During Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, we reflect on the contributions of Asian American and Pacific Islander individuals, both past and present, to the realm of medicine. Each week, we highlight distinguished members of the Doximity network. These interviews provide insight into the unique experiences these physicians encounter in today's medical field, as well as the paths they are pioneering. This week we are interviewing Ann Pongsakul, DO, Family Medicine Resident.
How does AAPI history influence your life as a physician?
AAPI history has greatly influenced the opportunities available to me. From my parents' immigration to the US from Thailand, to integrating into society, finding work and housing, and providing me with the opportunities that led to my becoming a physician, these are all avenues that I imagine would have been much more difficult even 100 years ago. Reflecting on the history and the racial injustices that still exist today, I feel this has made me a more compassionate physician and aware of my own unconscious bias when working with patients from diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds.
Reflecting on the history and the racial injustices that still exist today, I feel this has made me a more compassionate physician and aware of my own unconscious bias when working with patients from diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds
Why is it important to you that we celebrate AAPI Month in medicine?
Like any other cultural or ethnic group, the AAPI community also deserves to celebrate our heritage and culture. I see this as an important way to recognize the diversity of the AAPI community and to reflect on and address racial inequality and violence that still exist today.
What has your journey been like as an AAPI physician?
I've been incredibly privileged to have the opportunity to become a physician and, for the most part, have not experienced much inequality because of my race. However, I grew up in the very culturally diverse DC area, which is vastly different from where I went to medical school in West Virginia and where I am now at for residency in rural Arkansas. I think the main issue my patients might have with me is about pronouncing or remembering my name, which can sometimes be frustrating. At times, I have wondered whether my predominantly white patients would prefer connecting with another physician rather than with me. Overall, I would say the journey as a physician is difficult regardless of one's background, and I've been fortunate enough not to experience major racial issues that made the journey more difficult.
What can we do to support AAPI individuals pursuing or interested in pursuing medicine?
A great way to support AAPI premed or medical students is by connecting them with AAPI physicians. It's even more inspiring when you see someone working in a role you desire, who also has a similar background and has faced similar struggles. Engaging AAPI students in projects, such as digital health tools to help AAPI patients, would also be helpful. This could be in the form of a simple triage tool that's easier for non-primary English speakers to understand or written in different languages. In this way, you connect AAPI students to their own community even at a distance. Since my medical training has mostly been in predominantly white communities, I think it would have been more engaging and impactful to work on community service projects with other AAPI students or physicians and have that sense of community outside of my general medical school community.