Outspoken doctor dismissed from Vanderbilt Medical Center

Eugene Gu posted this picture of himself taking a knee in support of NFL players.

ASAM NEWS

A CONTROVERSIAL medical resident, whose social media posts about the Black Lives Matter movement and other social issues caught the attention of President Trump, has lost his job at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, reports the Tennessean.

Eugene Gu posted a picture of himself taking a knee in support of protest by Colin Kaepernick and other NFL players who refused to stand for the national anthem.

He also alleged workplace harassment at Vanderbilt which he connected to his political views.

RELATED: Asian American doctor takes a knee

Gu worked at Vanderbilt for three years, but his residency was not renewed for a fourth year and he will not be able to complete the five year program.

The Duke Chronicle obtained a letter to Gu from the University explaining its decision.

VUMC General Counsel Michael Regie cited a “lack of sufficient improvement in performance and conduct in key areas” after Gu was placed on probation late last year. The letter cited “patient care, communication, and medical knowledge” as “significant areas of concern.”

“The take-home message here is that there is an unwritten rule for surgical residents and that is rule is, always make your program look good and always make your hospital look good, and often that means stay silent,” Gu said to the Tennessean. “But as an Asian American physician, unlike a White doctor, I don’t always have the same luxury to stay silent.”

Gu was part of a successful lawsuit against the President filed by American citizens who were blocked by Trump on social media after their persistent criticism of him.

Vanderbilt denied their decision had anything to do with Gu’s politics, criticism of the president or his stance on social issues.

“Regarding other allegations that Dr. Gu is making about the Medical Center, I would ask that you please consider these as allegations and nothing more,” John Howser, a spokesman for the hospital, said in the email to the Tennessean. “To date, we have not engaged in a point by point rebuttal of Dr. Gu’s many claims over the past two-plus years. At this time we will continue to maintain this stance.”

In an interview with AsAmNews back in December, Gu defended his actions.

"I feel like I’m in North Korea where speaking out to promote justice is seen as an evil. I’m being punished for that,” said Gu. “Instead of helping me, they are trying to destroy my career. I graduated with top of my class as Stanford and Duke Medical School. I’ve been outspoken on positive issues like fighting racism. Vanderbilt is trying to destroy my career. That is wrong."
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Asian American doctor takes a knee

DONALD TRUMP attacked the NFL players who knelt during the playing of the national anthem during a Friday speech in Nashville, saying the "sons of bitches" should be fired.

African/American professional football players took that as a personal insult and clapped back in a twitter storm of criticism of 45's remarks questioning their patriotism during a typical tirade in Alabama Friday.

Trump attacked those players not standing during the national anthem as a form of protest. "Wouldn't you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, to say, 'Get that son of a bitch off the field right now. Out. He's fired. He's fired!" said Trump.

Sunday morning, Dr. Eugene Gu, posted a photo of himself taking a knee.

Gu resident physician in General Surgery at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and President and CEO of the Ganogen Research Institute a not-for-profit research organization dedicated to ending the shortage of donor organs.

Gu is one of seven Twitter users suing U.S. President Donald Trump for being blocked from his @realDonaldTrump personal account. The Knight First Amendment Institute v. Trump lawsuit was filed on July 11, 2017. 

Gu, who has more than 10,000 Twitter followers, was blocked by Trump after tweeting criticism of him on June 18, 2017. Gu stated, "Now I have extremely limited access to the public forum where I once could be heard."

RELATED: Protest against injustice, inequality inspires Filipino American player

Taking a knee during the anthem was started last year by former 49er quarterback Colin Kaepernick in protest for the injustice and the unequal treatment of people of color  in the criminal justice system.

Since then, other football players on other teams followed suit in light of the killing of  unarmed African/Americans by police officers in various cities in the U.S.

In the first football game today in London, Baltimore Ravens vs. Jacksonville Jaguars, dozens of players knelt while other players locked arms to express their solidarity with athletes' right to express their views, even for taking a knee during the anthem.

Players on both teams and Jaguars owner Shad Khan, a Pakistani/American, who were not kneeling, remained locked arm-in-arm throughout the playing of the U.S. national anthem and "God Save The Queen," the national anthem of Great Britain. The players did not kneel during the playing of the latter.

Gu, did his symbolic act in solidarity with black athletes and also against Trump. As a physician, he has been attacked by conservative media for his research.

The physician, born and raised in San Francisco, has been recognized by the Union of Concerned Scientists for "standing strong against political harassment." 

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