As a woman of color who was fortunate to be accepted to medical school 29 years ago, I thought that if I had the intelligence, grit, and credentials, I would succeed. I thought that the profession of medicine operated within a system of meritocracy: work hard and you will be rewarded. I learned the hard way that it isn’t like that.
My post-graduate professional journey has spanned a general surgery residency, fellowships in hospice and palliative medicine and clinical medical ethics, all of which has led me to a rare but much needed integrated clinical practice. But like the trajectories of so many other women and people of color, mine has been encumbered by factors beyond my control, like my gender and the color of my skin. I was aghast to learn that the skills I worked so hard to develop would later be used against me because I didn’t look like a surgeon.
It took me years to understand how the culture of medicine and the structural barriers within that culture impeded my efforts to belong, contribute, and succeed.