Anyone else experience this?

[Lolscan]

I just finished my third year rotations. On reflection and speaking to my classmates that was at the same site, we all came to this conclusion: Non-asians (mostly white people) can not tell asians apart.

From my own personal experience, if there are more than 2 asians on a team (or even if we are standing next to each other), our attendings, nurses and support staff at baystate can not tell us apart. The scenario is almost like an episode of "the office" where Steve Carrel had to mark one of the asian girls at the office to tell them apart.

Now for the most part, we found this situation incredibly hilarious. However, on the other side of the issue, if they can't recognize you as an individual how are they suppose to grade you? I've gotten **** for things my teammate did and I have also been paged because they mixed up the wrong asian. And this happens on EVERY rotation.

Now do you guys think of this? Not necessarily malicious racism but racism out of ignorance. Because all in all, I do feel like asians get graded harder (especially if you fit into the "quiet book worm" stereotype).

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[OveractiveBrain]

I just finished my third year rotations. On reflection and speaking to my classmates that was at the same site, we all came to this conclusion: Non-asians (mostly white people) can not tell asians apart.

From my own personal experience, if there are more than 2 asians on a team (or even if we are standing next to each other), our attendings, nurses and support staff at baystate can not tell us apart. The scenario is almost like an episode of "the office" where Steve Carrel had to mark one of the asian girls at the office to tell them apart.

Now for the most part, we found this situation incredibly hilarious. However, on the other side of the issue, if they can't recognize you as an individual how are they suppose to grade you? I've gotten **** for things my teammate did and I have also been paged because they mixed up the wrong asian. And this happens on EVERY rotation.

Now do you guys think of this? Not necessarily malicious racism but racism out of ignorance. Because all in all, I do feel like asians get graded harder (especially if you fit into the "quiet book worm" stereotype).

WOW! Jackie Chan is posting on SDN!

 

[qmcat]

dye your hair and eyebrows blonde

 

[han14tra]

I just finished my third year rotations. On reflection and speaking to my classmates that was at the same site, we all came to this conclusion: Non-asians (mostly white people) can not tell asians apart.

From my own personal experience, if there are more than 2 asians on a team (or even if we are standing next to each other), our attendings, nurses and support staff at baystate can not tell us apart. The scenario is almost like an episode of "the office" where Steve Carrel had to mark one of the asian girls at the office to tell them apart.

Now for the most part, we found this situation incredibly hilarious. However, on the other side of the issue, if they can't recognize you as an individual how are they suppose to grade you? I've gotten **** for things my teammate did and I have also been paged because they mixed up the wrong asian. And this happens on EVERY rotation.

Now do you guys think of this? Not necessarily malicious racism but racism out of ignorance. Because all in all, I do feel like asians get graded harder (especially if you fit into the "quiet book worm" stereotype).

I am a white woman, and I do find it somewhat hard to tell my asian classmates apart. For the most part, it's because of your hair....yes, your hair. Most asian girls I've seen have long, straight, pretty black hair. Most guys also have very similar hair styles too. From behind, it's hard to tell you apart. So, I guess you could die your hair, curl it, or get a really unique hair cut if you are worried about it.

 

[KnuxNole]

You mean there is a difference?

Kidding kidding. but seriously...I'm not "white" and I even can't tell the difference between a Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Taiwanese male/female at all.

 

[Substance]

If you can't tell Asians apart, you haven't seen enough of them.

There are obvious differences between Asians of different ethnicities.

 

[SlickNickMD]

This is comedy but I can tell Asians apart, I can even tell what nationalityethnicity an Asian is from based on their look. I think a lot of non-Asians 1. Don't make the effort 2. Just have little exposure to Asians (which is kinda rare in our chosen profession).

One of my friends got called the name of one of our residents several times, and they look NOTHING alike. I was baffled. People ignore other distinguishing features like body type, height, even skin tone. It's embarassing.

 

[Lolscan]

This is comedy but I can tell Asians apart, I can even tell what nationalityethnicity an Asian is from based on their look. I think a lot of non-Asians 1. Don't make the effort 2. Just have little exposure to Asians (which is kinda rare in our chosen profession).

One of my friends got called the name of one of our residents several times, and they look NOTHING alike. I was baffled. People ignore other distinguishing features like body type, height, even skin tone. It's embarassing.

