On Wed, 20 May 1998 21:22:54 +0100, Dr L Russell wrote:

>Thank you for calling the race issue into play.
>Why is it that there seems to be a far higher proportion of "non-whites" in
>the dissidents than in the general GP population? For instance, the Asian
>contributors seem to have more of a sense of what is really going on.

Well,  I suppose Sinai is in Asia,  so I am alright ;-)

 >Is this because they have had experience of negative discrimination
and
>therefore are better practiced at spotting a stitch-up?

Can't really say that I have experienced 'overt' discrimination. 
Always went for one job and one job only and have been very successful.
 Then again,  I am not exactly stereotype,  I *can* use a knife and
fork and know which is which ;-)

Once,  I had to ring a Practice after the deadline for applications for
a post.  I said to the practice manager:  "sorry to enquire so late, 
but is the post still open?".  The PM answered: "oh,  that's alright, 
don't worry,  you can still apply because we had a lot of Indian
applicants and we had to extend the deadline" (!!)  Ever since I have
to make a point of phoning any potential employer first so that they
hear my voice!

Alright,  I have been spoilt and worked in really nice places of my
choice.  However,  when you look at the distribution of the 'non-WASP'
GPs in general you'll find them in inner city hellholes,  mostly as
single handers.

I think it's something like 30% of GPs in the UK are non-WASP?  I also
think that the majority get a rough deal.

However,  growing up in a non-spoilt country sharpens your wits and
gives you lots of 'street cred'.  You learn things the hard way and you
have to figure out things for yourself (one of the most annoying things
for me in GP is people's fecklessness and inability to 'figure it out
for themselves').

This happens even with people like me who generally sailed through
early life and university.  Any 'deprivation' was self-inflicted or
self-imposed (other than Sadat putting me in a shithole of a prison, 
or being jet-bombed by the Israelis whilst doctoring in a refugee camp
in Beirut).

The other thing we're good at,  I suppose,  is that we generally lack
Calvinistic traits and not scared of saying what we are good at :-) 
Good at self-public relations I guess.

The other thing is that non-WASPs are no-hopers as knighthood material,
 so,  they are free to speak their mind up.

If you take me for example (another point:  MidEastern people are not
afraid of giving a bit of their souls from time to time,  so here it
is):

I self-exiled myself to the UK in 1977.  I came here for reasons that
are now long forgotten.  But the point is:  I was here without family, 
without friends,  without a 'network'.  Not only did I had to develop
some of that,  but I also had to 'absorb' this culture.  As a result, 
I sit very comfortably astride the 2 cultures.  I can talk about
anything with anybody at any level.  I was equally at home in Lewisham,
 Weybridge and Mustique!

Qualities?  Adaptability,  flexibility and a well engineered
stand-alone piece of kit ;-)

>Do we need a "non-white" in the GMSC chair?

I'll wait till I get back from Luxor sans my pasty ill-looking
'non-white' hue having replaced it with a tan to die for then stand for
it should it become vacant ;-)

Ahmad

________________________________________

Dr Ahmad Risk
http://mednetics.org
home: +44 1273 724866
work:  +44 1737 240022
fax:     +44 1737 244660




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