My pediatrician has been in my life since I made my grand entrance into this world. In short, that’s my sis.
She’s the person who has counseled me through the awkward puberty stages all the way into my first few years of college. But, then I turned 20 and I was told that I had to leave my pediatrician behind…which, for the record, I still haven’t gotten over. But, could you blame me? My pediatrician visited me during my sophomore year of college to check up on me.
Now, I’m supposed to find another doctor? Impossible!
So, at age 20, I reluctantly started getting my yearly check-ups from my mother’s primary care provider. But, even I have to admit, the rapport isn’t the same.
My pediatrician was a fellow woman of color as well as an immigrant. She understood the underlying current that race and identity played in my life. My current primary care physician is the direct opposite.
Although he is polite and respectful, he is an older White male and the communication just isn’t the same.
Unfortunately, that’s the case for us Black millennials.
The numbers simply do not work in our favor. Only 6% of physicians in the United States identify as African-American. Often, we get the short end of this stick. It’s not something we see.
It’s also something we feel.
It’s the head nod or smiles you give another Black person in a White-space.
It’s the pride we feel when we see a Black person in a position of influence.
We are happy because we know that they are going to get it.
So, I’ve got some bad news. The number of Black physicians isn’t going to jump 10 or 20 percentage points in the next few years. The potential lack of communication between you and your physician is most likely here to stay. But, there are ways that you can feel more confident walking into your appointment.
Come With The Well-Documented Receipts!
If you are having symptoms, write them down in detail and prepare these notes days in advance. There is something about sitting on a cold, plastic examination bed that just sends all of your thoughts out of your head.
It’s not comforting and it’s not comfortable.
You’d rather be at home so you rush through your symptoms that you’d been complaining about for hours on end.
Sound familiar? If you have a prepared list to refer to, you will be able to communicate accurately and clearly about what your health problem is.
Does your family feel uncomfortable going to the doctor? I wrote about that here.
Keep Those Tests Close to Ya Chest!
When I transferred my care from my pediatrician’s office to my primary care doctor, I had no clue what my medical records looked like or even what they said. To be honest, I still don’t have a clue. But, if your physician is asking you to get a blood draw, for example, ask your physician to clarify as to what the test is looking for. When you get the results back, ask your doctor to go over the results with you and keep these records in safekeeping. You’ll hopefully step out of the appointment feeling more confident and in control of your medical care.
Don’t Be Afraid to Ask About Race!
If we had a dollar for every time a well-meaning non-Black person declared that they don’t see color….
The fact of the matter is that race is right smack dab in the middle of everything that we do. This is no surprise to us as Black millennials. But, it may not be at the forefront of your physician’s mind. If you have questions about how your racial identity intersects with your condition, feel free to ask. You’ll be opening the door to a potentially much-needed conversation.
Did anybody know that Vitamin D deficiency is common in the African-American community?
I didn’t know until I got my test results back and did my Googling.
What are some effective ways that help you communicate with your physician?
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