What Do You Do With Disrespect in Medicine? (Patients, Racism, Boundaries)

In this episode of Social Rounds, Frances Mei, Tony, and Ryan Montoya tackle one of the most uncomfortable—but universal—realities in medicine: disrespect from patients.

From inappropriate comments to outright racism, they share real stories from training and practice, including moments that stayed with them for years—and how they learned to respond.

This episode covers:

1. What to do when a patient crosses the line
2. How power dynamics change from student → resident → attending
3. When to walk away vs. when to engage
4. The emotional calculus of “is this fight worth it?”
5. Racism in medicine—and how it actually shows up in real life
6. Building your personal “toolkit” before you need it

Plus, the return of Majority Minority—where the hosts unpack identity, race, and lived experience in and outside of medicine.

This is the hidden curriculum, out loud.

Hosted by:

Tony Chin-Quee: @wheyouat

Frances Mei Hardin: @francesmeimd

Ryan Montoya: @ryan_montoya_art

Produced by: The Hippocratic Collective