Med school apologizes to students "triggered" by a test question

[underthesun]

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Indiana University Professor Apologizes for Triggering Medical Students With 'I Can't Breathe' Exam Question

An assistant professor at Indiana University School of Medicine apologized after an exam question that used the phrasing "I can't...

reason.com

It's absolutely absurd to me that students can complain about this, and even worse that schools pander to it and issue apologies when they did nothing wrong. I'm not sure how you can expect to be a doctor and handle stressful situations if you are so "triggered" by a TEST QUESTION. Also, what happens when a patient shows up in the ED with a COPD exacerbation stating "I can't breathe"? Are you just going to walk out of the room because you are triggered? People say ACTUALLY terrible things in real life, and you can't control that.

I'm NOT saying that I agree with all of the sentiments expressed in the article, and it goes too far IMO when it becomes political and delves into the transgender issues. But I do agree that this cry for "safe spaces" free from microaggressions is getting to be a little bit too much.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

The question has probably been used for years and is just recycled.

 

[Butters Stotch]

Lol the PC culture has already infiltrated academia; unfortunately not many people want to address/fix it. And ironically academia was the one to create PC culture

 

[Iz_FtB]

Med school admission committees selected for this kind of nonsense, and now educators and clinicians are left to figure out how to manage it.

The level headed ones are keeping their heads down and profile low in order to GTFO and get to practicing medicine. That leaves the students operating on a hair trigger the ones with the dominant voice. Hard to imagine wanton belligerence translating to good medicine, but we'll see.

 

[altblue]

Med school admission committees selected for this kind of nonsense, and now educators and clinicians are left to figure out how to manage it.

The level headed ones are keeping their heads down and profile low in order to GTFO and get to practicing medicine. That leaves the students operating on a hair trigger the ones with the dominant voice. Hard to imagine wanton belligerence translating to good medicine, but we'll see.

Idk I've kind of noticed the opposite. The problem students in our class also tend to never speak out explicitly, but they sure as hell aren't quiet in anatomy lab, team activities... you know, racist, misogynistic etc.

I'd rather someone in med school be too vocal and conscientious of other people like the OP's example than not conscientious enough

 

[TRPMinus]

Idk I've kind of noticed the opposite. The problem students in our class also tend to never speak out explicitly, but they sure as hell aren't quiet in anatomy lab, team activities... you know, racist, misogynistic etc.

I'd rather someone in med school be too vocal and conscientious of other people like the OP's example than not conscientious enough

This isn’t being “conscientious”, it’s being ridiculous

 

[altblue]

This isn’t being “conscientious”, it’s being ridiculous

Lol, why do you care so much about one "ridiculous" complaint? Why not just move on?

That's what I don't get about these anti political correctness cowboys like Reason, they themselves are so very sensitive when these issues do come up

 

[Kr#36]

Lol, why do you care so much about one "ridiculous" complaint? Why not just move on?

That's what I don't get about these anti political correctness cowboys like Reason, they themselves are so very sensitive when these issues do come up

It isnt just one complaint. Its an entire culture of insanity that normal people have to deal with on a daily basis.

 

[TRPMinus]

As said bel

Lol, why do you care so much about one "ridiculous" complaint? Why not just move on?

That's what I don't get about these anti political correctness cowboys like Reason, they themselves are so very sensitive when these issues do come up

As said below, it isn’t just one complaint. This is an entire way of thinking and it’s getting worse and more frequent.

 

[Hippocrates II]

Lol, why do you care so much about one "ridiculous" complaint? Why not just move on?

That's what I don't get about these anti political correctness cowboys like Reason, they themselves are so very sensitive when these issues do come up

I personally believe that all of this tip-toeing around **** like this is a disservice to people. Sure, you can (and will be) coddled throughout k-12 and college (and now apparently medical school). At some point in your life, people stop giving a damn about your hypersensitive feelings towards something as benign as this, and then it's a real kick in the pants when you realize the world does not have safe spaces within arms reach at every turn.

 

[Butters Stotch]

Lol, why do you care so much about one "ridiculous" complaint? Why not just move on?

