AWAEM and Anti-Racism: A Conversation Starter

By Kat Ogle MD and Katja Goldflam MD on behalf of the Academy of Women in Academic Emergency Medicine

Recent news and social media have highlighted innumerable examples of White people asking Black friends and “To move forward as women in academic colleagues to help them understand their experiences of being marginalized. emergency medicine taking a stand against White folks are asking people of color to teach them what they should be racism, we must invest in our mission to doing to eliminate racism and how they can help. White people are asking take personal responsibility for educating for acknowledgement and validation for demonstrating that we are simply ourselves, finding our own resources, in spite trying. We personally recognize these sentiments and acknowledge how of the unease and discomfort we may feel.” much we still have to learn about being anti-racist colleagues and becoming advocates and allies in the elimination and action. On the precipice of our own We realize we have more questions of racism from our own little sphere of personal antiracist journey, we too are than answers, but we hope you will join emergency medicine. We understand intimidated and unsure where to start, us in considering the ways in which how tempting it is to turn to our but we signed on to this career with a we, as members of SAEM, and women colleagues of color for solutions. commitment to lifelong learning. The in academic emergency medicine in The efforts of academic institutions to enhance diversity and inclusion are well-intentioned, but they often fall short. Some strategies are superficial, even performative. Expecting physicians of color to assume leadership positions that champion diversity and inclusion, systemic problem we are now working to treat is racism. Our self-directed lessons must therefore focus on recognizing racist policies, procedures, actions, and interactions which negatively impact our peers, colleagues, students, and friends. particular, can be part of building a better, anti-racist infrastructure. We look forward to each of you participating in this discussion and working to develop creative and sustainable solutions. ABOUT THE AUTHORS often without proper compensation or acknowledgement of their time, may distract from their chosen career trajectories. These assumptions and expectations are inappropriate, unfair, and create undo stress and strain on our colleagues of color. Research acknowledges that intersectionality negatively impacts the careers of academic women of color to a disproportionate degree. Add to that the detrimental effects of microaggressions and implicit biases on personal So, what can a couple of cisgender White women do? We are the ones that have the most to learn. We need to revisit decisions we have made, examine interactions we have had, and reevaluate policies we have supported. We need to reflect on the times we sat quietly as bystanders when one or more of our own — particularly women of color — experienced microaggressions, overt racist behavior, or limited professional opportunities. We need to commit to standing by our colleagues Dr. Ogle is an assistant professor and ultrasound fellowship director at the George Washington University Department of Emergency Medicine. She is engaged in undergraduate medical education, graduate medical education, and faculty development. Dr. Ogle is the vice president of education for SAEM’s Academy of Women in Academic Emergency Medicine (AWAEM). @drkittykat confidence and opportunities for when we see racial inequity. To move Dr. Goldflam is an assistant professional growth and development, forward as women in academic professor and associate and the disproportionate burden on our emergency medicine taking a stand residency director in the colleagues of color is further intensified. against racism, we must invest in our department of emergency As academic emergency physicians, we function on a foundation of evidence-based medicine, algorithms mission to take personal responsibility for educating ourselves, finding our own resources, in spite of the unease and discomfort we may feel. medicine at Yale University. She is interested in education and wilderness medicine.

About AWAEM

The Academy for Women in Academic Emergency Medicine works to promote the recruitment, retention, advancement and leadership of women in academic emergency medicine. Joining AWAEM is free! Just log in to your member profile. Click “My Account” in the upper right navigation bar. Click the “Update (+/-) Academies and Interest Groups” button on the left side. Select the box next to the academy you wish to join. Click “save.”