What does a doctor look like when they're not in their signature white coat? According to personnel on a recent Delta flight, not like Dr. Tamika K. Cross. Dr. Cross, a Black woman, was denied the opportunity to help save a passenger's life on Delta flight DL945 after a flight attendant refused to believe that Cross was, in fact, a real doctor.
MUST READ: What Should A Doctor Look Like?
"I'm sure many of my fellow young, corporate America working women of color can all understand my frustration when I say I'm sick of being disrespected," Dr. Cross began a lengthy Facebook message detailing the horrific experience. Unfortunately, her experience is all too common for us.
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Investment maven Mellody Hobson recounted her experience of being mistaken for the back room help and asked where was her uniform at a business luncheon in her powerful 2014 TED Talk on race.
We literally have to wear our credentials on our sleeves, and even that's not enough at times.
How's this for credentials: According to Dr. Cross' LinkedIn profile, she is a Resident Physician - Obstetrician and Gynecologist at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth). She received her Doctor of Medicine (MD) designation from Meharry Medical College and a Bachelor of Science in Brain Behavior and Cognitive Science from University Michigan.
In a sentence, Dr. Cross was more than qualified to assist in a medical emergency.
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Was on Delta flight DL945 and someone 2 rows in front of me was screaming for help. Her husband was unresponsive. I naturally jumped into Doctor mode as no one else was getting up. Unbuckle my seatbelt and throw my tray table up and as I'm about to stand up, flight attendant says "everyone stay calm, it's just a night terror, he is alright". I continue to watch the scene closely.
A couple mins later he is unresponsive again and the flight attendant yells "call overhead for a physician on board". I raised my hand to grab her attention. She said to me "oh no sweetie put ur hand down, we are looking for actual physicians or nurses or some type of medical personnel, we don't have time to talk to you" I tried to inform her that I was a physician but I was continually cut off by condescending remarks.
Then overhead they paged "any physician on board please press your button". I stare at her as I go to press my button. She said "oh wow you're an actual physician?" I reply yes. She said "let me see your credentials. What type of Doctor are you? Where do you work? Why were you in Detroit?" (Please remember this man is still in need of help and she is blocking my row from even standing up while Bombarding me with questions).
Rather than allow Dr. Cross to jump into this time sensitive situation, the back and forth continued while a white male who announced himself as a physician was permitted to help no questions asked. Cross wrote that her blood was "boiling" and after sharing the experience on her Facebook page readers felt the same.
Black doctors, specifically Black women doctors, are speaking up on social media to let Delta and the world know #WeDoExist.
Currently, Dr. Cross' Oct. 9 post has more than 23k shares and over 57K reactions.
The flight attendant offered her Skymiles in exchange for what she calls "blatant discrimination" and she is not having it. Not without taking this all the way to the top for proper action.
Read her full Facebook message below:
I'm sure many of my fellow young, corporate America working women of color can all understand my frustration when I say I'm sick of being disrespected.
Was on Delta flight DL945 and someone 2 rows in front of me was screaming for help. Her husband was unresponsive. I naturally jumped into Doctor mode as no one else was getting up. Unbuckle my seatbelt and throw my tray table up and as I'm about to stand up, flight attendant says "everyone stay calm, it's just a night terror, he is alright". I continue to watch the scene closely.
A couple mins later he is unresponsive again and the flight attendant yells "call overhead for a physician on board". I raised my hand to grab her attention. She said to me "oh no sweetie put ur hand down, we are looking for actual physicians or nurses or some type of medical personnel, we don't have time to talk to you" I tried to inform her that I was a physician but I was continually cut off by condescending remarks.
Then overhead they paged "any physician on board please press your button". I stare at her as I go to press my button. She said "oh wow you're an actual physician?" I reply yes. She said "let me see your credentials. What type of Doctor are you? Where do you work? Why were you in Detroit?" (Please remember this man is still in need of help and she is blocking my row from even standing up while
Bombarding me with questions).I respond "OBGYN, work in Houston, in Detroit for a wedding, but believe it or not they DO HAVE doctors in Detroit. Now excuse me so I can help the man in need". Another "seasoned" white male approaches the row and says he is a physician as well. She says to me "thanks for your help but he can help us, and he has his credentials". (Mind you he hasn't shown anything to her. Just showed up and fit the "description of a doctor") I stay seated. Mind blown. Blood boiling. (Man is responding the his questions and is seemingly better now Thank God)
Then this heifer has the nerve to ask for my input on what to do next about 10 mins later. I tell her we need vitals and blood sugar. She comes back to report to me a BP of 80/50 (super low, to my non medical peeps) and they can't find a glucometer. We continue down that pathway of medical work up, but the point is she needed my help and I continued to help despite the choice words I had saved up for her. The patient and his wife weren't the problem, they needed help and we were mid flight.
She came and apologized to me several times and offering me skymiles. I kindly refused. This is going higher than her. I don't want skymiles in exchange for blatant discrimination. Whether this was race, age, gender discrimination, it's not right. She will not get away with this....and I will still get my skymiles....