That's what I don't get about these anti political correctness cowboys like Reason, they themselves are so very sensitive when these issues do come up

It’s not just “one ridiculous complaint” it’s them trying to control speech. Look at this nonsense:

 

[altblue]

It isnt just one complaint. Its an entire culture of insanity that normal people have to deal with on a daily basis.

Lol I don't think normal means what you think it means

And bro this isn't "insane", people are just frustrated because marginalized people keep speaking out and complaining about the way others speak in their lives. To be certain I don't even necessarily believe it was a racist question by intent, I'm more annoyed at Reason's fixation over the complaint. I'm a white dude and I can live with these conversations, and I think you can too

Reason absolutely jumped at an opportunity to point their finger at black or ally med students and be like "look at this ridiculous complaint about I can't breathe". It detracted focus from broader issues in police brutality or racism in medicine

 

[Kr#36]

Lol I don't think normal means what you think it means

And bro this isn't "insane", people are just frustrated because marginalized people keep speaking out and complaining about the way others speak in their lives. To be certain I don't even necessarily believe it was a racist question by intent, I'm more annoyed at the fixation over it. I'm a white dude and I can live with these conversations, and I think you can too

The Reason site absolutely jumped at an opportunity to point their finger at black or ally med students and be like "look at this ridiculous complaint about I can't breathe". It detracted focus from broader issues in BLM or racism in medicine

I was speaking more broadly about PC culture and cancel culture in general.

 

[Chibucks15]

It also isn’t just people sick of marginalized people speaking. Everyone is for that and change is needed. PC and cancel culture has just gone too far and is absurd. Like saying Chick-fil-A is “cancelled” because they donated to a political person you don’t like. In what way does that affect their delicious chicken? People can do whatever they want obviously but the guilt tripping for shopping at a business is insane

But really its lately since I’m a straight white male in my 20s, not super liberal, and middle class I am more and more told by the mass media, social media, and super woke med students that my opinion doesn’t matter and I’m a racist and “part of the problem” because I’m not marching in streets every day or posting a black square on social media. It’s insane.

There are changes that need to be made, but the bull**** virtue signaling and complaining about every little slight and things that shouldn’t be a big deal (like this OP topic) is not the way to do things. That’s what drives people crazy

 

[TRPMinus]

Lol I don't think normal means what you think it means

And bro this isn't "insane", people are just frustrated because marginalized people keep speaking out and complaining about the way others speak in their lives. To be certain I don't even necessarily believe it was a racist question by intent, I'm more annoyed at the fixation over it. I'm a white dude and I can live with these conversations, and I think you can too

The Reason site absolutely jumped at an opportunity to point their finger at black or ally med students and be like "look at this ridiculous complaint about I can't breathe". It detracted focus from broader issues in BLM or racism in medicine

You being white or black doesn’t have anything to do with the validity of your argument. The point is that today’s students are so fragile that they don’t know how to handle this stuff, or when someone disagrees with them. I mean like OP said how are they going to function in the workplace if they are so easily set off?

 

[percyeye]

If you can't handle a test question about someone not being able to breathe I'm sorry but I don't want you looking after me or my family. I'm waiting for the excuse of a patient being injured because a Doctor said they were "triggered" and unable to fulfill their duties.

 

[deleted480308]

It’s not just “one ridiculous complaint” it’s them trying to control speech. Look at this nonsense:

The crazy part there is hurlbert didn’t even say anything racist. He just said an ecological society doesn’t need political statements

 

[MedScat]

This is absolutely absurd. I am one of the students that just stays quiet while all this madness occurs around me with these "fragile students" because I see, if you dont agree with them youre automatically a racist and a piece of poop human being (I am a minority so this especially peeves me off). You don't agree with this test question being offensive? Youre a bigot. You dont agree with protesting and you just choose to say silent and help people by, IDK, BEING A DOCTOR AND LITERALLY TRYING TO IMPROVE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR PEOPLE? You're a racist! This is so absurd and I can't wait to be done and move on with my life and just be the best doctor I can be.

Rant over.

 

[Chelsea FC]

Gosh, the victimhood in here is sickening. Some would say snowflake-like.

