Qaali Hussein, MD Profile picture
Jun 18, 2020 9 tweets 3 min read Read on X
I recently went through a major change, new job and relocating to a new state with little ones in tow. Like many times before, I was called crazy for making these decisions.

I wanted to share a few things about this experience...
The idea that we’re at the mercy of large entities and that we, as individual physicians, are incapable of bringing about change is false. With the right people, leadership, and with the right goals, we are more than capable of advocating for our patients and improving care.
While we stress the importance of continuous system improvement, what we often neglect to talk about is futility as it relates to changing cultures. When you give your all and your efforts are not only not reciprocated but negated, you might have arrived at the point of futility.
As physicians, we’re trained to do everything possible to save our patients. I think we approach process and system improvements the same way and can sometimes be blinded to how fundamentally flawed some of these institutions are.
When I felt like I found myself at the point of futility and made the decision to move on, it occurred to some well-meaning allies that as a mother with a family to consider, it was in my best interest to suck it up and compromise whatever principles I was hanging on to.
When I got on the job market, now with a lot more experience than the last time I interviewed as a fresh graduate, the mere mention of my family resulted in some practices and groups abruptly ending conversations as they wanted someone “willing to work hard.”
It appeared quite odd that on the one hand, motherhood made me a lazy surgeon, but on the other hand, I shouldn’t quit that same position because of the liability of my family. I find it interesting that motherhood in medicine can be weaponized against in so many ways
All in all, my decisions were probably crazy but I believe they were also necessary. I find it hard to be complacent and just go with the flow because “that’s how we do it here.” Nothing changes when we settle for the status quo.

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More from @QaaliHussein1

Nov 9, 2023
I have a feeling we’ll need to compile all the ways medicine justified a genocide

So I’m gonna start a thread & we can add onto it as people become more comfortable publishing their pro-genocide academic papers:

#1 - @JAMA_current in which the bombing of hospitals is justified
#2 @TheLancet declining to publish an open letter from HCW calling for a ceasefire
@TheLancet #3 @MontefioreNYC cancelling a ground rounds speaker for calling for a ceasefire against genocide
Read 11 tweets
Oct 15, 2022
About three years ago, attending a women’s empowerment conference made me swear off of going to anymore women’s empowerment conferences…a 🧵
It began as a great conference focused on empowering women to advance in medicine. All the gaps were addressed. Gender pay gap, research funding gap, awards gap, leadership gap. Great! We’re moving beyond pay disparity!
Or so I thought.

After hearing the keynote and most of the prime time lectures, I was perplexed. I know all these topics are important. But as this was a conference filled with women from all backgrounds, I felt there was something missing.
Read 15 tweets
Jan 9, 2022
Friends of #MedTwitter
We talk a lot about the dearth of Black docs & the leaky pipeline but not how academia pushes out the ones who actually make it to med school & beyond. Many URiM students/trainees suffer in silence due to a lack of support & the real threat of retaliation.
We’re working with a resident who is the only Black trainee &one of two IMGs who is experiencing an extremely hostile work environment. We’re looking for program directors, assoc program directors & anyone else who can help us in assisting this trainee.
We would appreciate any and all assistance. Please reach out to anyone of us through DM

@thenephrologist @rcg1812 @RamlaKasoziMD @IEMcElroy
Read 4 tweets
Jan 29, 2021
For my chief year grand rounds presentation, a mentor suggested that I use it as an opportunity to share my experience going through surgery training and having children. He suggested I share both the good the bad.
I loved this idea. It felt like we would be doing an M&M conference on our lived experiences as humans going through professional and personal challenges. I liked the idea that what was seen as a “problem” (pregnant surgery resident)...
became an opportunity for us to change our culture to be more inclusive. I wanted to include the fact that we were able to increase awareness of surgery boards accommods for pregnancy during training among our residents, and as a result more women were considering fam planning.
Read 9 tweets
Jan 29, 2021
#MedRacism continuing to uphold the status quo.

When we say minoritized and racialized people in medicine, regardless of position, are afraid to speak up because of #retaliation,
👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾 is what we mean.
Academia will destroy someone’s career and livelihood before they even think about becoming introspective or take any responsibility for their bias and racism.
Dr. @ayshakhoury does not deserve this. Her students don’t deserve to lose their teacher. And her community doesn’t deserve losing a good physician.
Read 4 tweets
Dec 10, 2020
#ToxicMedicine

I got a call from one of our NPs that a neurosurgeon was berating him and the icu nurses about why his postop patient was in the icu. He brought one to tears and was yelling at the charge as well. So I called.
Nsg: Who the hell transferred my postop pt to the ICU?

Me: I did.

Nsg: Who gave you permission to transfer my patient?

Me: I’m the admitting physician. You’re a consultant. Are you aware of their other injuries?
Nsg: Listen, hun, I don’t know who you think you are but...

Me: First, don’t call me hun. Second, it’s Dr. Hussein
Read 7 tweets

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