Is There a Difference Between Light and Dark Skin?

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Joel's teacher was able to answer his question. But in that class, Joel and his peers were only told about how cyanosis manifests in patients with light skin. The same is true for many other conditions of the skin. And that is a big knowledge gap for some future doctors. Doctors may not know how to properly diagnose someone as they're not used to seeing how a disease would manifest for them. Joe Graves: "The way our board exams exist now, individuals are there by socially defined race"

When COVID-19 hit it didn't kill indiscriminately. In the US, being Black, Hispanic, or Native American meant you had a much greater risk of death than if you were white. And these disparities are mirrored across the world.

In this episode we explore the complex tale behind this disparity. Throughout history, racism and biases have been embedded within medical technology, along the clinicians who use it. Cultural concepts of race have been falsely conflated with biology. The way medicine is taught, has reinforced flawed stereotypes. Disease itself, has been racialised. All of this adds up to barriers to care and worse health outcomes for many people, just because of the colour of their skin.

Science and scientists have played an influential part in embedding such racism into medicine But by challenging received wisdom science too has the power to right wrongs, and work towards solutions.

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