One encouraging note: When Lewis E. Weeks edited the Hospital Administration Oral History Collection, published in 1988, there were relatively few women and minorities in the field. On the other hand, I had to arbitrarily limit the profiles in this book; there were too many strong candidates to include. My principle of selection was to talk to people from a range of backgrounds to emphasize that any job candidate, of any race, ethnic group, gender, or professional expertise can devise a winning strategy. We could have interviewed many other equally gifted individuals across the country.
Let me now shift the focus to you, and how you can advance your own career in health care. Who knows, you may be interviewed for the twenty first century edition of this book!
Stand out in your work be outstanding. In addition to the twelve people profiled in this book, consider the accomplishments of, for example, General Colin Powell and Supreme Court Justice Ruth Ginsberg in the face of racial, religious, and gender bias in the military and legal professions as they ascended to top positions in their respective fields. Both these individuals are remembered by colleagues as exemplary, always the best candidate for the job. One of Ginsberg's fellow law students reminisces that she stood out even then she was impeccably groomed when her classmates were wearing the wrinkled student garb of the late 1950s, she had an infant, and she edited the Law Review! And Powell's fellow officers have long recognized his merits.
During your job search and on the job, remember to let your light shine. The word "candidate" comes from the Latin word for "shining bright." A successful candidate shines in every way.
If you are having an especially hard time during an interview or as you start a job, remember that a sense of humor, combined with a strong sense of self, can effectively fend off unkind remarks. You may use a blank look, which can tell the person that he or she is out of bounds. Or tell the offending person firmly that you take offense at that remark. If the person persists, talk to someone in the human resources department and document the incident.
I have no idea when the day will arrive that hiring decisions will be made with no consideration, explicit or not, about a candidate's gender, race, or ethnic background. In the meantime, be aware that some, not all, employers will judge you by a different standard. Meet them with the utmost in professionalism, cooperative spirit, and pride. And deflect any unspoken racism or sexism with a thick skin and a slippery back. You want to work, and you haven't got the time or energy to be baited by the individual who resents the fact that you are a professional who happens to be a woman or a member of a minority group.
Social attitudes can act as barriers for women and minorities, restricting the opportunities that theoretically exist. However, these barriers are crumbling. There are women and members of minority groups who are proving themselves in the health care profession, and their numbers are increasing, one by one. You can advance in health care.
There are opportunities. The best candidates use the same fact finding methods espoused throughout this book. Determine what kind of organization you are attempting to join. Maintain a positive attitude. Focus on your work. Avoid fulfilling any negative stereotyping that can be used against you. Exude confidence, and don't make self deprecatory remarks. Women, in particular, have been socialized to minimize their accomplishments, or to credit luck, when in fact, their success results from their own efforts. Accept responsibility for your failures and demand recognition for your successes.The Good News about Fairness in Hiring
As a society, we are becoming increasingly sophisticated about what constitutes harassment or discrimination in employment practices, including the job search. Tolerating discriminatory practices exposes companies to expensive litigation and creates a bad working environment. Companies like Employment Learning Innovations, Inc., conduct workshops to educate managers in avoiding sexual harassment and discrimination. Many organizations have EEOC specialists in house to foster compliance and awareness. Although none of these measures guarantees that you will receive fair treatment in your job search or on the job, they suggest that the holdouts to full participation by women and minorities in the workplace may themselves be in the minority. My hunch is that the playing field is getting more even, and interviewers, colleagues, and supervisors will commit fewer fouls in the coming years. Meanwhile, be the exemplary person you are capable of being and the likelihood that race or gender will impede you will decrease. When people know and respect you, they will be forced to let go of their attitudes.
Overt vs. Unspoken Barriers
Haynes Rice, back in 1964, sat in a boardroom during the first month on the job as administrator, when one of the board members said, "I told you it was a mistake to hire a nigger." Rice, who later went on to help found NAHSE and its work study program, which advanced the opportunities of countless young people, had the best revenge. "I went there in April, and by November, he resigned, a millionaire, but still racist."1 That blatant degree of hostility brought out the fighter in Haynes and pushed him to work harder on winning votes in the boardroom.
An acquaintance, a female anesthesiologist, recalls an incident that occurred several years ago during her residency at a teaching hospital. She recounts it today with the wisdom that comes from success. The senior staff physician told her outright that he did not want her in the operating room, that he did not like the idea of it, and that he had opposed her being hired. Needless to say, she was thunderstruck at the time. What could she say? More importantly, what could she do? She decided not to take the bait. Her husband wanted her to take legal action, but she believed that her own best interests were better served by proving that senior physician wrong. She completed that residency and has pursued a successful medical career. Before she left, the senior staff physician called her aside and apologized for his remarks. As she put it, she lost a battle, but won a war. In her opinion, she would have risked her career by challenging him in a sex discrimination suit.
These two instances of discrimination are examples of overt resistance to the high level participation of minorities and women in the past, both as physicians and administrators. Haynes might have been furious at being insulted, but he maintained his dignity and professionalism and actually increased his own power base. He sized up things and figured out a way to make sure he was the one who remained in the hospital. In the second incident, the physician actually preferred the senior physician's hostile honesty, compared to the hidden prejudices she sometimes experienced in the workplace. In her words, she knew where she stood. She managed to stand tall, despite his harsh words, and by her efforts win his respect.
Be a Winner, Not a Whiner
I cannot say it is easy, but maintaining a winning attitude is the best way of getting ahead. Whoever you are or whatever kind of discrimination you face, keep in mind that you are a professional first and foremost. Regardless of the demographic data you list on a census form, you are an individual job candidate as you apply for jobs in health care. Your personal fortitude will carry the day and overcome cultural biases. This book focuses on getting a great job in health care and the fact that you are reading it indicates that you have a winning attitude that marks a professional. Do not allow other people's assumptions, however cruel and unfair, to get in the way of your own goals. In the words of Epictetus, "First say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you have to do."