 

[Dr.Housexoxo]

I laughed at the “outrage”. Mainly because majority of people who I saw complaining were non-poc . This is definitely case were trying to be pc is taken a bit too far

 

[BunnyMan17]

It also isn’t just people sick of marginalized people speaking. Everyone is for that and change is needed. PC and cancel culture has just gone too far and is absurd. Like saying Chick-fil-A is “cancelled” because they donated to a political person you don’t like. In what way does that affect their delicious chicken? People can do whatever they want obviously but the guilt tripping for shopping at a business is insane

But really its lately since I’m a straight white male in my 20s, not super liberal, and middle class I am more and more told by the mass media, social media, and super woke med students that my opinion doesn’t matter and I’m a racist and “part of the problem” because I’m not marching in streets every day or posting a black square on social media. It’s insane.

There are changes that need to be made, but the bull**** virtue signaling and complaining about every little slight and things that shouldn’t be a big deal (like this OP topic) is not the way to do things. That’s what drives people crazy

Funny you mention you Chick-fil-A.. I used to work there and I remeber at one point one (maybe around 2010?) of the Cathys or such made a remark that many considered to be homophobic. There was this huge move that swept through social media for an anti-chick-fil-a day of sorts. Everyone was supposed to get converge on their local chick-fil-a and circle in/out ordering free water and generally throwing a wrench in daily operation. Managment took this SUPER seriously and we all had to go to mandatory sensitivity training and such. The day actually came.... and I swear ever.single.LGBTQ person in a hundred mile radius showed. But they weren't there protesting, they were ordering chicken and tailgating in the srrounding parking lots and generally having a good time. Turns out (shocker) LGBTQ people chick-fil-a too. I finally asked one of them why they weren't protesting and he said something along the lines of "Kid, I don't give @$$*# what some old white dude on the news says. Y'all are always stupid nice and I just want my chicken biscuit." The owner ended up giving everyone time and a half cause that days was so busy.
It's only 10 years ago but I swear people now equate the possibility of offense with actual, personal offense. Like the test question OP mentioned, could 10000% be offensive in a different scenerio or verbage. But not in a very clinical test question. Racial injustice exists and there are a lot of situation in which people, myself and family included, have unknowingly said ignorant or "_"phobic things. But a single line drawn does not offense make.

 

[Goro]

Lol the PC culture has already infiltrated academia; unfortunately not many people want to address/fix it. And ironically academia was the one to create PC culture

Yup. I've noticed among my own students, and on SDN as well, the stifling mentality of "most students did not seem personally offended by it, but rather were worried that others were offended.

All we end up doing is prolonging people's childhoods.

BUT, on there other hand, put yourself into the shoes of a student of color. How do you think they might feel.

So, unfortunate timing for a test question.

 

[altblue]

Yup. I've noticed among my own students the stifling mentality of "most students did not seem personally offended by it, but rather were worried that others were offended.

All we end up doing is prolonging people's childhoods.

BUT, on there other hand, put yourself into the shoes of a student of color. How do you think they might feel.

So, unfortunate timing for a test question.

Yes, I'm not going to fault people for having a kneejerk reaction to the test question and electing to discuss it, even if it had been used for years

But let's grant that PC culture can be an issue at times and some claims aren't warranted. Even then, there are so many things in medicine and society that are of bigger consequence that are worth bigger discussion. Like trust me, your first amendment rights are safe.

I've repeatedly seen people get fired up about "PC social justice warrior bs" but then turn a blind eye to racism in medicine, health care and society, or they even actively contribute to these problems. That's what I find especially frustrating

 

[deleted480308]

Yes, I'm not going to fault people for having a kneejerk reaction to the test question and electing to discuss it, even if it had been used for years

But let's grant that PC culture can be an issue at times and some claims aren't warranted. Even then, there are so many things in medicine and society that are of bigger consequence that are worth bigger discussion. Like trust me, your first amendment rights are safe.

I've repeatedly seen people get fired up about "PC social justice warrior bs" but then turn a blind eye to racism in medicine, health care and society, or they even actively contribute to these problems. That's what I find especially frustrating

Cool let’s hash it out.

what racist stuff is no one willing to address? Who and how are the actively contributing to problems?

 

[deleted688779]

Lol, why do you care so much about one "ridiculous" complaint? Why not just move on?

That's what I don't get about these anti political correctness cowboys like Reason, they themselves are so very sensitive when these issues do come up

Not a cowboy, but I can most definitely see how “one” complaint can set a precedent for future actions and serve as an example for other institutions to do the same. Not to mention, it may also expand the frontier to other “hypersensitive” complaints.

