THREAD. On writing, note-taking, reading, and synthesizing information. This fall, I taught Research Design at the doctoral level, and a Masters' Research (Thesis) Seminar.

Because of the way I like teaching (research design, research methods and mechanics of research), ....

DR CHRIS MACKIE (@Healthmac) is London’s Medical Officer of Health and a government advisor.

Yesterday, he said schools being open, “SLOWS the spread of COVID.”

For context, let’s look at 23 other times he misused data or gave a bad unsupported take.

🧵A THREAD🧵

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While #Tulane school of medicine is rightfully being exposed for its contemporary racism towards faculty, staff, students (and patients) due to the racist firing of Dr. Princess Dennar, it’s important to call out the deeply anti-Black history of this school, specifically... 1/

The way #Tulane became a private institution (originally was a public university) at the end of Reconstruction to avoid having to desegregate. The school charter says it was founded for “white men” only... but there’s more (much more) to this story... 2/

cw: medical racism

Tulane’s school of medicine rose to national prominence for its collection of human “specimens” in their anatomy museum “rivaled only by Harvard”. How did it acquire these “specimens” you might ask?

The collection was “curated” by a Dr. Edward Souchon... 3/

Dr. Souchon was mentored by the late James Marion Sims, the “father of modern gynecology”, who himself had started collecting body parts, organs, and skeletal remains from enslaved Black people during slavery. Souchon continued “curating” his own collection in horrific ways. 4/

The Souchon Collection grew over several decades, eventually touring the state as a traveling “public health” exhibit- nearly all of the body parts stolen, harvested and illicitly acquired from formerly enslaved and poor Black people via Charity Hospital. 5/

Thrd: Menstruation/Dysphoria

1/ Difficult periods are sometimes the first catalyst for young women becoming alienated from their bodies.

Some have given congratulatory speeches about the vague accomplishment of "becoming a woman."

2/ Others learned about periods through a mundane sex-ed lesson at school. Yet others knew very little about their periods except they are sometimes painful, can be embarrassing, and make activities they’d taken for granted,

3/ like swimming and outdoor play, all-of-a-sudden much more difficult.

When young women hate their periods, they might be told, in a matter-of-fact grumbling way, “well, nobody likes having a period, honey. It’s just a part of life.”

4/ On a personal note, till my early/mid 30s, I knew very little about the menstrual cycle. For me it had always been completely out of sight, out of mind. Once a month, I’d be reminded it exists and I’d have a kind of “oh crap!” moment.

5/ I’d complete the necessary hygiene and try to move on with my life. I was often plowing through various stages of this monthly cycle with little acknowledgement or understanding of how my entire mind, body, and mood was ebbing and flowing. Every month, for years on end.