Do you guys do the "Hospital Nod"?

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
DoctaJay

DoctaJay

bone breaker
Moderator Emeritus
Verified Member
Verified Expert
15+ Year Member
Joined
Jan 23, 2005
Messages
3,016
Reaction score
52
I go to a school in SoCal where black people are truly sparse. I know that we don't have more than 10 black attendings. So its interesting when I'm in the hospital with my white coat and I see another black person (whether it be nurse, medstudent, janitor) walking in the hallway, it doesn't matter how many other people are in the hallway, but our eyes always meet and we give each other the hospital nod and smile. Almost like a silent acknowledgment between an endangered species. I usually never actually have time to stop and talk with them therefore I don't actually know them, yet we can't help but give the nod. Does this happen at your hospital?
Members don't see this ad.
 
Haha! We do this at my undergraduate university. Since my school is 2% black 1% Hispanic, we pretty much all give one another "the nod" when we see each other, whether we really know each other or not. It's like an unwritten code.
 
ChemEngMD said:
Haha! We do this at my undergraduate university. Since my school is 2% black 1% Hispanic, we pretty much all give one another "the nod" when we see each other, whether we really know each other or not. It's like an unwritten code.
Click to expand...
Dam I love brothers:laugh: we too cool for our own good
 
Members don't see this ad :)
Definitely. But this goes for anywhere and everywhere. It does feel like I rarely see any black dudes at all where I'm at. And it's funny because when I'm walking with friends/wife/etc...they'll ask me "Oh, you know that guy?" And I go No, it's just something we do...lol
 
DoctaJay said:
I go to a school in SoCal where black people are truly sparse. I know that we don't have more than 10 black attendings. So its interesting when I'm in the hospital with my white coat and I see another black person (whether it be nurse, medstudent, janitor) walking in the hallway, it doesn't matter how many other people are in the hallway, but our eyes always meet and we give each other the hospital nod and smile. Almost like a silent acknowledgment between an endangered species. I usually never actually have time to stop and talk with them therefore I don't actually know them, yet we can't help but give the nod. Does this happen at your hospital?
Click to expand...

I do this too. The best thing that happened to me was when as chief resident on trauma, I walked into the trauma bay where an older black gentleman lay on the stretcher. He looked at me when I told him that I was the chief resident and just relaxed. It was awesome and I made sure that everything went well for him. Our folks just want to see us do well and take care of them. It's a great feeling.
 
This thread is so funny but so true. My head nod is usually followed by a "what up man" to a male or a "how ya doing" to a female. It really is a bonding moment even for just that brief second.
 
I do it with black women as well, more of a smile than a nod.
 
I do it with black men and women, and it's a smile and a quick tilt up of the chin, lol
Quite honestly, I've nearly always been in an environment where minorities are scarce, so it genuinely brings a smile to my face to see another
 
PinkIvy08 said:
I do it with black men and women, and it's a smile and a quick tilt up of the chin, lol
Quite honestly, I've nearly always been in an environment where minorities are scarce, so it genuinely brings a smile to my face to see another
Click to expand...

+1, however some of the sistas get a little intimidated and don't actually look at me until we've already passed each other :D
 
jvesco22 said:
+1, however some of the sistas get a little intimidated and don't actually look at me until we've already passed each other :D
Click to expand...


Cause son is THAT good looking....watch ya self ladies....or it's cause he's got a weird ass beard like dude in his picture lol
 
DoctaJay said:
I go to a school in SoCal where black people are truly sparse. I know that we don't have more than 10 black attendings. So its interesting when I'm in the hospital with my white coat and I see another black person (whether it be nurse, medstudent, janitor) walking in the hallway, it doesn't matter how many other people are in the hallway, but our eyes always meet and we give each other the hospital nod and smile. Almost like a silent acknowledgment between an endangered species. I usually never actually have time to stop and talk with them therefore I don't actually know them, yet we can't help but give the nod. Does this happen at your hospital?
Click to expand...

