Lewis Thomas or Dr Lewis Thomas?

Over the past week or so multiple people have commented to me about the value and credibility they perceive from the title of doctor.

It got me thinking and reflecting about my own perception of myself as a Doctor and whether I should make a bigger deal about it than I currently appear to be doing in my branding.

It may seem like an obvious answer from the outside, but this week I want to explore the underlying reasons that made me feel detached from the title of ‘Dr’

Stereotypes

I think for me it comes down to stereotypes of doctors existing that I don’t want to be associated with.

I recognise that these thoughts are completely my own and not representative of the actual reality but nonetheless they live in my mind and the only way to get them out is to express them.

For me and a lot of people around my age growing up in the UK the main contact that you’d have with doctors was the old school GP that saw your whole family.

You’d always see this same doctor whenever you needed healthcare.

Now what did this doctor look like?

I’ll answer honestly, its a middle aged, middle class White or Asian man. Whether I like it or not that’s the association that was imprinted on me with Doctors.

People might say, so what who cares about the stereotype, you’re a Doctor you’ve made it despite that, no one can take that away from you.

But theres two issues;

1. I was self-concious of being judged as being the same as that stereotype.

2. I was sensitive that people would experience an uncomfortable cognitive dissonance around me.

I don’t like to be looked at with suspicion or to make others feel uncomfortable.

Disbelief

I’ve had multiple experiences when I can tell people don’t believe that I’m a Doctor.

I call the patient in and introduce myself as ‘Dr Thomas’, there’s a pause, a look of surprise, a moment of contemplation, occasionally followed by the finishing question, ‘Are you the Doctor?’.

It doesn’t feel good when it happens. It makes me feel like I’m on the back foot immediately. If I mess up or fail to meet the expected standard I’ll bring shame on every other Black doctor in their eyes.

And you’ll say stop this can’t be true its 2023, but remember the vast majority of people who access GP care are over 65, ‘from a different generation’.

Having to face that judgement on a regular basis just gets annoying and I can’t help but resent having to prove myself.

Restrictive Social Judgement

For me being a doctor is just a job, I don’t associate it with who I am as a person, but I find some people do.

Its also easy to take for granted all the medical experience and knowledge I have accumulated because I’m constantly around other doctors that think nothing of it.

Also non-doctor friends I hangout with regularly have known me since before I was a doctor.

And that’s what it comes down to really I want people to know me before they make assumptions based on me being a doctor.

If I’m meeting new people who aren’t Doctors themselves or friends with one I assume they will have preconceived ideas about me.

I feel like it alienates some people, they feel judged by me or that they have to act a certain way around me. They impose beliefs on me that I have to act a certain way because I’m a doctor.

When I was single I noticed this particularly when meeting girls, to the point I would purposely not tell them I was a doctor.

Government and Media Demonisation of Doctors

Pretty much anything printed in the UK’s Tabloids about Doctors, particularly the Daily mail and particularly GPs is negative and paints us as lazy, greedy, negligent people that are too busy playing golf to see or care about any patients.

The general public are annoyed about NHS waiting lists so they rile them up further and use GPs as scapegoats.

I’ve become so disillusioned with being a GP in the NHS. I’m completely burnout emotionally from regular contact with toxic, angry, entitled patients.

I’m so desperate to get out of that environment. Its like losing the ‘Dr’ title would give me a fresh break without any further association with that part of my life.

What about the Benefits?

Breaking Stereotypes

I like to help people question their beliefs and open their minds to change, part of which is challenging stereotypes.

I just have to have enough energy to do it. As an introvert my social battery drains quickly from confrontation with new people.  

Role Modelling

I think about the perspectives of other people who look like me and have the same interests. If they see that I’m a doctor then that is potentially something that could inspire even greater trust and recognition.

Helping raise awareness in these people that the stereotypes they believe in are false could potentially change their lives and inspire them to challenge their own perceived stereotypes.

I’d like to reach as many black men and boys as possible, they need to see that I’m out here as a black male Doctor. Its such a rarity that I have to capitalise on it and shout it from the rooftops.

Identity Realisations

I see myself as someone who doesn’t like to make a fuss, I’m the cool nonchalant guy who happens to be a doctor. I’m not the guy that goes around parading my doctor badge and demanding respect from everyone.

I’m humble because I believe that anything that I can do is also achievable by anyone else if they put their mind to it. I know the amount of effort will vary depending on upbringing and social circumstances but I still believe its possible.

Therefore I find it difficult to feel particularly special or accept praise for things because I’m like-  ‘well, anyone could do it really’.

I know not everyone thinks like this but it doesn’t change the way I naturally feel.

I’m used to putting in hard work and effort, I mentioned in the sickle cell chronicles part 1 that I’m not sure of the source of my mental strength. Whether its part of me naturally or whether I’ve learned the majority of it from my experience with sickle cell.

The thing is you don’t really know whether what you think and feel is legit until you speak to other neutral third party people, the difficulty is that these kind of issues are so deep and personal that most people aren’t able to articulate them.

There is a very real vulnerability involved and you have to be brave to take that risk.

Especially knowing that a large proportion of society has been conditioned to see you as weak because of restrictive masculinity and the patriarchy.

Summary

With all that being said it only makes sense to put Dr Lewis Thomas on my brand.

I want to rewrite the script and destroy the stereotypes.

At the end of the day I wouldn’t be who I am or where I am today without all the things I’ve been through as a Doctor.

I don’t need to show it off as a status symbol, but I do need the right people to know that I’m a certified medical Doctor.

I’ve learnt that I need to focus on the benefits of helping to inspire people like myself.

My mindset has changed, I feel like the label of ‘Dr’ has shifted from bringing me down to lifting others up.

Any ‘negative’ first impression I make with it in my head, can be easily overcome by the content of my character.

That’s all for now

Thanks for reading

Lewis

Dr Lewis Thomas

P.S.

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