That consultant said this word...

[Ozwizard]

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?

I think it depends on the context. In the context of medical treatment, I'd say ok.

Yes, perhaps your 'caucasoid' background is the reason that your understanding of racism is so shockingly poor.

Nasty YouGottaLeep

Of course it is, YouGottaKeepEmSeparated

Do you usually fly to such racist stereotypes? That would be very ironic, given your username

I've been called . Not offended in the least. Wouldn't mind if they refined it to celtic either.

Nasty YouGottaLeep

How was it nasty?

Get over it.

You've been called what var? That's quite succinct.

The condition is very common - as the consultant said.
I wonder what nationality the consultant was - a quick google says that would be the correct term for a portugese person to use and 'black' would be considered offensive. May be a language thing?

If he was an orthopaedic doctor I could understand it, because that sort of term might be commonly used in textbooks and journals. With patients though? Not really acceptable. Some doctors find it hard to stop talking in very clinical terms.

I suppose the test is whether he would have said in other circumstances "this is very common in Caucasoid women" - and I suspect probably not. He'd have said "white women".

WHAT is "very common in black women" and what is your expert knowledge o this?

Erm... I was rephrasing the consultants sentence with possible alternatives. I have no idea what OP was seeing him for!

But there are a great many physiological conditions that are more or less prevalent in various races. Is it racist to acknowledge that?

I hope not as that would set medical science back milennia!

I dont understand how above highlighted quote from pp is racist??

I read it as suggesting alternatives the consultant should have used in the context of op's sentence, and agreeing with op that he should have used one of numerous more acceptable phrases. Not sure why that is racist?

I read the 'very common in black women etc' sentence as showing the alternatives the consultant could have used rather than saying 'very common in Negroid women' which is what the OP said he had said. Not that OurBlanche was saying herself that something was common.

Just as nasty as that poster's blatant racism, whether

I am horrified at the amount of 'ooh, you shouldn't be so sensitive/well, if you couldn't give him an alternative/well, it IS the medical term' justification going on for one man's racism.

YANBU OP and I, at nearly 50, have NEVER heard the word caucasoid used in a medical setting.

Even if it is the 'correct' medical term, it is not one that should be used to a patient's face and his insistence on being correct shows his arrogance.

My cousin is a mixed-race PHD who specialises in blood diseases that present in specific racial groups (sickle-cell, fanconi anaemia etc) - I must ask her if she's ever used the word 'Negroid' to the face of a patient or research study participant. I'm willing to bet she never has.

White people experience racism too..... ffs

I suppose the test is whether he would have said in other circumstances "this is very common in Caucasoid women" - and I suspect probably not. He'd have said "white women".

Exactly.

No he shouldn't have used it. I don't think a medical professional would use the term mongoloid even though that's an anthropoligical term too. But on the other hand if there isn't a scientific term which is an adequate alternative I can see why in a way he used it. But the OP should approach it from the angle that he is a doctor explaining things and not a nasty name caller.

sorry don't know what happened there: Caucasian was the missing word. I've been called Caucasian.

When the doctor is discussing the risk category I belong to for developing x, y or z then I really do not mind if he references my racial group.

Well, if he was using anthropological terminology he would not have said white woman as that is not what it means.

Some diseases are more common in people of a given sex/ethnic background YouGotta. Perfectly reasonable for a specialist to point that out in passing. Skin cancer on the palms of the hands would be a good example.

I don't think that's an appropriate term for a consultant to use in front of a patient though. Was he British? I can see that an ESL doctor from somewhere else might miss the implications.

Surely it's only rascism if a word is used in a derogatory manner?

In this case, it was used within the context of defining the patients anthropological origins relevant to her medical condition.

I think the only problem is that once the patient has raised an objection, he should have provided an explanation of his choice of word or used an alternative that could be deemed more Patient friendly.

I really do not understand this. The OP is not disagreeing with his assessment of her ethnic origin - she's objecting to the word used to describe it. Why? It might be an outdated term but it's descriptive, not offensive. He certainly didn't mean to offend and like others have said he was probably using it purely as medical terminology. I genuinely don't understand the fuss.