Community is EVERYTHING

During the hearings for Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, she relayed a story that we can relate to. Her story describes a point during her freshman year at Harvard when she asked herself, “Do I belong here? Can I make it in this environment?” 

Those are questions I have asked myself many times and I'm sure I am not alone. 

Medicine can be isolating, even more so as a Black student, resident or provider. 

 But as seemingly the only Black person in these spaces, we get support in the most uncanny ways, the surrounding Black community. At first glance it would be easy to feel alone. Except the Black people around me, even if not on my path, are supporting me. It’s the quiet acknowledgement of the maintenance man, the “I see you!” from theclerk. The rallying from the Black nurses or medical assistants. It’s thepatients who are happy to have a Black provider. 

In Ketanji Brown Jackson’s story, she too noticed the isolation of higher education spaces. But her spirit was nourished by another Black woman. A stranger who recognized what it was to be a Black person in these environments. A woman who in passing, saw her and whispered the simple word, persevere. 

In every environment in medicine, I’m a minority. And when I look for Black faces, they are often present as support staff. But their support isn’t just in how they perform their jobs but in how they acknowledge and encourage me to persevere. 

There is a pride in being a doctor. But it’s not just self-pride. There is a communal pride. Community is EVERYTHING!

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What I’m reading this week:

Nedra Tawwab’s book “Set Boundaries, Find Peace” which is a NYT bestseller for obvious reasons.

Follow her on IG @nedratawwab. She’s always dropping #nedrasnuggets