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If you have any doubt that the medical field does a disservice to low-income patients, look no further than the way physicians treat their colleagues and trainees from low-income backgrounds. 1/8
There’s been a lot of recent talk that boils down to “if you can’t afford to pay back loans, maybe consider a career other than medicine.” This is gatekeeping and conveys classism, basically shaming people for needing hundreds of thousands of dollars in loans. 2/8
People know that taking this route means massive loans, and it doesn’t mean they should just accept that with a smile. Some aren’t aware of the financial burden because they may be one of the first in their family in this career. They don’t deserve ridicule. 3/8
Telling people that financial management is a personal responsibility without acknowledging the exorbitant costs of education (undergrad and professional) is irresponsible and bad advice. Full stop. 4/8
Another pet peeve, medical students and residents often joke about being “broke” and effectively demonstrate that they have no idea what poverty is, and fetishize the idea of living with less. 5/8
While residents are underpaid in context of work hours and loans they have to pay back, they are FAR from broke. Whenever people say how “broke” residents are, they fail to realize many people will be the highest earners in their families. 6/8
To bring it back, if being “broke” is seen as a personal failure or joke among colleagues, imagine what kind of care is being rendered to low-income patients. Imagine the biases and/or ignorance behind management and care plans. 7/8
Privilege is a sliding scale and different people are privileged in different ways. If you are fortunate enough to practice medicine, there has been some combination of hard work, privilege, and possibly luck. Recognize that and use it to benefit others. 8/8
