“We teach girls to shrink themselves, to make themselves smaller. We say to girls, you can have ambition, but not too much. You should aim to be successful, but not too successful. Otherwise, you would threaten the man.” – Chimamanda Ngozi
Oftentimes in history women were seen as docile, told to know their place. Their sole purpose was to be homemakers and non-revolutionary. However, times have changed and society began to realize what we already knew as women. That women are competent, self sufficient and driven. They are able to do a man’s job and sometimes even better, if I might add.
Let’s dive into history for a moment. In the year of 1968, the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth asked females aged 14 to 21 what they expected to be doing by the age of 35. About 30 percent of the 20 to 21 year olds said they would be working. By 1975, 65 percent of the younger women, then also 20 to 21 years old, said they would be working. The percentage rose until 1979 and has remained substantially unchanged throughout the years.
This week I decided to highlight two Black women, in the medical field who are leaving their mark in their respective careers.
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First, we have Rodeline Joseph. She is extremely driven and motivated yet amiable and humble. She is a licensed Physician Assistant and has been in healthcare for over 10 years. Initially, Rodeline obtained her licensed practical nursing degree at the age of 18 and transitioned into the PA career after college which she has been in for almost 4 years. The majority of her practice has been focused on emergency medicine and urgent care. She currently lives in Atlanta, GA and works full time on her start-up company, Medsembly.
1.Why did you choose medicine or specifically the PA route and what has been your driving force?
Growing up in a Haitian household, we were raised on three core values: God, family and education. Migrating from the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere left us with no choice but to excel. Being from a third world country means you have very limited exposure on what it means to be successful or the many routes to success. Therefore, Haitians, like so many islanders, have a somewhat distorted view of success. Success for Haitian parents meant becoming a doctor, lawyer, politician, or nurse. My parents’ vision was for me to become a doctor. I was enrolled in the nursing program at a magnet high school, Blanche Ely High School, as the first step in this process. Going the nursing route afforded me the opportunity to submerge myself in medicine and gain direct patient care experience, which would be beneficial for the end goal of becoming a physician. I was able to graduate high school with not only a diploma, but a licensed practical nursing license.
It was not until college, where I was able to work as an LPN, that I became exposed to the Physician Assistant career. The PAs did rounds at the nursing home where I worked. As I watched the patient interaction and work the PAs did, I soon grew interest and began researching the profession. This also happened to be at a time where I was at a crossroad in life and unsure of what I wanted to do with my life, whether or not becoming a doctor was God’s plan for me. It turned out I had many of the pre-requisites, and my prior healthcare experience aligned with the Physician Assistant student profile. I prayed on it and changed paths my senior year in college. I contended that if this was God’s plan for my life, it would work out...and it did. I graduated college in 2013 and started PA school in 2014. I graduated PA school in 2016 and through my journey, the biggest driving force and propellant has been my trust in God, knowing that whatever path He leads me will always be a gateway to success.
2. As a Black woman how was your experience in PA school?
I went through a lot of personal struggles as the only black woman in my PA class, both in the classroom and on rotations. It was hard to be myself and I felt I had to put on a façade to avoid being labeled the “ghetto girl,” “mad black woman,” or any negative connotation commonly associated with the black woman. Although, I was cordial with my classmates, I did not build many close friendships as I chose to remain reticent due to the fear of being judged. There were a few situations where I felt I was singled out because of my race. For instance, someone bought the class KFC and I was eating it like everyone else (before becoming pescatarian), and one student said, “you like that chicken huh girl, that’s your favorite food?” I immediately felt embarrassed and put the food down. Another instance was classmates constantly trying to get me to date the one other black guy even though him and I had absolutely nothing in common, and the only thing essentially that connected us was our race.
I had similar sentiments throughout rotations except those experiences were more explicit. An older white woman patient made me cry my first rotation for absolutely no reason. I walked into the room with my preceptor and she immediately said she did not want me in there. The preceptor actually apologized and excused her behavior as her just being “rude,” but the only thing that could explain it was my race. Another white woman made fun of my handwriting and asked if it was some type of “African hieroglyphic,” as I was tending to her husband who was the patient. This was in Naples and Fort Myers, cities in Florida.
3. If you had any challenges how did you overcome them?
I did well in PA school, I graduated Cum Laude with a 3.6 GPA. The biggest challenge in PA school was without a doubt feeling singled out, like I didn’t belong due to being the only black woman. I don’t think I ever really “overcame” it, I just sort of pushed through, not let it get to me or affect my studies and end goal; and hoped that it did not pour into my career and that more programs would diversify. I definitely, however, made it a mission to work in a more diverse work environment once I became a PA-C.
