The receptionist had me all checked in and yes, this was the one office that accepted my insurance

All that was required was a $25 copay and that would be my only out-of-pocket expense. I had their assurance

The waiting room was empty except for one very obese woman who was obviously a heavy smoker

With her oxygen mask in place she mumbled about soda prices as she had just come from the grocer

She stated the price of the 2 liter soft drink she was consuming was up fifty cents since the start of the year

Then she said this was the lone doctor she could see as this office was the only one in her network taking new patients and her pains had grown more severe

The door to the back opened and a nurse called my name and ushered me into an examination room

She took my blood pressure, my weight, and asked all the questions like how much alcohol did I consume

She then said the doctor would be right in and only then did I notice the UCLA Med School diploma hanging on the wall

Being new to the area when trying to match doctors to my employers health insurance, I didn’t notice the UCLA med school graduate listing on the internet that I recall

Nervously I waited for the doctor and sure enough with a knock on the door a young black doctor appeared

The dilemma in my head immediately triggered the run reflex as this was a MD who might not be qualified to guide my health issues or so I feared

I’d seen the news reports on the different sets of rules for people of color thanks to UCLA’s DEI guidelines

I seems the academics in charge were more concerned with racial quotas and apparently born without spines

I need this physical as my employer demands it but what to do now as my mind is reeling

So what is the answer to this young doctor’s general question of how are you feeling?

Do you ask for a list of qualifications? Did any med schools turn you down before UCLA?

Would the doctor feel slighted and profiled if I asked about their background or do I just nod my head and say okay?

In between the I-pod being filled in with information about my heart beat and the latest immunization

I’m silently hoping in med school training the patient’s nose didn’t light up when the doc tried to remove the funny bone in the board game of Operation