1/ This is coming later than most #BlackintheIvory stories, as I was trying to submit an @NIH grant on time. I did not - submit it on time - but I submitted it. But, now, I would like to tell a story I have been sitting on for 15 years. It was my 1st #nsgy interview #OkSoBoom
2/ I was at a good medical school, Penn Med, was president of the med student government, good clerkship scores, but not AOA - felt good about interviewing, overall. But it was early October, and it was my only interview offer at the time, so I was nervous
3/ I started off with a pretty routine interview. Went great, actually! We chatted about my research, my time at Penn, stuff I might be able to accomplish at this department if I matched. I felt really good at the time - this is actually happening! I'll be a neurosurgeon!
4/ My next interview was with the chair. Game face on, I walk in. The chair says several complimentary things about my academics, grades, leadership, etc. Then he says something weird - your family is from Ghana, right? Yes! I reply...
5/ That was not too unexpected, actually, because my family featured heavily in my personal statement, as I draw great inspiration from my immigrant parents, who sacrificed so much for my siblings and I to succeed
6/ So he goes on, “You were born in America?” “Yes!” I reply again. “But you lived in Ghana?” “Yes, for six years.” “So you have a unique perspective on things, don’t you” “Yes, I guess so? I have seen a few different things.”
7/ “Yes, you are exactly the person I wanted to talk to about an idea I have. I would love to get your input.” “Sure, what did you want to talk about” At this point, I think I’m more intrigued than worried – are we going to talk travel? One of his children living abroad?
8/ Instead, he says, “I’ve been watching a lot of the news about Hurricane Katrina” – back story – this is October of 2005, and Hurricane Katrina has devastated New Orleans, having a particularly heavy toll on the Black community. Now, I am on high alert, heart pounding. “Yeah?”
9/ And now he’s in his rhythm, “And I have been sitting and feeling sorry for those poor people who have lost their homes, their communities. It’s terrible.” I agree. “And I have been asking my wife, I just wish there was some way that we could help those people…”
10/ He rambles now a bit in set up, “And I was just thinking, and I wanted to get your opinion, you specifically, what if we got a bunch of *cruise ships* and we sent them to Africa.” #BlackintheIvory
11/ “I was just thinking that they’ve lost their homes and their jobs, but if they went to Africa, they wouldn’t have to deal with all the poverty, and the rebuilding and the hurricanes, and the racism, well, not really racism, but the poverty and stuff that they deal with here.”
12/ "What do you think?" #BlackintheIvory (really, I would love to hear what you would say in this scenario - many of your answers would probably be much better than mine)
13/ Mind you, I am a Black man on his 1st #nsgy interview trip. Life long dream. And I am so close, and I have heard all the stories about how the chairs talk to each other, how one bad interview can ruin you for the whole season, and I do not have another interview scheduled.
14/ So, I compose myself, take a beat. This man somehow has completely missed the fact that he is talking about sending Black Americans to a continent many have never visited – using cruise ships – when so many died on their way to America.
15/ Cruise ships! To replace the slave ships they came on? Did we not have Jumbo jets in 2005? Were their ancestors issued round trip boat tickets when they were stolen from their homes – sorry, no air trips allowed? Was this a joke? Was it a test? How can I respond?
16/ Many will criticize my response, and I am not proud of it, and I ask your forgiveness, in advance. Just know that I said what I said knowing that the person that I was speaking to had no conception whatsoever what was right or wrong, and yet had the power to destroy my life.
17/ I said: “Well, sir… a lot of parts of Africa are quite poor. So, if we send a bunch of people who are now poor to poor countries, they might not do so well.” I wait for my career to end. #BlackintheIvory
18/ He says, “I guess you’re right.” And he proceeds with the rest of the interview. He probably didn’t give it another thought.
19/ I spent the rest of the interview in a complete haze. I sleepwalked through it. I didn’t tell any of the other interviewees, not even the one I was rooming with that night.
20/ When I was back at Penn, I confided in a few of my classmates at a radiology small group section I had. I think I told it in a haha isn’t that crazy way. I believe they were suitably horrified? And suggested that I report it.
21/ But I never did. To this day, I’ve probably only told the story out loud, maybe, 10 times? In part because I knew people would ask who the chair was (NOT Emory), and I had no desire in getting into a he said/she said.
22/ Here’s the thing – I believe in my heart of hearts that that Chairman thought he was about to solve Katrina. He was going to win the Nobel Peace Prize for this idea. He was trying to help! And that was the best he could come up with. The ignorance was staggering.
23/ Later, in residency at Emory, I would encounter a Black woman surgery resident who said that she knew said chair as a medical student and thought he was super cool and extremely supportive, so much so that she almost went into #nsgy.
24/ And you know what? I ranked that program. I ranked them last, after having 13 interviews and feeling good about them, but I decided that I would rather train under that guy than not be a neurosurgeon.
25/ Now, many will say that I fabricated this story. Oh well. I hate creative writing. No way I could have *ever* come up with that. I hope that things are better today. But I shudder to think about what interviewees will be asked about George Floyd this fall. #BlackInTheIvory
26/ One more thing - when this happened, I truly did not know if telling anyone would help. Like, sure, someone might care, but what would they *do*? Dear future interviewee: Tell me. I will care, and I will find a way to help. #BlackInTheIvory