4.Why do you think it's important that we have more minorities go into different areas of medicine, especially now?
Although there are several reasons why diversity is important specifically in healthcare, the most critical reason is because our people need us. Blacks have a disproportionate rate of developing and dying from many illnesses including heart disease, HIV, diabetes, and most recently COVID-19. Much of this is due to a long history of systemic racism, oppression, and unethical medical experimentations that have left many blacks fearful and distrusting of doctors and medical professionals, specifically those that are not black. This leads to them avoiding regular doctor visits and physicals, not following up, and/or not adhering to their medication regimens. There have been countless times where I have had fellow black patients tell me they are more comfortable being under my care or they feel like I “care more” about their health, which has led to them being more receptive to my advice and treatment. Many of the patients that are ill or have comorbidities are older adults that lived through the Civil Rights Era, Tuskegee Syphilis trials, or Johns Hopkins’s notorious history of experimenting on blacks without their consent. Hence, they have a right to feel the way they do and be weary of the care they will receive. Though we must work collectively to repair the strained patient-provider relationship between African Americans and medical personnel, having a diverse profession will mediate this and help minority patients gain more trust in healthcare workers.
5.Lastly, tell us about Medsembly.
Medsembly is a platform I created to connect healthcare students and professionals globally. The goal is for it to serve as a hub and go-to for all in the medical field. My experience in PA school compelled me to create this app as I yearned to network with other black women in PA programs but didn’t have a practical way to meet them. Everyone’s journey is different in healthcare and we all have our own personal struggles, both while in school and once we get into our respective careers. Therefore, I wanted Medsembly to be an inclusive platform that offers something for everyone across the healthcare sector and truly impact our users, no matter the race, sexual orientation, religious practice or cultural beliefs.
We started branding and growing our audience initially via our social media pages in 2018 and then progressed to development of a mobile application in 2019. The app is currently in beta stage of testing with a target launch date of Fall 2020. Our goal is to create a global healthcare network. Visit our website www.medsembly.com and follow our social media pages @medsembly on all major social platforms to learn more and stay updated!
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Secondly, We have Monique Johnson, who is known for her bubbly personality and compassionate soul. She is passionate about her career and has been a Registered Nurse for 8 years, 5 of which she has worked as a travel nurse all across the United States. She is well seasoned in her field and culturally diverse.
1. Why did you choose medicine or specifically the nursing route and what has been your driving force?
I never actually wanted to be a nurse, but I felt like that is what the Lord was calling me to do, and I’m so glad I listened to His direction. My driving force has been the purposeful feeling I receive from helping others. I feel like serving in this role is my life’s calling.
2. Have you encountered any challenges as a Black Registered Nurse, if yes how did you overcome them?
As a black RN, sometimes people may not think I am the nurse. People think I’m the janitor, secretary or nursing aid. So, many times just feeling the subconscious need to prove that I’m smart, and the added internelized pressure to be more kind and more loving because I don’t want to come across as the “angry black/incompetent woman.” I overcome these challenges by just trying to keep a positive spirit. I wink at people’s ignorance and continue to forgive. I try to pick my battles wisely.
3. Why do you think it's important that we have more minorities go into different areas of medicine, especially now?
I think it’s so important because non-minority medical professionals can definitely have certain stereotypes tied to minority patients that lead to lesser care. I’ve even experienced it as a patient myself with my own health, and medical personnel telling me “well, you’re African American so that condition is probably normal for you.”
No, absolutely not.
Having minority medical professionals can help make you feel that someone is truly looking out for you, and understanding you. Not just stereotyping you and treating you like a textbook.
4. Lastly, what was your experience like coming to New York to assist with Covid-19 cases?
Working with Covid patients in NY, I would say was pretty much like what they were showing on the news. Lots of deaths back to back. It was definitely a sad time. However, it was definitely an honor for me to be there; a once in a lifetime experience I’ll never forget. Being able to be there for patients and families in such a time of need was a privilege. The bonds that were created with other frontline medical professionals, were also very special. How often does a pandemic happen in your lifetime, and how often do you actually get to serve in the heart of a pandemic? So, it was definitely an honor.
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Although, research shows that black women are the most educated group in the US, their compensation, regcontion, and support is still in need of major changes. The fight must continue.
“The most disrespected person in America is the black woman. The most unprotected person in America is the black woman. The most neglected person in America is the black woman.”- Malcolm X
I would love to read your thoughts, leave a comment below..
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