Generalized opinions and impressions of individuals, groups, and social groups can be accurate or inaccurate, positive or negative. As a health professional, it will be helpful to have general impressions about some groups, such as the fact that hypertension is more prevalent in Native Americans and African Americans than whites and Ashkenazi Jews have a higher prevalence of Tay-Sachs disease than other racial groups. These are accurate and positive stereotypes to form about specific racial groups that will assist in the examination, diagnosis, and treatment of patients. There are also inaccurate beliefs about social groups that ascribe negative traits that can become the predominant means of viewing a group. When we see a member of a specific racial group it unconsciously triggers opinions that we have previously formed about the group. A study conducted at Lehigh University found that inaccurate components of a stereotype might be used in diagnosis and treatment without conscious knowledge of this influence. A key finding was that stereotypes are triggered by subliminal cues that doctors cannot possibly be aware of when meeting with a patient. This leads to the importance of medical professionals understanding how they inherently stereotype groups and whether the stereotypes are accurate, inaccurate, positive, or negative. It is also important to explore how these stereotypes of groups were formed through the agents of socialization such as family, peers, education, and media. Research is conclusive that inaccurate and negative stereotypes can lead to negative outcomes in the diagnosis and treatment of patients. The phrase, “Know thyself” is relevant in relation to knowing how stereotypes impact you and your practice of medicine.