, a paper written by Joe Feagin and Zinobia Bennefield, highlights some of the clear impacts of systemic racism in healthcare. As they go through a number of studies that were previously performed, the researchers mention an emergency care study that was published in 2011. The study found that “(predominantly black) children with sickle-cell disease got less attention to pain than nonblack (apparently mostly white) children with bone fractures” (Feagin and Bennefield), showing that black individuals of all ages are often given less care when dealing with pain. 

Even in our current circumstances with the COVID-19 pandemic, black individuals are still shown less care in regards to their health. As mentioned in an editorial covering racism in medicine, “even though Covid-19 disproportionately affects black Americans, when physicians describing its manifestations have presented images of dermatologic effects, black skin has not been included. The “Covid toes” have all been pink and white” (Evans, et al., 2020). Looking at the experiences of many black people in this country with systemic racism in healthcare, a survey was taken by The Undefeated and the Kaiser Family Foundation to listen to the opinions of different African American individuals. The poll showed that “7 in 10 African Americans believe that people are treated unfairly based on race or ethnicity when they seek medical care” (Fletcher). 

The key source that made this issue apparent to me was a post I stumbled upon on social media. After scrolling through Instagram stories, a statistic had shown up on my screen that came as a shock to me. Originally coming from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it stated that “Black women are three to four times likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than white women” (CDC). The main reason this shook me was that for me, it is one thing to see systemic racism occur in forms such as police brutality or housing inequality. However, for traces of it to be evident in medicine, where people devote themselves to the overall well-being of patients, was another offense in itself. All the way to this point in my journey, I have aspired to reach the goal of becoming a doctor. Throughout this semester as a college student, I have discovered and learned more and more about the importance of listening to the pain of the patient as another individual, and being willing to treat them as any other human being. However, for racism to be so prevalent in the area of medicine shows the level of disregard towards the care of specific patients as they fall victim to racism. As a Black individual in a time where the effects of systemic racism in this country are being exposed and discussed, it is easy to infer that the field of medicine is also impacted by it. Yet for this reality to be confirmed surrounding the very medical field I aspire to be a part of has made it especially impactful and difficult to process. In addition to the statistic from the CDC comes a survey that was taken by the Proceedings of the National Academies of Science. As reported by the AAMC, the poll found that “40% of first- and second-year medical students endorsed the belief that ‘black people’s skin is thicker than white people’s’” (AAMC). This very idea that has spread amongst a vast number of medical students across the country shows why doctors have managed to ignore the pain of countless Black patients. The concepts and notions that are taught during medical education naturally have a significant impact on how future physicians will think and act once they become practicing physicians. 

The false notion that black people have thicker skin than white people causes physicians to begin practicing medicine in a way that ignores and disregards the pain of the black individuals they treat. To completely disregard the pain of another individual is an offense that should not be, but is often committed by physicians. Eula Biss covers this idea thoroughly in her book, Pain Scale. She mentions her own experience as a patient with her father, who was a physician. After coming to the exam room with complaints of pain, she was asked to rate her pain on a scale of 1 to 10. Unsure of how to describe her pain, Biss chooses a 3, and is disappointed as she is immediately sent home and told to “take two aspirin”. Biss goes on to explain how the pain scale is a system that allows for doctors to escape the reality of the pain of their patients, allowing them to be insensitive towards it. In this same way, we see doctors today disregarding the pain of Black individuals due to their acceptance of false stigmas surrounding health and black individuals.

In conclusion, systemic racism is not just a widespread issue that impacts the country in the areas of justice, housing, and the workforce, but one that has spread its roots to the area of healthcare. A field that is dedicated to caring for a vast number of people on a regular basis manages to fall victim to racism carried out by many physicians, all at the expense of black lives. Many physicians choose to ignore the obvious suffering and complaints of pain made by black patients, due to ideas spread amongst both practicing physicians and medical students that suggest black individuals are able to bear more pain. Recognizing this idea provides a clear understanding of why there are so many examples of black patients receiving lesser treatment than white patients in medical settings, as shown by such a large variety of statistics and statements. To see the obvious pain of those who need help being ignored by those who are tasked with the responsibility to care for them further fuels the pain that is felt in so many other areas as a result of the constant issue of structural racism in this country. As a future physician, recognizing and seeking to be part of a solution is crucial to not only my future patients, but to the lives of all those who are and will continue to be impacted by it.

Works Cited

1. Biss, Eula. “The Pain Scale.” Creative Nonfiction, no. 32, 2007, pp. 65–84. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/44363570. Accessed 2 Dec. 2020.
2. Feagin, Bennefield. “Systemic Racism and U.S. Health Care.” Social Science & Medicine (1982), vol. 103, Elsevier BV, Feb. 2014, pp. 7–14, doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2013.09.006.
3. Evans, Michele  K., et al. “Diagnosing and Treating Systemic Racism.” Shibboleth Authentication Request, 2020, www-nejm-org.ccny-proxy1.libr.ccny.cuny.edu/doi/10.1056/NEJMe2021693. 
4. Fletcher, Michael A. “Black Americans See a Health-Care System Infected by Racism, New Poll Shows.” Poll: Black Americans See a Health-Care System Infected by Racism, 16 Oct. 2020, www.nationalgeographic.com/history/2020/10/black-americans-see-health-care-system-infected-racism-new-poll-shows/. 
5. NPR. “An Estimated 14,000 Black Americans Would Have Died from the Opioid Crisis Had They Been Prescribed the Drugs at the Same Rate as Their White Counterparts, a New Analysis Finds. (@Hereandnow)Https://T.co/3mAkmkVRCT.” Twitter, Twitter, 4 Jan. 2020, twitter.com/NPR/status/1213404472162029568?s=20. 
6. “Racism in Healthcare: Statistics and Examples.” Medical News Today, MediLexicon International, 2020, www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/racism-in-healthcare. 
7. Sabin, Janice A. “How We Fail Black Patients in Pain.” AAMC, 6 Jan. 2020, www.aamc.org/news-insights/how-we-fail-black-patients-pain.
8. “Racial and Ethnic Disparities Continue in Pregnancy-Related Deaths.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 6 Sept. 2019, www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2019/p0905-racial-ethnic-disparities-pregnancy-deaths.html.