Names embody a person's identity, a reflecting of their culture, heritage, and individuality. In our increasingly diverse world, names encapsulate stories, traditions, and personal narratives that should be respected and celebrated. We know in medicine the power of names. For example, it is no longer acceptable to refer to “the patient in room 17” or “the sarcoid tumor patient.” We collectively recognize the dehumanization within that approach–whether intentional or not–and encourage each other and our students to use patient names when referring to them. After all, our patients are worthy of our respect and dignity. 

Every day, however, many community members are misidentified, misnamed, or have their names mispronounced. Even worse, sometimes placeholders are used, such as "medical student," or students are simply ignored (perhaps because an educator is afraid of getting a name incorrect) or are dead-named (using a transgender or non-binary person's birth name in place of their chosen name). These slights have a significant cumulative impact on the learning experience and lead to feelings of exclusion.