 

[Iz_FtB]

Yes, I'm not going to fault people for having a kneejerk reaction to the test question and electing to discuss it, even if it had been used for years

But let's grant that PC culture can be an issue at times and some claims aren't warranted. Even then, there are so many things in medicine and society that are of bigger consequence that are worth bigger discussion. Like trust me, your first amendment rights are safe.

I reject this.

Why play this out publically? If the "perpetrators" are willing to engage in dialogue in good faith with those who feel wronged, there is 0 reason their name or institution get the spot light placed on them for a non-infraction.

There is an insidious dopamine rush that comes with this kind of behavior and I don't trust people so convinced of their self-righteousness to not hurt innocent people in the process of unilaterally exacting what they perceive as justice.

People should be worried that contrarian opinion, no matter how articulate and reasonable, can be used as grounds for suspicion and ostracization in this environment. The professional consequences of an unwarranted shaming can be catastrophic, especially in this field, and so reasonable people keep their heads down, do their best to serve the people around them, and move forward leaving the loud to occupy their echo chamber alone.

 

[bananafish94]

The anti-"PC" crowd needs to dial it back to about a 1. I haven't seen this many straw men since the last time I was in a corn maze. I read both of the extremely right-leaning articles discussing this and it seems to me that all that happened was a few students talking about the appropriateness of using that phrase given how recent George Floyd's murder was. In fact, the only person who was offended enough by this completely benign discourse to send screenshots to the media was the anonymous conservative student. There is literally nothing to suggest that a medical student would be triggered or incapacitated by a patient saying "I can't breathe" as posters are saying. Nobody thinks you're racist or bad because you're white, I don't understand why people adopt this ridiculous victim mentality. But given the reckoning we are (and have been) facing as a country it's certainly appropriate to recognize what privilege we have and think about our role we are playing in this fight.

 

[Chelsea FC]

The anti-"PC" crowd needs to dial it back to about a 1. I haven't seen this many straw men since the last time I was in a corn maze. I read both of the extremely right-leaning articles discussing this and it seems to me that all that happened was a few students talking about the appropriateness of using that phrase given how recent George Floyd's murder was. In fact, the only person who was offended enough by this completely benign discourse to send screenshots to the media was the anonymous conservative student. There is literally nothing to suggest that a medical student would be triggered or incapacitated by a patient saying "I can't breathe" as posters are saying. Nobody thinks you're racist or bad because you're white, I don't understand why people adopt this ridiculous victim mentality. But given the reckoning we are (and have been) facing as a country it's certainly appropriate to recognize what privilege we have and think about our role we are playing in this fight.

Because they are so accustomed to their privilege of saying/doing whatever they want that people asking for equality feels like oppression to them. Every discussion about PC culture turns into the same people making fun of snowflakes acting like snowflakes themselves.

 

[altblue]

Cool let’s hash it out.

what racist stuff is no one willing to address? Who and how are the actively contributing to problems?

typically the all lives matter crowd is also in the anti-PC crowd. not necessarily vice versa, but in that order it holds. go on any right-leaning news or editorial site and you'll see articles critical of black protesters and as well as articles critical of PC culture.

hell, the first relevant post on Reason is dismissing an investigation of the recent nooses: Tag: Black Lives Matter

more relevant to medicine, some classmates don't know how to act towards people of color... like ******* cringeworthy things such as a white person saying "you know, you should join my future surgical practice... we'd win more diversity and make more money". being conscientious is worth discussing over some bygone example of political correctness. discussing the differing presentations of Kawasaki's between races, for example, that aren't taught in the preclinical years ought to get you more fired up than a concern about a test question

 

[altblue]

Because they are so accustomed to their privilege of saying/doing whatever they want that people asking for equality feels like oppression to them. Every discussion about PC culture turns into the same people making fun of snowflakes acting like snowflakes themselves.

yeah it's tough to have to police the way you speak so you don't make people feel bad. it just takes too much mental effort to make people different from you feel comfortable around you

 

[Chelsea FC]

You all do realize that alot of these movements are headed by some of the best and brightest in our country and will be the boss at said workplaces you all saying we can function in. The culture is changing in our direction if anything you all wont be able to function at work for being dinosaurs.