Are we talkin' the downward ''how ya doin'' nod, or the upward ''what's up'' nod? I tend to mix it up with a little of both depending on my mood.
 
Last edited:
Members don't see this ad :)
i tend to do the downward nod in more professional settings and the upward tilt nod in less-professional settings..lol
 
Lol I agree with with PlatinumPenny. I tend to do the downward nod in the hospital and a smile. Outside the hospital is the upward nod. With females I tend not to smile very widely as to not send the wrong message.

Sent from my Nexus One using Tapatalk
 
You guys are silly!!! But this is so true!!!
 
I definitely do this as well. lol
 
This is cool I cant wait to do it when I'm in medical school :D
black power *raises fist*
 
Here in Baltimore there are a lot of black doctors, at all levels of responsibility and in all specialties. The head-nod is always silent, with a mere hint of a smile - more in line of "we made it in spite of all the **** we delt with". Even though here at Hopkins talent rises to the top, those black doctors who make it to the executive level and/or as department heads are really admired and respected. :thumbup:
 
haa i deff to the head nod.

is it weird that i'm a female and i also do the upward nod?
smh
 
Happens to me all the time in the hospital..im also in So Cal. Like DoctaJay, I also go with the downward nod in the hospital lol
 
.
 
Last edited:
Definitely the downward nod to other brothers in the hospital. Upward nod outside. Ladies get the smile and 'hi.'
 
This explains a lot. Why for instance my nods are off cue. Missing their target. Airballs into outer space. Floating strangely out of orbit.

I'm like "well hello there my friend.." (big nod).....? Vacant looks. Like I just farted at Sunday dinner.

Hmmm. I just made some sort of gesticular faux pas.. . (to myself).

It's clear to me. The problem is obvious. I'm white.

Thank you.

But then. What the cross-racial equivalent of a nod? Perplexing.
 
njbmd said:
I do this too. The best thing that happened to me was when as chief resident on trauma, I walked into the trauma bay where an older black gentleman lay on the stretcher. He looked at me when I told him that I was the chief resident and just relaxed. It was awesome and I made sure that everything went well for him. Our folks just want to see us do well and take care of them. It's a great feeling.
Click to expand...


I want that feeling!
 
njbmd said:
I do this too. The best thing that happened to me was when as chief resident on trauma, I walked into the trauma bay where an older black gentleman lay on the stretcher. He looked at me when I told him that I was the chief resident and just relaxed. It was awesome and I made sure that everything went well for him. Our folks just want to see us do well and take care of them. It's a great feeling.
Click to expand...


Does that mean he assumed you'd take better care of him because you are black? Interesting.....
 
Not quite interesting at all if you think about it. That older black gentlemen has most likely not seen very many black doctors in his lifetime. So when njbmd walked in, he probably assumed she was a nurse or a janitor (our normal positions in the hospital). So when she announced herself as the doctor..and not just that, but the chief of the residents he was probably quite proud and comforted at the same time.

Also as you remember from your psych class, there could also be a Transference Reaction taking place. Unconsciously, njbmd could have reminded him of his daughter (much more so because she is black), and because this man's daughter loves him and takes good care of him, he automatically assumes those traits on njbmd,without even knowing it.

Also this man could be wary of seeing any doctor (as most older blacks are because of the Tuskegee Syphilis incident and many others), so the fact that njbmd was simply kind to him and courteous, and happened to remind him of his daughter all worked together to comfort him.

So there are many more angles to approach the subject which I hope you consider before jumping to conclusions.
 
DoctaJay said:
Not quite interesting at all if you think about it. That older black gentlemen has most likely not seen very many black doctors in his lifetime. So when njbmd walked in, he probably assumed she was a nurse or a janitor (our normal positions in the hospital). So when she announced herself as the doctor..and not just that, but the chief of the residents he was probably quite proud and comforted at the same time.

