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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

See all MNHQ comments on this thread

That consultant said this word...

514 replies

Ozwizard · 16/01/2016 10:57

I went to the hospital to see my results from my consultant. Result of this is that I will have to have surgery that has a six to eight week recovery time. As he was explaining my condition he said that it is very common in " Negroid ladies"!!
The nurse in the room looked at me and shifted uncomfortably in her seat! And I took a second to register if he really did say that. Then I did a nervous laugh and said to him " you must not use that word" he said "what, that is what you are" " what is wrong with Negroid"? I said " stop, use another word". He said " oh I didn't know that Negroid would offend you"
Aibu that he should not have said that word?

OP posts:
FunkyPeacock · 16/01/2016 11:00

YANBU

He should have said afro-carribean or black

mrschatty · 16/01/2016 11:01

Shocking!!! No excuse for ignorance.

Pteranodon · 16/01/2016 11:02

WHATTT??? You asked him not to - you shouldn't have had to, he should have said Black or Afro Caribbean or whatever is properly relevant to your medical condition - but once he said it he kept saying it? The racist arrogant bastard! Complain! Can you cope with complaining? PALS will help. And do you live where there will be an alternative consultant? You shouldn't have to see this prick again. Argh! I'm so angry on your behalf.

OurBlanche · 16/01/2016 11:05

YABU if you couldn't offer him an alternative that no one else would find annoying.

Very common in black women / mixed race women / women of African descent. The possibilities are almost endless. Your preference will probably annoy someone else.

Negroid is just the anthropological term for someone of the negroid sub-species of the human race.

Same as caucasoid is just a term for a sub species from differing regions with a different skin tone.

They aren't in common use, but they are anthropologically descriptive.

waitingimpatient · 16/01/2016 11:06

YANBU

Let me guess though was this doctor quite old ? Seems to still be an acceptable word to some generations. Perhaps that's not their fault but he should have stopped once you asked him to and realised that he had caused offence. That's the point where I would have stopped being lenient on a 'phrases/words from past generations' level and found him to just be offensive
Sometimes you hope that people will realise what was once acceptable is no longer and apologise he obviously is just not particularly nice

Obviously I may be wrong with the age thing though

SnuffleGruntSnorter · 16/01/2016 11:06

Wikipedia link to the anthropological term, he probably meant it in this way; he said he didn't realise it would cause offence.

Clumsy perhaps, but it doesn't sound like he meant it as a derogatory term.

TweenageAngst · 16/01/2016 11:06

He should not have continued to use it after you specifically asked him to stop, as you made it clear you found it offensive.
It is however one of the three words used scientifically to racially classify the human race , along with Mongoloid and Caucasoid

Fauchelevent · 16/01/2016 11:07

And the doctor would never have said "caucasoid" I can tell you. Let's not pretend now.

Shutthatdoor · 16/01/2016 11:10

Let me guess though was this doctor quite old

Hmm
goodnightdarthvader1 · 16/01/2016 11:11

Although it's not a common term, why does it offend you?

NoahVale · 16/01/2016 11:11

was he an orthopaedic consutlant?

OurBlanche · 16/01/2016 11:11

Still just a word that, amongst very many others, will cause offence to some and not others.

And I can tell you that I am caucasoid, red haired, green eyed. I have had a few consultants use that anthropological term, and others, to outline why I have certain health characteristics.

OP is still BU if she couldn't offer him a universally acceptable alternative. We have no idea how many alternatives he may have used.

Yes, he could be old, if you want to stereotype. But it could just be that he uses anthropological terminology to describe his patients.

NoahVale · 16/01/2016 11:13

what was his nationality out of interest?

perhaps it was the language barrier

fidel1ne · 16/01/2016 11:15

YABU if you couldn't offer him an alternative that no one else would find annoying.

Very common in black women / mixed race women / women of African descent. The possibilities are almost endless. Your preference will probably annoy someone else

Blanche IKR? Those tedious fickle black women changing identities constantly, won't decide what they want to be called Hmm

(WTF? Tell me you're joking, please)

lorelei9 · 16/01/2016 11:16

I'm 40 and I think I've only heard that word used in dramas dating from the 19th century or before?!

NoahVale · 16/01/2016 11:16

And agree, you should have guided him for future words

fidel1ne · 16/01/2016 11:17

Any health professional who can't see the glaring problem with using anthropological classifications in patient consultations is in dire need of training.

Whoknewitcouldbeso · 16/01/2016 11:18

Seems very clumsy for him to keep repeating it once you asked him to stop.

MadisonMontgomery · 16/01/2016 11:19

I think you have overreacted a little bit - it is the correct anthropological term after all. But if you do find it offensive for whatever reason then of course you are perfectly within your rights to ask someone not to use it around you and they should of course comply.

NoahVale · 16/01/2016 11:19

lack of bed side manner

Bunbaker · 16/01/2016 11:19

"Negroid is just the anthropological term for someone of the negroid sub-species of the human race.

Same as caucasoid is just a term for a sub species from differing regions with a different skin tone.

They aren't in common use, but they are anthropologically descriptive."

I wondered whether he was using it as a medical term rather than to offend. I had a missed miscarriage before I had DD. In medical terms it was called a spontaneous abortion. Maybe they need to update the medical dictionary so as not to offend.

YouGottaKeepEmSeparated · 16/01/2016 11:20

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

fidel1ne · 16/01/2016 11:20

A straw pole of how many MNers have ever been referred to as Mongoloid/Negroid/Caucasoid in a clinical setting would be very illuminating, I think.

fidel1ne · 16/01/2016 11:21

poll^

londonrach · 16/01/2016 11:21

I had to google to word as no idea what it meant. Blush.