 

[deleted480308]

The anti-"PC" crowd needs to dial it back to about a 1. I haven't seen this many straw men since the last time I was in a corn maze. I read both of the extremely right-leaning articles discussing this and it seems to me that all that happened was a few students talking about the appropriateness of using that phrase given how recent George Floyd's murder was. In fact, the only person who was offended enough by this completely benign discourse to send screenshots to the media was the anonymous conservative student. There is literally nothing to suggest that a medical student would be triggered or incapacitated by a patient saying "I can't breathe" as posters are saying. Nobody thinks you're racist or bad because you're white, I don't understand why people adopt this ridiculous victim mentality. But given the reckoning we are (and have been) facing as a country it's certainly appropriate to recognize what privilege we have and think about our role we are playing in this fight.

I mean, there actually are some people who think being white is an indictment

University stands by 'Problem of Whiteness' course | CNN

The University of Wisconsin-Madison is offering a course next semester called "The Problem of Whiteness," and it's not sitting well with a Republican legislator.

www.cnn.com

 

[Heist]

Lol the PC culture has already infiltrated academia; unfortunately not many people want to address/fix it. And ironically academia was the one to create PC culture

Virtue signaling goes around and comes around...

 

[altblue]

I mean, there actually are some people who think being white is an indictment

University stands by 'Problem of Whiteness' course | CNN

The University of Wisconsin-Madison is offering a course next semester called "The Problem of Whiteness," and it's not sitting well with a Republican legislator.

www.cnn.com

it's not an indictment saying that white people are evil, instead it means that being white carries with it all kinds of privileges and that the perpetrators of structural and personal racism are overwhelmingly white. white people as a group are part of the reason why many black people distrust the health care system, for example

 

[Butters Stotch]

it's not an indictment saying that white people are evil, instead it means that being white carries with it all kinds of privileges and that overwhelmingly the perpetrators of structural and personal racism are white. white people as a group are part of the reason why many black people distrust the health care system, for example

So what happens if you are half white/half black or a poor white person?

 

[altblue]

So what happens if you are half white/half black or a poor white person?

many biracial people still face racism like black people do and identify as black

regarding the second type, identity is intersectional... you can be privileged in some ways and less privileged in others

 

[deleted480308]

typically the all lives matter crowd is also in the anti-PC crowd. not necessarily vice versa, but in that order it holds. go on any right-leaning news or editorial site and you'll see articles critical of black protesters and as well as articles critical of PC culture.

hell, the first relevant post on Reason is dismissing an investigation of the recent nooses: Tag: Black Lives Matter

more relevant to medicine, some classmates don't know how to act towards people of color... like ******* cringeworthy things such as a white person saying "you know, you should join my future surgical practice... we'd win more diversity and make more money". being conscientious is worth discussing over some bygone example of political correctness. discussing the differing presentations of Kawasaki's between races, for example, that aren't taught in the preclinical years ought to get you more fired up than a concern about a test question

That article you are upset at for “dismissing an investigation about nooses” included testimony from a black resident who put up the swings/handgrips in a park (not nooses) and includes a picture. Unless you have some information that reason is lying or that the picture is a fake, they absolutely should be questioning why the city would go full force investigating hate crimes for a grip trainer

some protestors deserve criticism, by no means are all of them black (a lot of damage done is by people of other races) but being black doesn’t warrant immunity from criticism.

I agree that using race to recruit preferentially is abhorent and shouldn’t happen, that’s largely a thing now because if schools/residencies/groups don’t get enough people of a particular race to show up the default accusation is racism against that group even if there was none.

 

[TRPMinus]

You all do realize that alot of these movements are headed by some of the best and brightest in our country and will be the boss at said workplaces you all saying we can function in. The culture is changing in our direction if anything you all wont be able to function at work for being dinosaurs.

So we're dinosaurs because we think it's whiny and inappropriate to cause a huge fuss over a test question that uses normal patient language?

