Rooted in Justice
Rooted in Justice
I have been sitting with some reflections from this past weekend and had some powerful conversations with mimentor leadership and @paola_lepe. It’s important we stay transparent with our experiences and journey in medicine so that those that come next know that their journeys can also be imperfect while also being fulfilling and a dream come true. It’s been about 5 months into residency and I am living out my dream in a program crafted in a framework that roots my values. This weeks conversations and weekends reflection kept me accountable to my internal voice, to the alarm that sounds off when things don’t feel right. Residency is hard and it is not always because of the severity of patients, the complexity of their care, or reality of being an intern. Really at any point there is so much you don’t know in conflict with so much you are expected to know in conflict with how much you wish you knew. The hardest part is the system of medicine and healthcare. I’m sitting with the question- How do we embody anti-oppression in our interpersonal interactions, in our training programs, and our crafting of interdisciplinary teams? How can we eliminate oppressive systems for our patients if we perpetuate systems in our training that oppress us and breed power imbalances? It’s hard to be part of a system that you must work within while also trying to dismantle it so you can build new realities and new ways of healing and caring for communities. Abolition is sitting center in my mind and heart. Abolition is what is needed for our communities and for us to care for patients in ways that feel more whole and rooted in justice. I’m challenging myself and others to ask why we are ok with the phrase “thats just residency” or “that’s just intern year.” That is how oppression shows up, that is how it’s weaved into the system and part of the norm. We must think critically, beyond these phrases and ask how that has allowed for the norm to be oppression. Sending all the love to those who feel they must smile through residency just to survive. It’s ok to live your dream and to be critical of the experience.#abolition #livingmydream #pediatrics #rootedinjustice