Patients in Hawaii rely on their doctors’ expertise to guide them through diagnosing and treating serious diseases and injuries. Despite confidence from their patients, many doctors continue to face undue scrutiny and poor treatment from others in the workplace. Cardiologists, in particular, appear to face an uphill battle against racial workplace discrimination.
A startling statistic
A survey from the American College of Cardiology found that around half of all Asian, Black, Native American and Hispanic cardiologists have experienced some form of workplace discrimination. This is compared to approximately 14% of white male cardiologists who also reportedly experienced discrimination. Among underrepresented racial and ethnic minorities — URMs — discrimination in the field of cardiology often leads to:
- Job dissatisfaction
- Home life dissatisfaction
- Burnout
Gender roles in discrimination
Discrimination trends in cardiology are different for men and women. Men of Asian or Pacific Islander descent are more likely to report discrimination based specifically on race or religion. Asian and Pacific Islander women are more likely to experience discrimination based on their gender or issues related to their families, such as caregiving.
Workplace discrimination is just as likely to take place in a medical facility as it is in any other professional setting. Victims of discrimination not only struggle with the mental impact of being treated wrongly be employers or co-workers, but also related financial repercussions from things like missed promotions or even wrongful terminations. Securing compensation for these damages is often vital for financial recovery, and in Hawaii this is most often accomplished via workplace discrimination lawsuits.