The Rosh Review copy editing team has weekly meetings to discuss issues that pop up as we\u2019re working, from punctuation, grammar, and spelling (proud word nerds here!) to how to rephrase potentially problematic or offensive wording. We take feedback seriously, and when someone writes in to suggest language updates, we discuss the appropriate changes to make both going forward and retroactively. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Because Qbank questions discuss hypothetical patients in a medical setting, these patients are often dealing with diseases, disorders, and disabilities. And even though these aren\u2019t real people, it\u2019s still important to show them respect, much as you would want to be treated in a doctor\u2019s office yourself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So what does this look like? To start, we follow the AMA Manual of Style\u2019s recommendation of putting the person first when describing a disease, disorder, or disability. Here\u2019s the beginning of a sentence that does not <\/strong>use person-first language:<\/p>\n\n\n A 25-year-old diabetic<\/span> man<\/span> presents to the office with\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n In this example, the patient is mentioned after<\/strong> his diabetes. So what? Isn\u2019t diabetic an adjective just like brunette or tall? Not quite. While being brunette or tall is an inherent part of someone\u2019s physical presentation, \u201cdiabetic\u201d labels this man and equates him with the condition. If you were describing someone, would you say \u201cHe\u2019s the diabetic guy\u201d? That\u2019s not going to help anyone pick him out of a crowd. Instead, you might say \u201cHe wears glasses and has curly hair.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n So how can you change this patient\u2019s description to focus on the person first? Do literally that\u2014mention the person before you mention the condition: <\/p>\n\n\n A 25-year-old man with diabetes<\/span> presents to the office with\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n Now the patient is described as a 25-year-old man, and he happens to have diabetes. This is a small change, and some may argue that it\u2019s unnecessary and makes sentences wordier, but this small change does something big: it puts the person\u2019s humanity before their medical condition<\/strong>. Rather than defining the patient as a diabetic and then adding further info about him, his existence is put first.<\/p>\n\n\n Person-first language is applicable to all sorts of labels. Instead of the terms in red<\/span>, try the wording in green<\/span>:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n An alcoholic \/ A person with alcohol use disorder A stroke victim<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n A person who has had a stroke<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n The homeless<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n People who don’t have housing People who are experiencing homelessness<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n A mentally ill person<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n A person with mental illness<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n The list goes on. However, pay attention to a person\u2019s or group\u2019s preference\u2014in some cases, identity-first language might be better. For instance, someone might prefer being called an \u201cautistic woman\u201d rather than \u201ca woman with autism\u201d because she considers autism an inherent part of her being. But others in the community might feel that person-first language is more appropriate. Know your audience, and just remember to be respectful and refer to people based on their preferences. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Part of the job as an editor or writer is to pay attention to how language evolves over time. Does it take some getting used to? Sometimes. But isn\u2019t it worth it to put in the effort and learn (inevitably making mistakes along the way) if it means people feel seen, included, and respected? Plus it will make you more aware of how you think of and refer to people in everyday language\u2014not just at work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Person-first language is just one example of inclusive language\u2014there are many other ways to avoid inadvertently discriminating against people in your writing that I\u2019ll tackle over time. And if you have any questions or suggestions, let me know!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
An alcohol abuser<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
A person who excessively uses alcohol<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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