The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman

This case study was one of seven produced by the Fresno Science Education Equity Teacher Research Project. The case study concludes that teachers need some knowledge of the history of students' specific cultural groups in order to teach science well to all students.

It also includes his understanding of Hmong history, which enables him to hear what his science curriculum means to one of his students. This knowledge includes the teacher's understanding of science and pedagogy. Instead, the study explores the knowledge the teacher draws upon to respond to the tension in a caring and constructive manner. The case study examines this tension, but does not resolve it.

He also understands how his science curriculum can be one part of an array of cultural forces that are adversely affecting the Hmong community. A Hmong immigrant himself, the teacher believes the science he is teaching is important for all his students to learn. This case study illustrates and analyzes the tension an ESL science teacher encountered when his science curriculum came into conflict with the religious and cos-mological beliefs of one of his Hmong immigrant students. So the question follows – how has the FMG experience played out? Are their talents and personal attributes being utilized? What would be the ideal setting for FMGs? Keywords: Foreign / International medical graduates, primary care, complementary and alternative medicine Furthermore, with expansion of coverage under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the need for PCPs is only set to grow. The premise for this discussion is that the American healthcare system is currently experiencing a severe shortage of primary care physicians (PCP) and in recent years FMGs have played a role in filling these gaps. Through an examination of some of their personal experiences coupled with reflection on areas of need within the American medical system today, the paper makes a proposal for how FMGs can most meaningfully contribute their skills and expertise in the future. This paper explores the opportunities offered, and challenges encountered, by foreign medical graduates (FMG) working in the American health care system.

The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman