During my medical training, it was almost always assumed that my patients would be white. That prejudice is harmful in its own right – and when it comes to dangerous skin conditions, it can be deadly. By Neil Singh
As I sat making small talk with my patient, I was trying not to think about the ants. It was “flying ant day”: that moment every summer when the heat inspires thousands of ants to grow wings and swarm in their thousands, mating mid-air in a huge, frenzied orgy. My only source of cool air was a skylight, but having it open meant that every so often stray black garden ants were dropping between me and my patients, making me jumpy.
My patient was a rangy black man, early 40s, with hair just starting to grey at the temples. He looked younger than he was, wearing a black T-shirt and cut-off denim shorts. It was well into music festival season, and he wore several wristbands to prove it. I asked what kind of music he was into. It turned out he was not just a music fan; he was a roadie and gig manager. He had come in to ask me about his skin. He lifted up his T-shirt, showing me his chest, and I was shocked to see a splash of rough, silvery patches all over his torso.
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