Did you know it’s possible to exit a two-night hospital stay mostly unscathed? Neither did we! Not until Boston Karen came along, that is. Amy reflects on a rare positive health care experience and we wonder at the difference a single provider can make. We dig into the concept of structural medical gaslighting and discuss how much agency individual providers have in their own and their patients’ experiences. We also share a bunch of ways we can begin to dismantle the existing medical industrial complex wherein structural medical gaslighting thrives. Importantly, we give a long-overdue shoutout all the Karen/Karins we’ve loved before and acknowledge #notalkarens (after some brief confusion over whether we mean #NotAllKarens or #NoTallKarens).

BOSTON KAREN

I shiver under the covers, shrinking from the natural light worming its way across my bed. A cuddle from Boston Karen is exactly what I need right now.

She knows. She's magic. A healer.

Boston Karen pokes her head under the covers. What must she be thinking about the grown woman before her, teeth chattering, body shaking, cowering from the light, tears streaming down her face? What trauma could have evoked this response?

A warm shower. The most banal of events. In a handicap-accessible, hospital-clean shower, no less.

Continues at https://amyblackstonephd.substack.com/p/boston-karen

CITED IN THIS EPISODE

1. Brauer Lara, Werner de Cruppé, and Max Geraedts. 2025. “‘Take me seriously’: A qualitative interview study exploring healthcare experiences of endometriosis patients.” PLoS One 20(5): e0323883. https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0323883
2. Berenstain, Nora. 2019. “White Feminist Gaslighting,” Hypatia 35: 733-758.

Intro music: Humoresque by Antonín Dvořák from Suzuki Flute School Volume 3; Played proudly and poorly by Amy Blackstone

Outro music: Moon Over Ruined Castle by Rentarō Taki from Suzuki Flute School Volume 1; Played proudly and poorly by Amy Blackstone

For more information, go to amyblackstonephd.com.

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