TriHealth Bridge

October 16, 2020

Breaking Unconscious Bias
 
I am Latina and proud of it. I was born in New York City and raised in the Dominican Republic, a beautiful and impoverished island in the Caribbean Sea. My skin is golden brown. I am curvy with curly hair and speak English with a Spanish accent.
 
Today I could share with you many trivial facts about my heritage, but instead I want to use this opportunity to embrace diversity and cultivate a mindset of growth.  
 
We all have stereotypes and most of us may have experienced being the object of “Stereotyping” by others. Put simply, stereotypes help us operate effectively in a complex fast-paced reality. The tendency of the human mind is to construct a narrative and build a relationship of events whether it has all the requisite information to do so or not. Our brains do this quickly in order to determine if it needs to “fight or fly” – and yes, you guessed right, it uses stereotypes to fill in those gaps. This is called implicit or unconscious bias. 
 
For example, when most people hear the sentence, “My friend is a doctor,” the image that the mind conjures up is that of a middle-aged white male wearing a white lab coat. I hope you noticed that the sentence didn’t specify gender, age or ethnicity. This is an automated process of unconscious assumptions (biases) based on previous experiences, television shows, social media, etc. Although stereotypes may simply be an accident of our personal or collective experiences, they tend to be treated as if they were rules to be followed. Therefore, the problem with stereotypes is that – although they are not based on rational, reasoned thinking – they tend to be automatically, unconsciously applied in making decisions about people, including judging their skills and competence.
 
It would be a shame if anyone’s career choices or career progression were to be influenced by irrational assumptions. Do not let this person be you! So long as unconscious biases and assumptions remain unconscious and out of awareness, they can interfere with our thinking processes and our perception of ourselves and our peers. They can put obstacles in our way and can prevent us from fulfilling our aspirations and achieving our potential. 
 
When it comes to treating patients, this becomes an even more complex situation. Attitudes and stereotypes toward individuals of different ethnic backgrounds affect our understanding and influence our decisions and actions in an unconscious manner. This could be dangerous in our line of work, affecting our ability to care for our patients in a respectful and compassionate manner and negatively impacting health outcomes. 
 
By learning what stereotypes and unconscious biases we tend to have, and how they influence our thinking, we can learn to identify them and disable their effect in making decisions. Effectively breaking stereotypes will allow us to make judgments consciously and rationally in each situation.
 
If you were to discover that you unconsciously assume doctors to be white middle-aged males, with a deep voice, you could ask yourself, “What makes me assume that a doctor should have these characteristics? Which of these characteristics are actually necessary or useful in being a doctor?”
 
If I were to discover that you unconsciously assume doctors to be white middle-aged males with a deep voice, I would tell you that you are wrong. Instead, you should think of a gorgeous, smart, compassionate, and caring golden-skinned curly-haired woman like me… and that is that is my rambunctious Hispanic heritage talking.
 
 

Overall Rating:

Comments:

Betsy, very well written. Thanks for letting your personality come through, it really helps to make the point about implicit bias. TriHealth is blessed to have you on their team.
Posted by: Will Groneman on October 24, 2020
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Thank you for sharing your story with all of us Dr. Peerless! I enjoyed learning more about you and everyone on the panel and the Hispanic-American experience during the Town Hall.
Posted by: Team Member on October 23, 2020
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A clear and engaging summary of implicit bias. I can relate without feeling defensive.
Posted by: Rhoda Fahr on October 22, 2020
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THANKYOU FOR YOUR EXPRESSIONS AND REALISTIC OUTLOOK ON LIFE.WE SHOULD ALLWAYS TRY TO SEE THINGS FROM ANOTHER POINT OF VIEW. HAYWOOD JONES OCTOBER 22/2020
Posted by: Haywood Jones on October 22, 2020
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Dr. Peerless - Your rambunctious Hispanic heritage talking points have never been shared in such an understandable and compassionate manner. YOU are a true example of a servant leader who is respected by ALL.
Posted by: Linda Behlmer on October 21, 2020
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Great way to connect the dots! Love your passion for your culture, your patients, your colleagues, and most importantly yourself! If we do not love and appreciate ourselves, how can we truly love and appreciate others.
Posted by: David Cook on October 21, 2020
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Very well said! You are amazing!
Posted by: Joanne Thompson on October 21, 2020
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Thank you for your never failing encouragement and compassion! You rock!
Posted by: Mary Thesken on October 21, 2020
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Thank you Dr. Peerless for your comments concerning unconscious bias.
Posted by: Denise Ross on October 21, 2020
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Great explanation of stereotyping and unconscious bias and how they impact decisions we make AND how we can work to identify and overcome them! Thank you for sharing!
Posted by: Jennifer Skinner on October 21, 2020
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WE ARE HISPANIC AND SHOULD BE PROUD FOR EACH OTHER ACCOMPLISHMENTS.
Posted by: Carmen Whitehead on October 21, 2020
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Excellent explanation of unconscious bias! Well done. I hope many read this article. Great job Dr. Peerless!
Posted by: Kim Blanton on October 21, 2020
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Awesome... Awesome!!! Thank you for this teaching moment. What a great article on stereotyping. I greatly appreciate you sharing your experience and showing us how this thinking impacts our lives... Peace
Posted by: Bridget Rhodenbaugh on October 21, 2020
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God Bless you for all of your accomplishments! It is inspiring to read about your journey, and where you are today.We are all equal in this life. Thank You for being who you are & being a part of TriHealth!
Posted by: Kathy Baker on October 21, 2020
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I am so happy to have Dr. Peerless as my primary care physician. There is no better!
Posted by: Mary Piekarski on October 21, 2020
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Bravo, Dr. Peerless!!!
Posted by: Nancy Roach on October 21, 2020
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Thank you for sharing and I appreciated the Townhall yesterday to learn more about the Hispanic culture and heritage.
Posted by: Stacy Kelly on October 21, 2020
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