Also as you remember from your psych class, there could also be a Transference Reaction taking place. Unconsciously, njbmd could have reminded him of his daughter (much more so because she is black), and because this man's daughter loves him and takes good care of him, he automatically assumes those traits on njbmd,without even knowing it.

Also this man could be wary of seeing any doctor (as most older blacks are because of the Tuskegee Syphilis incident and many others), so the fact that njbmd was simply kind to him and courteous, and happened to remind him of his daughter all worked together to comfort him.

So there are many more angles to approach the subject which I hope you consider before jumping to conclusions.
Click to expand...

Well said, there was an SDN poster (supposedly a senior surgical resident) who took it upon himself to mock NJBMD's post about a black patient being comforted by the fact that his physician was a black woman.

In response, I was tempted to articulate what you have articulated above and more, but I didn't, almost out of disbelief that anyone could get through a collegiate and Medical educational system in a country with such a rich racial history without at least having been versed in aspects of racial and cultural competence. The possibility of such being true was too disheartening for me to reconcile with, so I chose to be silent. I've never resided in any other region than the Northeast, so I assumed his ignorance was due to a geographical difference, and that he, like many others, was just a product of his environment.
 
I desperately want to come here and comment, but I surmise that it would be nothing more than throwing gasoline on an already-raging bonfire. (Note: I didn't say "inferno".)

Biff
 
what if you nod and they don't nod back? how does that make you feel? makes me feel stupid.
 
I wish everyone had a "thing" like this between them

(i guess that wouldn't make it a "thing" at all :D)
 
FriendlyFace said:
what if you nod and they don't nod back? how does that make you feel? makes me feel stupid.
Click to expand...
Well you avoid that sort of thing by first making eye contact (without looking like a creep) and then after that has been reciprocated you do the headnod, I've almost never missed
 
UnlikelyPreMed said:
Hhahahahhahaahha!! This thread is hilarious!!! I can't wait to give/receive the nod!
Click to expand...

That didn't sound right at all :smuggrin:

Maalik Ashtaar said:
Well you avoid that sort of thing by first making eye contact (without looking like a creep) and then after that has been reciprocated you do the headnod, I've almost never missed
Click to expand...

spoken like a true gent
 
I thought I was one of the only people who noticed there was a science behind throwing the nod to other brothas like that. I especially like it when its an older dude, it makes me feel like I'm making him proud or something, you know?
 
I usually just smile or say hello. I like having an unspoken connection with staff and patients. This was really helpful for me on surgery since a lot of the OR techs were black. What was weird was that there were a couple of janitors that always made it a point to say hello to me but not to the other people around me. Awkward.
 
I tried doing the nod to other races but for some reason I only get it back from other minorities, doesn't matter what their job title is.
 
Maalik Ashtaar said:
Well you avoid that sort of thing by first making eye contact (without looking like a creep) and then after that has been reciprocated you do the headnod, I've almost never missed
Click to expand...
werd. nice play-by-play breakdown
 
i was thinking that that is more than a hospital nod. That is an everywhere nod.
at one interview, a professor followed the "nod" up with a "i am so glad to see you here".
 
alot of ppl just nod to say hi...i dont know if it is cultural cuz come to think of it i do see many ppl doing it. i dont though.. it is usually guys..
 
LOL! This is my first post and I just had to say something because its definitely a cultural thing that extends beyond the hospital. People nod and/or smile at my undergrad school. My friends and I nicknamed it the "Black Salute". The older generations are definitely proud of us. I've had older African American adults be so proud that I'm in college/heading towards med school that they'll stop me just to tell me.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Next unread thread

Similar threads

A
Why I cant find other black guys premed?
Replies
8
Views
3K
LimpSpatula
L
J
Trying to work at UCLA hospital
Replies
0
Views
1K
jreynaga24
J
B
Career questions
Replies
2
Views
961
avgn
avgn
T
How did you guys afford this whole process?
Replies
11
Views
4K
tonguetalker
T
U
help guys
Replies
2
Views
1K
ozzi22
ozzi22
Top