- Students with better matric marks are more likely to do well in the theoretical part of medical school, but not necessarily the practical side (when they treat patients).
- English and Afrikaans speaking doctors often struggle to communicate with black patients who don’t speak these languages, which can make it harder for them to provide quality care.
- Research from the US shows that black doctors are often more successful at treating black patients than white doctors.
A doctor’s race and the language they speak can play a role in the kind of care they provide – depending on their patient’s race and language.
- Read the full script here.
Dylan Bush is Bhekisisa's production and multimedia manager.
Jesse Copelyn is a health journalist at Bhekisisa.