The identity acquired by a person through the formation of features in him or her during the cognition of culture’s characteristics and upbringing is essential. It is not learned during the process of practice and work. A medical provider can undoubtedly do much for people in the course of their job (Stevenson, 2012). However, if a person is caring and full of compassion, which is initially created in him or her, they achieve even more, and their actions take on special meaning (Stevenson, 2012). Therefore, the power of individuality and personal biases formed by family, environment, ethnicity, and experiences is enormous.
From my perspective, my upbringing was excellent; my parents made sure my younger brother and I were in a pleasant and safe area. They attended all of our events and were supportive, both financially and emotionally. They motivated us to do better, instilled what I believe were good morals and values in us. In particular, we raised in a diverse suburban town in a two-parent, middle-class household. Father graduated high school and has been working since recently founded his own trucking company. My mother is a nurse with more than twenty years of experience; she has a nursing doctorate. At the present time, she works as a practitioner in primary care.
I was inspired by my mother to pursue a vocation in the medical profession. I watched her struggle to advance her career while also maintaining a full-time job and supporting our family. She transitioned from working as a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) to a Registered Nurse (RN) and finally to a Nurse Practitioner. Furthermore, she also earned a Doctorate in Nursing Practice (DNP) and is now a thriving business owner. My mother never ceases to amaze me, and I genuinely admire her hard work and dedication. It has shaped who I have become professionally, and I wanted to follow her footsteps but forge my own path.
Parents ensured that we were raised in a secure and conducive environment, instilled morals and values in my brother and me. Particularly, it comprises respect, acceptance, kindness, compassion, acknowledging our privileges but not abusing them. As a consequence, we recognized that not everyone has the same prerogatives and helping others. In addition, the family prepared us for what to expect in the real world, for instance, concerning racism and prejudice. As a result, it has shaped who I have become personally and professionally by making me compassionate, empathic, and ready to help others. Currently, I am working as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) and exposing to different types of patients. We service four towns, two of which are considered safe and well-off areas. While the other two are more of an impoverished area, with high crime rates, an influx of drugs, and many homeless.
The family was actively involved in our education and extracurricular activities; we attended splendid grade and high schools and various undergraduate courses. Peers and the friend group was immensely diverse during this period. Namely, it was people of different cultures, for instance, African American, White, Filipino, Vietnamese and gender orientation. Besides, they were various socioeconomically; in particular, most of them belonged to the middle class, and some pertained to the lower and privileged class. They had dissimilar home life; for example, some had family highly involved and supportive, whereas others did not have it.
Finally, my friends had sundry interests, hobbies, and career paths; while others picked a trade after high school, others could not afford college. Consequently, an environment with a variety of people has shaped who I have become professionally, creating an awareness that people do not choose which family they are born into and the need to respect everyone. Moreover, it prepared me for approaching different situations, interacting with those who are different from me or have dissimilar views from me, and caring for patients with diverse backgrounds and needs.
I have always been actively engaged in the community, especially during high school and college. Specifically, I was a mentor for young girls, most of which were African American, HispaniŃ; and incoming first-year high school students, both male and female, all of the different backgrounds. I was a tutor for children, mostly Hispanic, who had English as a secondary language, and their parents were unable to help them due to language barriers, a lower level of education, or continually working. In addition, I was a volunteer on the Juvenile Conference Committee during high school, offered remediation options for first-time juvenile offenders, and members of the Multicultural Interest Club. My additional community services include trash clean-ups, food and clothing drives, and preparing meals for the homeless. These aspects have played an essential part in my professional identity by using my privileges to encourage others and help them earn the justice they so rightfully deserve.
The family was upbringing in us upholding for what you believe in, be rational, try to be the bigger person, set goals, and work toward it. They taught us devotion, hard work, and do not let anything get in our way. Therefore, my name was on the board of honor in high and grade school, and currently, it is on the dean’s list in college. I was successfully engaged in track athletics and took all honors and advanced placement courses in high school. Initially, I was intimidating because there were very few people of color. I felt myself out of place, as I did not belong to it. As a result, it has played a significant part in my identity professionally; I know that some people need more attention to feel that we are all equal.
Currently, I am learning in medical school, and I am aware there are not many African Americans in the medical profession as a whole. In my program, out of 100 students, there are only 6 African Americans, all of which are females, including myself. Moreover, in my undergraduate program, there were very few minorities, and of those, there were only two African Americans counting myself and another female student. These instances have made me stronger both personally and professionally, motivated me to change our society. The medical profession, as with all others, is in need of diversity.
To summarize, my identity formed through my personal experiences, family, and environment can create predominantly favorable implicit biases. It includes recognizing that not everyone has the same prerogatives, but it does not diminish their rights and the need to provide them with respect and assistance. However, a small number of African Americans enrolled in my program can create an implicit bias that the medical profession is not suitable for this ethnicity. It was extremely disheartening initially, but at the same time, it encourages me to fulfill my dream of becoming a medical provider. Furthermore, I hope one day, I can inspire other minorities to do the same. In addition, my upbringing concerning upholding for what you believe in, try to be the bigger person, and working as an EMT have formed the bias of the necessity to be a strong advocate for my patients. It will allow me to promote the mass effort of closing the gap with respect to healthcare disparities. All of it gives me attributes, which will be of exceptional value in my career as a medical provider.
Reference
Stevenson, B. (2012). We need to talk about an injustice [Video]. TED. Web.