Jennifer Tsai: Resistance and Surrender — Remembering to Bow to Strength, Not Power
Selected Excerpts
"I know acutely how much it would mean - how concretely it will change the fabric of my life - to have a physician who cares enough to be gentle and kind with me. A physician who understands my reluctance and trepidation generously, without judgement. A docent who listens, who gives me time to adjust and breathe and grieve, one who meets my discomfort with compassion instead of casting me as a hysterical woman, an anxious appointment. I know this experience will change the way I face and pursue medical care in the future. It will affect how much courage it takes to schedule my next visit. It has the potential to hollow out more hurt or help banish my ghosts."
Discussion Questions
We’re very grateful to Jenny Tsai for sharing her story with us. What did you learn from her story? What resonated with you?
Jenny Tsai explains what trauma informed care would be for her. Have you seen this approach to healthcare practiced? Where do you see room for improvement?
Some healthcare workers (physicians, nurses, etc.) are well-versed in principles of trauma informed care. For others, it’s a totally new concept. What advice would you share with a healthcare worker unfamiliar with trauma informed care?
Reflections from #MedHumChat
“I felt so many emotions from her story. I wonder what ways I could better ask questions of patients so that I am prepared to guide them through important screening tests or exams which may simultaneously trigger past trauma. Mostly it makes me want to be better."—@MLRobertsonMD
“This was hard to read but I am grateful that @tsaiduck77 chose to share it. The essay made me think about lopsided power dynamics. We assume so much power over patients in the name of caring for them (& sometimes hurt them, unknowingly, when we do so.)"—@DianaCejasMD
“Like @tsaiduck77 mentions, "the hysterical woman..." -- I think so many "difficult" or "demanding" behaviours from patients get written off negatively. What if we reframed them as adaptations that helped them survive trauma? That's an improvement I want."—@Gina_Nicoll
“Stop treating patients like widgets and avoid labels like “non compliant” Crammed schedules with no time to get to know the person or build trust is what’s wrong with healthcare today”—@DevikaDasMD
“TIC seems a novel concept because some trends in healthcare have made it harder to simply have the time to listen and advocate for patients. Not all will applaud or reward your efforts. You may be penalized for lack of productivity. Right way =/= easy way.”—@theurbanres
About this #MedHumChat
“Resistance and Surrender” was paired with “Family Scene: Young Vet and Relatives” by Alan Dugan for a #MedHumChat discussion May 29, 2019 exploring Trauma Informed Care
We were honored to be joined by special guests, Dr. Megan Gerber, MD, MPH (@meggerber) and Dr. Jennifer Tsai, MD, M.Ed (@tsaiduck77) for this #MedHumChat. Dr. Gerber is a nationally recognized expert in intimate partner violence (IPV) detection and intervention in medical settings, and currently serves as the Medical Director of women’s health at VA Boston Healthcare System (VABHS).
The pieces for this chat, along with the discussion questions, were selected by Colleen Farrell.
About the Author
Dr. Jennifer Tsai, MD, M.Ed is an Emergency Medicine physician and free-lance writer in New Haven, Connecticut. Her research focuses on the intersection of race and medicine. You can learn more about her here.