Little Miss First Author 📝 Started with a question. Ended in a publication in @ameracadpeds Pediatrics • In a country where Black girls are often not allowed to experience the fullness of childhood, I remember being so uncomfortable when I was taught in medical school that Black girls experience puberty earlier than their white counterparts. I was even more uncomfortable with the fact that Blackness is listed as a risk factor for early puberty. • Why are we being taught this? Is this even true? What are the implications of these medical guidelines on how Black girls are perceived and treated in medicine and beyond? These were just some of the questions that came to my mind. • While on my pediatrics rotation, I was able to interrogate this more with my team on rounds one day. I was lucky enough to have a very supportive resident, Paula Lewis-de los Angeles, and mentor Lisa Swartz Topor @lmstopor25 who encouraged me to explore this even further • Almost two years later, this discomfort and questioning materialized into a publication in Pediatrics • My point of this post is not about pushing out papers which is what we are often pressured to do in academic medicine. The point is to encourage us to keep interrogating teachings, guidelines, etc that make us uncomfortable, that don’t sit well with us, because it can materialize into something that changes the landscape of life as we know it Article linked in my bio • Wearing @wearfigs limited edition Inala Scrub top and Evans Skinny Scrub pants in Dark Harbor which just dropped today! Use “AdeOFirstFigs” for 20% off #publication #pediatrics #blackgirls #blackdoctors #wokedoctors #figsambassador