Success in Medicine despite Intolerance – Dr. Prabaker’s Story
“Here in the medical community, I am proud to say that while cases of discrimination do occasionally exist, they are usually outweighed by the idea that people should be valued for their knowledge and experience rather than their skin color.” — Venu Prabaker
Dr. Venu Prabaker is opening up about his personal experience with discrimination in the September 2014 edition of San Diego Physician Magazine, an official publication by the San Diego County Medical Society. Dr. Prabaker stresses that while intolerance does exist, he has never let it prevent him from building a successful practice or hold him back from reaching for his career goals.
Discrimination, My Perspective
By Venu Prabaker, MD | September 2014
Having been born in India, a country with a long tradition of having a strong caste systems, I am no stranger to discrimination. The Indian government has tried to change this negative aspect of their culture in recent years, and Gandhi drew worldwide attention to the problem by speaking out against oppressing the constantly downtrodden “Untouchables.” But judging people by their social class, color, or profession continues to be a persistent issue in India. Unfortunately, this mentality expands past the borders of a single country.
The reasons I came to America are intriguing and involved, but, for the sake of brevity, I’ll skip them for now. Though I had completed training as a doctor in India, the American medical system demanded that I restart my residency upon coming to this country. Consequently, I lived in poverty for eight months, often on just one meal a day. My first place of employment was in Paintsville, Kentucky, a very small town. So small, in fact, that a classmate and I were the only people in the entire town who weren’t Caucasian. He was faring better than I financially, so one night he offered to take me to dinner. We sat and talked at a table in the restaurant for over an hour before noticing that other patrons had come and gone, but the two of us hadn’t been acknowledged by the staff.
Original Article from: San Diego Physician Magazine, September 2014 Edition