Ugh which begs the questions how are you suppose to grade someone if you can't even tell them apart.

 

[KnuxNole]

This is comedy but I can tell Asians apart, I can even tell what nationalityethnicity an Asian is from based on their look. I think a lot of non-Asians 1. Don't make the effort 2. Just have little exposure to Asians (which is kinda rare in our chosen profession).

One of my friends got called the name of one of our residents several times, and they look NOTHING alike. I was baffled. People ignore other distinguishing features like body type, height, even skin tone. It's embarassing.

really? I see a decent amount of Asians but not that much....

 

[TallScrubs]

"Well are you Chinese or Japanese?"

 

[moneytree]

"Well are you Chinese or Japanese?"

Chang: Guess who I am.
Britta: Michelle Kwon?
Chang: Wrong.
Jeff: Kristi Yamaguchi?
Chang: Peggy Fleming. You've just been proven racist by the racist prover!

 

[Abider]

Chang: Guess who I am.
Britta: Michelle Kwon?
Chang: Wrong.
Jeff: Kristi Yamaguchi?
Chang: Peggy Fleming. You've just been proven racist by the racist prover!

Dr. Ken is a bad@ss.

OP, where do you school?

It comes down to familiarity. You could find examples of this artifact of human cognition whenever one phenotype is rare and the majority lack exposure.

It's tough to be in your shoes. But if you want a change try working or training in California or some place with enough Asians to form distinct communities. On the west coast Latinos get it in the sense that their all considered Mexican.

Sorry bro but most of my vanilla brethren have only seen the one or two asian kids in their school.

 

[Lolscan]

Dr. Ken is a bad@ss.

OP, where do you school?

It comes down to familiarity. You could find examples of this artifact of human cognition whenever one phenotype is rare and the majority lack exposure.

It's tough to be in your shoes. But if you want a change try working or training in California or some place with enough Asians to form distinct communities. On the west coast Latinos get it in the sense that their all considered Mexican.

Sorry bro but most of my vanilla brethren have only seen the one or two asian kids in their school.

Good advice. My rotations were at baystate medical center. Safe to say I would never go back because it is a night and days difference at the boston clinical locations.

 

[Rokitansky]

I just finished my third year rotations. On reflection and speaking to my classmates that was at the same site, we all came to this conclusion: Non-asians (mostly white people) can not tell asians apart.

From my own personal experience, if there are more than 2 asians on a team (or even if we are standing next to each other), our attendings, nurses and support staff at baystate can not tell us apart. The scenario is almost like an episode of "the office" where Steve Carrel had to mark one of the asian girls at the office to tell them apart.

Now for the most part, we found this situation incredibly hilarious. However, on the other side of the issue, if they can't recognize you as an individual how are they suppose to grade you? I've gotten **** for things my teammate did and I have also been paged because they mixed up the wrong asian. And this happens on EVERY rotation.

Now do you guys think of this? Not necessarily malicious racism but racism out of ignorance. Because all in all, I do feel like asians get graded harder (especially if you fit into the "quiet book worm" stereotype).

 

[moneytree]

Sometimes this can work to an Asian person's advantage. One of our best residents is a really handsome white guy (I'm a hetero white guy, so I think I'm pretty objective on this). He had so many girls drooling after him. He started dating an Asian student who was 1 year ahead of my class. She matched into the same specialty and is now one of our interns and they just got engaged. She has the personality of a doorknob and she has a so-ugly-it-makes-you-wanna-cry face. The only explanation we have is that this guy can't tell anything about Asian features and all Asians must look the same to him. He must have wanted an Asian girl and she's just a stereotypical skinny Asian girl. This was bugging the **** out of a couple of the Asian girls in my class. I wonder if he'll realize how ugly she is when he meets some more Asians.

Maybe she has a nice personality?

 

[Eilat87]

Solution: You have to not live in certain areas of the US where everyone is white.

 

[GOMERE]

Maybe she has a nice personality?

Hehehe. Love it!
Yah the asian girl on House was ugly. They just had to pick the ugliest of the bunch

 

[Lolscan]

Solution: You have to not live in certain areas of the US where everyone is white.

Problem: I don't get to choose where I get accepted and where I match....

 

[Depakote]

Let's keep the comments in this thread tactful and constructive, thanks.