Transcript of Clip 3

Standardized Patient Feedback to Students

Facilitator: Was there any thing about this patient, in particular, being an African American woman that you want to comment on for the group?

Standardized Patient (out of role): Just with the cultural issues and you all picked up on that, especially with the weight/ body image. African American women view body image differently than some others. We don't see skinny as being the ideal weight. In the case of this patient, "I think I'm just fine [laughter], I think I'm sexy [laughter]. I think I could lose 5 or 10 pounds, but I don't want to get skinny. All the women in my family are big. You know, I'm the smallest one. I'm okay." You know, so you definitely want to consider that, the way people view body image. Because I, as a patient felt like you were saying I was fat. "You need to exercise. Well maybe you want to increase it, increase it, three times a day! You want to do this." That's why I was standoffish. Because I thought you were calling me fat. "I'm not fat. I don't want to be skinny." So, you want to be aware of that and sensitive to the way people view body image.