The Secret to Getting Better Health Care: Be Different
Do Patients Have to Perform to Be Taken Seriously in Medicine? How does "respectability politics" play out in healthcare, and specifically, pain management? PA1 Chloe Kepros, M1 Zach Grissom, M1 Srishti Mathur and M3 Jeff Goddard unpack how patients often adjust their behavior and appearance to gain credibility in medical spaces. From the history of pain measurement to the biases in how pain is treated today, the cultural and social dynamics shaping the decisions healthcare providers make about their patients' pain is more than an academic exercise. When patients feel they must dress up for doctor visits, use advanced terminology, or even give their pain scale number a little boost, just to be taken seriously, is that just society in action? Or is it a barrier to care? What does it mean to be truly seen in medical spaces? Plus, pre-med listener Violet asks about balancing vulnerability and professionalism during med school interviews.