Another Case of Discrimination
One thing that came up in my mind after today's class is a story in the news that also deals with discrimination. There was a girl who was badly injured in a fire accident when she was young, and she survived only through the help of her doctor. However, her life came at the cost of her appearance; the right side of her face is permanently covered with scar tissue.
With a heart filled with appreciation and admiration for doctors, she decided that she would become a medical professional in the future. Through steadfast determination, she excelled in her academic work and sported an outstanding resumé. When she applied for her dream medical school, she effortlessly passed the paper stage of elimination. Overjoyed, she went to a personal interview at the school.
After considering her driving enthusiasm and incredible credentials, the school rejected her. The school said that they cannot accept her because her scars from the fire might frighten future patients and make them feel uncomfortable.
Is the school really making the right decistion? Am I willing to accept a doctor like her?
Comments
Posted by: Amanda Juliano
Posted on: September 9, 2005 03:56 PM
I think the school was right in assuming the scars could potentially make future patients uncomfortable. I'm sure we can all think back to a time when we saw someone with serious scarring and it was hard for us not to look and wonder. It's a reasonable thought to have that she would make her patients uncomfortable. However, I do not agree with them not granting her admission to med school. She was qualified and wanted to be there. If she was a good doctor, I wouldn't mind having her as my own physician.