Dr. Nelson Y. Kiang, professor of physiology at the Medical School, bemoaned the lack of Asians in the upper levels of institutions. He gave MIT as an example.

"A few years ago there were no Asian counselors--even though there were some notable suicides," he said. "The students had nowhere to go to find someone who understood the culture they came from."

The speakers agreed; however, that such a lack derives more from Asian society--and less from discrimination.

"Asians are more focused on academic excellence than on public policy," explained Dr. Abul K. Abbas, professor of pathology at the Medical School.

"Throughout the entire East, the basic social unit is the family," said Kiang. "The social pressure is not to hype yourself but to be meek and self-effacing."

Another reason suggested was that Asian-Americans have not been in the system long enough to achieve positions of authority.

Dr. Fred P. Li, professor of medicine, noted, "Most Asians in health care are under the age of 35 and wouldn't be leaders under any condition." Abbas agreed that the numbers of Asian leaders will increase as Asians move through the system.

These were encouraging answers for members of the audience who came to the forum concerned about whether "Asians entering academic medicine might find ceilings."

Li not only said that "I've never felt that people obstructed my potential by ethnicity," but that "in managing a large group of different peoples, being a minority can help while being a white male can cause problems.

Stereotypes A Double Edged Sword.

Stereotypes of Asians however provoked less enthusiasm.

A question asked by a number of the illustrated the double-edged nature of stereotyping.

"I heard a professor say, I want only Chinese graduate students for my labs because they do whatever I tell them."

Dr. Abbs responded with "probably the to our progress as a community is that are unwilling to authority, emphasize following convention."

Dr. Hie- Hann, professor of medicine at the Jefferson Medical College, however the other side of the argument. "You hard working, intelligent Chinese as a trademark to get and companies may prefer Chines ."

A similar ambiguity was to stereotypes of women in Asian of a passive and obedient be positive because people going to make trouble. The stereotype , however, if people use her," said Dr. Alvin F. professor of psychiatry.

In response to a question on the stereotypes of Asians in academic Kiang replied that they exist.

"The general stereotype is that considered to be hard-working focused on their field of study and social."

He thought this was a stereotype among other educators than among student but said that among colleagues, too it could be made unimportant.

"Develop your local he advised students considering academic medicine. "If you are an oncologist you most try to be a very good oncologist, but at the same time, do not allow your thoughts to bury themselves in your disciplines. You must understand the organization that you're in."

Probably the greatest impediment to our progress as a community is that we are unwilling to challenge authority, and emphasize following conventions.'

--Dr. Abul K. Abbas

Professor of Pathology