 

[Butters Stotch]

many biracial people still face racism like black people do and identify as black

regarding the second type, identity is intersectional... you can be privileged in some ways and less privileged in others

Right the biggest problem with identity politics/ intersetionality is where do you draw the line? If you want an example of that look at what happened in Soviet Russia last century

 

[deleted480308]

it's not an indictment saying that white people are evil, instead it means that being white carries with it all kinds of privileges and that the perpetrators of structural and personal racism are overwhelmingly white. white people as a group are part of the reason why many black people distrust the health care system, for example

That’s a real weak attempt to justify a crappy premise

 

[TRPMinus]

yeah it's tough to have to police the way you speak so you don't make people feel bad. it just takes too much mental effort to make people different from you feel comfortable around you

I'm all for including people in discussions, and it is these students' right to complain if they want to. The problem is that if you say they are being "ridiculous" you are instantly labeled as racist, which is not the case at all. I just personally find their position stupid and untenable, as do many of the people in this thread who have lived in the real world. It's ok for us to disagree, FYI.

 

[TRPMinus]

Because they are so accustomed to their privilege of saying/doing whatever they want that people asking for equality feels like oppression to them. Every discussion about PC culture turns into the same people making fun of snowflakes acting like snowflakes themselves.

Are we somehow denying people equality by saying that it's stupid to be offended by a test question?

 

[bananafish94]

I mean, there actually are some people who think being white is an indictment

University stands by 'Problem of Whiteness' course | CNN

The University of Wisconsin-Madison is offering a course next semester called "The Problem of Whiteness," and it's not sitting well with a Republican legislator.

www.cnn.com

So this is another example of a kneejerk reaction to something without actually understanding what it is. I looked up this course. It's not about an indictment of white people at all. It says "Since white supremacy was created by white people, is it not white folks who have the greatest responsibility to eradicate it? Our class begins here. We will come together with our socially ascribed identities of Black, white, mixed and other and, with the problem properly in its place we will ask ourselves and our allies, what are we going to do with it?" Sounds like a great course to me, I'd take it. In reading more about the topic, the word whiteness in this context is not the state of being a white person, but rather the structures that account for white supremacy and systemic racism. In fact, the author Noel Ignatiev who wrote about whiteness and is quoted in the course description also said this: "We do not hate you or anyone else for the color of her skin. What we hate is a system that confers privileges (and burdens) on people because of their color." I couldn't agree more.

 

[deleted480308]

So this is another example of a kneejerk reaction to something without actually understanding what it is. I looked up this course. It's not about an indictment of white people at all. It says "Since white supremacy was created by white people, is it not white folks who have the greatest responsibility to eradicate it? Our class begins here. We will come together with our socially ascribed identities of Black, white, mixed and other and, with the problem properly in its place we will ask ourselves and our allies, what are we going to do with it?" Sounds like a great course to me, I'd take it. In reading more about the topic, the word whiteness in this context is not the state of being a white person, but rather the structures that account for white supremacy and systemic racism. In fact, the author Noel Ignatiev who wrote about whiteness and is quoted in the course description also said this: "We do not hate you or anyone else for the color of her skin. What we hate is a system that confers privileges (and burdens) on people because of their color." I couldn't agree more.

Then try “the problem with racism”. They are attempting to assign some sense of obligation people based on their race just because of other people who look them doing wrong things. It’s an insulting double speak to pretend otherwise

 

[TRPMinus]

So this is another example of a kneejerk reaction to something without actually understanding what it is. I looked up this course. It's not about an indictment of white people at all. It says "Since white supremacy was created by white people, is it not white folks who have the greatest responsibility to eradicate it? Our class begins here. We will come together with our socially ascribed identities of Black, white, mixed and other and, with the problem properly in its place we will ask ourselves and our allies, what are we going to do with it?" Sounds like a great course to me, I'd take it. In reading more about the topic, the word whiteness in this context is not the state of being a white person, but rather the structures that account for white supremacy and systemic racism. In fact, the author Noel Ignatiev who wrote about whiteness and is quoted in the course description also said this: "We do not hate you or anyone else for the color of her skin. What we hate is a system that confers privileges (and burdens) on people because of their color." I couldn't agree more.

Somehow I think if I created a course entitled “the problems of (insert race)” and threw out accurate statistics regarding this racial group I would be instantly discredited and my career ruined over accusations of “racism”. I understand it is reasonable to investigate the “problems of whiteness” but people would not be ok if we were to investigate any other race. It just isn’t a two way street, that’s the issue.

