Thread by @gradydoctor

1/
#InternReflections, Day 1 of 7*

Him: "Where was medical school?"
Me: "Meharry."
Him: "Oh--wait. Where is Ma-Hahry again?"
Me: "Um. Oh. Meharry? It's in Nashville."
Him: "That's right. I knew a guy who went there. He was nice."
Me: *awkward smile*

*names/details changed

2/
My attending looked to the other intern on my team.

Him: "And Mick--you went to Michigan, right?"
Mick: "Go Blue."
Him: "Don't say that too loud in Ohio!"

*laughter*

Him: "I almost went there. But I knew my parents would disown me so I changed my mind."
Mick: *smiles*

3/
Him: "Do you know *names of several people at Michigan*?"
Mick: "Oh yeah! *One of the people* retired this year."
Him: "Really? He's one of my heroes."
Mick: "Totally. And *other person I never heard of* was my attending for my sub-I."
Him: "Lucky you."

*knowing nods*

4/
Him: *to Mick* "Where was undergrad?"
Mick: "Also Michigan."
Him: "What?! You left your homes tate of Ohio for college AND med school at Michigan?"
Mick: *laughing* "Go Blue."
Him: *exaggerated eyeroll*

*laughter*

Him: "Isn't your dad faculty at Ohio State?"
Mick: "Yup."

5/
Mick: "We're a house divided."
Him: "Remind me of his specialty?"
Mick: "He's in *insert subspecialty*."
Him: "Aaah. That's right. So is he trying to get you to follow his footsteps? Or are you going to break his heart again?"

*laughter*

Mick: "I'm wide open still. "

6/
Me: "What made you choose Michigan?"
Mick: *shrugs* "At first I was just being contrary. But it really was a good fit for me."
Me: *nodding* "I hear you. I felt that way about my schools, too. Not the contrary part. The fit part."

*nodding*

7/
Mick: "Yeah. My folks met at Ohio State. And dad did everything there."
Me: "Yeah, my folks met at Tuskegee and my whole family went there. I almost went to Spelman the same way you went to Michigan."
Mick: "Wait. You mean Tuskegee like the syphilis place?"

*pause*

8/
Me: "Huh?"
Him (attending): "Mick, it's actually a college, too."

A college. Too.

Mick: "Gotcha. I'm not sure I realized that. I always think of syphilis when someone says that." *shrugs* "Huh. The more you know, right?"
Him: *laughs* "Indeed."

*silence*

9/
We start to round.

Him: *more conversation with Mick*
Mick: *more conversation back*
Him: *more questions about his family and life*
Mick: *more answers back*

We step on the elevator and see some faculty.

Them: "New interns?"
Him: "The most wonderful time of the year."

10/
Them: *points at Mick's lapel pin* "Aaah. Go Blue."
Mick: "You, too?"
Them: *vigorous nod*

All of them: *discussion about Michigan*

Him: "And she comes to us from Ma-Hahry."
Them: "Ma-Hahry. . .Ma-Hahry. . ."
Me: "It's a historically Black med school in Nashville."

11/
Them: *nods* "Did you know they have pierogis in the cafeteria this week?"
Him: "Really?"
Mick: "Are they any good?"
Them: "Surprisingly delicious."
Me: *wonders what a pierogi is*

Elevator opens. Everyone walks off.

Them: *to Him* "Be nice. They're interns."

*laughs*

12/
We finish rounding. And we move on through the rest of the month. In a very similar fashion.

I learned a lot.
My attending was nice to me.
Mick became a friend.
We even ate pierogis in the cafeteria together.

But.

It was a lonely, lonely time.

13/
Back then I didn't understand why. Instead, I just wished I'd gone to a place where my lapel pin might garner fraternal back slaps. Or that my family's college tradition didn't make people think of a venereal disease.

But that was then.

And now I am older.

14/
I'm grateful for that lonely time. It shaped me into the clinician educator that I am today. And has given me an example of how subtle inclusion--and lack their of--can be.

I wish I had been my attending.

Or, at least, had someone there to have my back.

15/
And so. Today, I stand up for intern me. And the lonely interns who may feel like I felt that month.

Her name is Kimberly. Not Kim.
She went to Meharry. Not Mah-Harry.
And she is a 4th generation alum of historic Tuskegee University.

Oh, you don't know what it is?

16/
It's the home of the iconic Tuskegee airmen.
Where George Washington Carver made discoveries.
Where veterinarians are created.
And where Black excellence is cultivated.

And yeah. It HAPPENS to be near the NHS Untreated Syphilis Study site.

Yup.

17/
And yeah. Meharry IS where she wanted to go. Because not only has it created Black doctors since 1876 -- it also survived the #FlexnerReport after 1910.

Oh, you aren't familiar? Ask.

And while you're at it? Tell her what a pierogi is.

For real.

18/
A few small tips from older me:

* Connections are cool but keep the spotlight moving.
* Let no one be a cultural ball hog.
* Pay attention to all names & pronunciations.
* Assess if you're giving everyone the chance to feel seen.

Okay? Cool.

#humanismalways
#iseeyou