The Face of Medicine Is Not My Face…But, It Should Be

Abstract

The “face of medicine” is a term commonly used to describe the leaders and decision-makers of medicine. Medical ethics often discuss past historical atrocities committed by the “face of medicine,” such as the American eugenics movement and medical experimentation. However, a great irony persists: the “faces of medicine” do not resemble the faces of the oppressed populations. Nevertheless, the discussion of white supremacy and systemic racism, structures which fueled historical medical atrocities, is often omitted. This reflection discusses the need for education, conversation, and action surrounding these topics to adequately combat racial and ethnic health disparities. We also argue that the decision-makers of medicine should be a diverse group of stakeholders, thereby representative of and personally invested in a diverse group of populations.