 

[Damson]

Yup. I've noticed among my own students, and on SDN as well, the stifling mentality of "most students did not seem personally offended by it, but rather were worried that others were offended.

All we end up doing is prolonging people's childhoods.

BUT, on there other hand, put yourself into the shoes of a student of color. How do you think they might feel.

So, unfortunate timing for a test question.

I don't know dad. One should interpret a remark based on its direction and context. Anything anyone does or says to me may unintentionally trigger personal, sentimental thoughts, but a well-adjusted individual will dismiss the trigger and concentrate on what was meant. Unless one will be harmed, letting fear of others' incapability to appropriately react dictate one's behavior speaks more to one's submissiveness than concern for hurt feelings.

Sensitivity to words and feelings is important, in medicine and beyond, and we rightly let it filter our words and actions. To what extent we adjust our behavior is determined by how strong and placid we perceive others' mind to be. We should set that bar high and speak our minds most of the time.

The anti-"PC" crowd needs to dial it back to about a 1. I haven't seen this many straw men since the last time I was in a corn maze. I read both of the extremely right-leaning articles discussing this and it seems to me that all that happened was a few students talking about the appropriateness of using that phrase given how recent George Floyd's murder was. In fact, the only person who was offended enough by this completely benign discourse to send screenshots to the media was the anonymous conservative student. There is literally nothing to suggest that a medical student would be triggered or incapacitated by a patient saying "I can't breathe" as posters are saying. Nobody thinks you're racist or bad because you're white, I don't understand why people adopt this ridiculous victim mentality. But given the reckoning we are (and have been) facing as a country it's certainly appropriate to recognize what privilege we have and think about our role we are playing in this fight.

Generally, unless you've done something wrong, do not apologize. We're seeing PC culture render people meek and inclined to over-apologize to weak people. When people do that, it reduces their ability to project confidence and stay true to themselves. Like you said, the interaction described in the article was relatively benign. But the apology from the professor was unnecessary and sustains a custom of "feelings comes first, reason and logical thought process comes second", which is frustrating to watch.

 

[bananafish94]

Then try “the problem with racism”. They are attempting to assign some sense of obligation people based on their race just because of other people who look them doing wrong things. It’s an insulting double speak to pretend otherwise

They aren't pretending otherwise. The professor of the course is making the argument that white people have a specific obligation to eradicate white supremacy and I think he's absolutely right. But it's still certainly not an "indictment" of white people as you originally said.

 

[deleted480308]

They aren't pretending otherwise. The professor of the course is making the argument that white people have a specific obligation to eradicate white supremacy and I think he's absolutely right. But it's still certainly not an "indictment" of white people as you originally said.

The professor is wrong. I’m responsible for my behavior alone. I have no more responsibility for how other white people act than I do for anyone not white

the entire premise is bigotted

 

[Lawpy]

Indiana University Professor Apologizes for Triggering Medical Students With 'I Can't Breathe' Exam Question

An assistant professor at Indiana University School of Medicine apologized after an exam question that used the phrasing "I can't...

reason.com

It's absolutely absurd to me that students can complain about this, and even worse that schools pander to it and issue apologies when they did nothing wrong. I'm not sure how you can expect to be a doctor and handle stressful situations if you are so "triggered" by a TEST QUESTION. Also, what happens when a patient shows up in the ED with a COPD exacerbation stating "I can't breathe"? Are you just going to walk out of the room because you are triggered? People say ACTUALLY terrible things in real life, and you can't control that.

I'm NOT saying that I agree with all of the sentiments expressed in the article, and it goes too far IMO when it becomes political and delves into the transgender issues. But I do agree that this cry for "safe spaces" free from microaggressions is getting to be a little bit too much.

Reason is a very crappy source to follow but political correctness is a serious problem that needs to be resolved properly.

 

[Chibucks15]

The professor is wrong. I’m responsible for my behavior alone. I have no more responsibility for how other white people act than I do for anyone not white

the entire premise is bigotted

But I was told you can’t be racist toward white people. Nothing would ever be accomplished if every person of (insert race here) spent every waking moment being responsible for others of their race. This line of thinking does nothing but worsen the divide