Doctor resigns after posting racist remark about Michelle Obama on Facebook

A doctor who made a racist remark on Facebook about US First Lady Michelle Obama has resigned from her health centre job.

Paediatric anaesthesiologist Dr Michelle Herren, who worked at Denver Health Medical Center, stepped down after commenting on the social media site: "Monkey face and poor ebonic English!!! There! I feel better and am still not racist!!! Just calling it like it is!"

The University of Colorado said it is also terminating Herren's non-paid medical faculty appointment.

Mark Couch, a spokesman for the university, said: "She has expressed values that are at odds with ours, and she has compromised her ability to meet the teaching and patient care mission of the School of Medicine."

Herren told KMGH-TV her remarks were taken "out of context" and she did not realise the term "monkey face" was offensive.