Interviews/Essays: Walking the line between savior complex and genuine desire to serve the underserved

[FuturePediatricNeurosurge]

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Hi all—
I come from a suburban upper middle class family. One of the main themes in my app is how I volunteered on Skid Row in Los Angeles for a summer and was driven to provide care for all— homeless, uninsured, etc.

However, I am seeing some people critique this sort of theme, saying it comes off as being too white savior-like. I was wondering if anyone has thoughts about this. When is this sort of theme viewed as genuine versus feigned? Should I even care and just try to put my best foot forward?

Thanks!

 

[Azaesal]

Hi all—
I come from a suburban upper middle class family. One of the main themes in my app is how I volunteered on Skid Row in Los Angeles for a summer and was driven to provide care for all— homeless, uninsured, etc.

However, I am seeing some people critique this sort of theme, saying it comes off as being too white savior-like. I was wondering if anyone has thoughts about this. When is this sort of theme viewed as genuine versus feigned? Should I even care and just try to put my best foot forward?

Thanks!

It depends on how you write and frame it. I don’t see it as a bad thing from a big-picture POV. How you write about it and reflect on it is what matters. Shoot a DM with what you wrote if you want more eyes on it!

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Hi all—
I come from a suburban upper middle class family. One of the main themes in my app is how I volunteered on Skid Row in Los Angeles for a summer and was driven to provide care for all— homeless, uninsured, etc.

However, I am seeing some people critique this sort of theme, saying it comes off as being too white savior-like. I was wondering if anyone has thoughts about this. When is this sort of theme viewed as genuine versus feigned? Should I even care and just try to put my best foot forward?

Thanks!

Focus on you. Haters gonna hate.

That said, to answer your question, how you connect this activity to your purpose as a physician will determine how I believe your interest in that activity was genuine or an attempt at "standing out." You did say you got an II, so it can't be horrible.

 

[PickaGodnPray]

I believe what is typically seen as more "white savior" complexes are premeds that go to foreign countries on vacation, do maybe a few hours of shadowing/clinical outreach, then spend the rest of the time on vacation. Also, while I am always for people serving in these areas and believe there should be no borders to care, but we do currently have numerous underserved populations in the states that requires support (veterans, unhoused, uninsured, etc). I am always curious when talking with premeds why they HAD to go abroad to serve these groups while also having none of said service on their application in the states?

 

[Azaesal]

Focus on you. Haters gonna hate.

That said, to answer your question, how you connect this activity to your purpose as a physician will determine how I believe your interest in that activity was genuine or an attempt at "standing out." You did say you got an II, so it can't be horrible.

I agree. Haters gonna hate!!

 

[Hollow Knight]

I'm like, flamboyantly progressive, but criticism like the above gets under even my skin. You did a good thing. Don't listen to people who want to drag you down. We need more people serving the underserved, not less.

If a school criticizes you for that you probably don't want to attend a place like that, ya know?

Edit: however, to @PickaGodnPray 's point (hilarious username lol), I do think "missionary tourism" is a bad look. If you went to a foreign country and helped build a hospital or a school or something and were working like a dog while you were there, that's a great thing, but if you were mostly just "experiencing the local culture" or whatever it can be viewed at best neutrally and possibly as a negative.

 

[Heyigotnoclue]

I believe what is typically seen as more "white savior" complexes are premeds that go to foreign countries on vacation, do maybe a few hours of shadowing/clinical outreach, then spend the rest of the time on vacation. Also, while I am always for people serving in these areas and believe there should be no borders to care, but we do currently have numerous underserved populations in the states that requires support (veterans, unhoused, uninsured, etc). I am always curious when talking with premeds why they HAD to go abroad to serve these groups while also having none of said service on their application in the states?

I agree with this. I was told to do a service trip, but there is a soup kitchen not too far from where I live, So I'm there every Saturday morning. It has certainly opened my eyes to how much poverty and need there is right under our noses. I've been volunteering there for over a year and hopefully it will be seen as a sincere endeavor, which it is. But if admissions want an excuse to reject us, they can nitpick about sooo many things. In the end, there is only so much you can control.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Becoming a Student Doctor has a section about how health professions schools serve homeless people. Don't apologize for it, and make sure your chosen school sees your value.

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/10/us/medical-respite-care-homeless.html?unlocked_article_code=1.gU8.MOCr.6T8JXGhKIYbe&smid=nytcore-android-share

 

[FuturePediatricNeurosurge]

Becoming a Student Doctor has a section about how health professions schools serve homeless people. Don't apologize for it, and make sure your chosen school sees your value.

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/10/us/medical-respite-care-homeless.html?unlocked_article_code=1.gU8.MOCr.6T8JXGhKIYbe&smid=nytcore-android-share

Thanks for sharing these. 🙂

I think some people just have a tendency to assume the worst in others. I'll try not to let it bother me too much.

Edit: And there definitely are people who will say they want to devote their lives to serving the underserved only to go on to become plastic surgeons in Beverly Hills (exaggerated, but you get the point). So in that sense, I do see why these types of patient-population goals are questioned.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Thanks for sharing these. 🙂

I think some people just have a tendency to assume the worst in others. I'll try not to let it bother me too much.

Edit: And there definitely are people who will say they want to devote their lives to serving the underserved only to go on to become plastic surgeons in Beverly Hills (exaggerated, but you get the point). So in that sense, I do see why these types of patient-population goals are questioned.

It doesn't matter that they become plastic surgeons in the end. The destination still goes through the same journey of addressing healthcare needs of every person they meet along the way, including those who are disenfranchised. There will be plenty of people you have or will meet who are performative with their empathy for others. Find those who aren't.

50. The Unseen Cost Of Trauma: Unemployment And... : Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery – Global Open

An abstract is unavailable.

journals.lww.com

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamasurgery/article-abstract/2793983

 

[PickaGodnPray]

The destination still goes through the same journey of addressing healthcare needs of every person they meet along the way, including those who are disenfranchised.

Yes but having a med student help out for 4 years does not do enough to address health disparities, especially if it takes away a spot from someone that would actually stay in urban/rural health. No way of actually knowing that ahead of admissions, but maybe having scholarships for primary care in rural or urban settings would make students stay if they don’t have to worry about massive med school debt. Could do the same thing for students staying in their current states post graduating to ensure care is directed where it is needed.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Yes but having a med student help out for 4 years does not do enough to address health disparities, especially if it takes away a spot from someone that would actually stay in urban/rural health. No way of actually knowing that ahead of admissions, but maybe having scholarships for primary care in rural or urban settings would make students stay if they don’t have to worry about massive med school debt. Could do the same thing for students staying in their current states post graduating to ensure care is directed where it is needed.

True that, but medical schools train doctors for all fields. There is a limit for virtue-testing everyone. Priorities also change once you hit clerkships.

We do have more mechanisms for scholarships for primary care in rural/urban settings (NHSC, 3-year tracks, UC-PRIME programs). The incentives will still be there, even if it's not the same package as "Northern Exposure" (if you get a chance to bing-watch that show).

 

[notEinstein]

If you went to a foreign country and helped build a hospital or a school or something and were working like a dog while you were there, that's a great thing

Medicine aside, as someone who was a business executive for over a decade and was in charge of hiring for some of that time.... this always rubbed me the wrong way.

It didn't doom an applicant for a job, but it did make me think "This person is from Chicago. There are 20k unhoused people with hundreds of shelters and soup kitchens in Chicago that desperately need volunteers and help, but this person decided to go to Uganda to help instead. And as I look through their CV, there is very little volunteering in the applicants locale, but a large emphasis on overseas work. Why?"

It always made me wonder if it was performative.