Umm, don't hold onto this for too long. First appointment with a doctor I've not met before, introduces herself as Dr. Nofirstnamelastnameonlycallsmebyfirstname (pet peeve). When I call her on it, her excuse: "I always introduce myself as doctor because people think I look too young to be a doctor." Ummm, not so much. Definitely looking 35ish these days - even if she's still sporting the super long, loose blonde locks of a college student. Plus she missed the point - don't be a snobby a$$ doc that thinks your degree places you in a superior position to your patients and then disrespect them by calling someone you've never met by her first name and not even including your first name when introducing yourself. By all means, continue to feel superior, just do a better job of disguising it from your patients.
And, in the clinical setting, when a patient has made an appointment to see you - by choice - maybe it's a good idea to assume that she has at least enough brain power to remember the name of the doctor she chose to see - and that when you state your name she'll know you're a doctor because - wow - it's the same name as the doctor with whom she made the appointment. Go figure.
Meeting an anesthesiologist for the first time the morning of a procedure - can definitely see the need to include a title in the introduction.
Heheh, I secretly think that about residents. Last time I had an interaction with a resident, it totally blew my mind when I realized he and I were the same age. Pretty sure he was thrown off about my age as well, everyone in the waiting room were at least 20 years older than me. *Oh look, someone else looks twenty-some, Oh, grandson...*
I just wanted to add one thing, and that is the reason this was particularly irksome to me as a resident (as opposed to now) is that it cut right to the core of my own insecurity, which was precisely that I WASN'T old enough or ready to actually be someone's doctor, and here I was, getting called out on it.
Well, I'm 35 and been out of residency and fellowship for awhile, but still get the "how old are you, anyway?" comments from my patients when I introduce myself. I tell them that all those years of residency kept me out of the sun and so I haven't gotten any wrinkles yet.
i used to see this as an insult; now that i'm pushing 30 i LOVE it.
ReplyDeleteI get that all the time and I just say I'm older than I look!!
ReplyDeleteyeah i'm hoping it pays off in the future
ReplyDeleteWell, this is one problem I don't have... second-year resident... pushing 40... I just keep my hair short so the grey doesn't show too much...
ReplyDeletePeople keep telling me it will come in useful, but in the meantime I'm getting tired of being asked if I'm old enough to fly by myself.
ReplyDeleteI still regularly get patients asking me how old I am. I just tell them I'm 86 years old. Asian ladies age well. PEARL CREAM.
ReplyDeleteUmm, don't hold onto this for too long. First appointment with a doctor I've not met before, introduces herself as Dr. Nofirstnamelastnameonlycallsmebyfirstname (pet peeve). When I call her on it, her excuse: "I always introduce myself as doctor because people think I look too young to be a doctor." Ummm, not so much. Definitely looking 35ish these days - even if she's still sporting the super long, loose blonde locks of a college student. Plus she missed the point - don't be a snobby a$$ doc that thinks your degree places you in a superior position to your patients and then disrespect them by calling someone you've never met by her first name and not even including your first name when introducing yourself. By all means, continue to feel superior, just do a better job of disguising it from your patients.
ReplyDeleteAnd, in the clinical setting, when a patient has made an appointment to see you - by choice - maybe it's a good idea to assume that she has at least enough brain power to remember the name of the doctor she chose to see - and that when you state your name she'll know you're a doctor because - wow - it's the same name as the doctor with whom she made the appointment. Go figure.
Meeting an anesthesiologist for the first time the morning of a procedure - can definitely see the need to include a title in the introduction.
Heheh, I secretly think that about residents. Last time I had an interaction with a resident, it totally blew my mind when I realized he and I were the same age. Pretty sure he was thrown off about my age as well, everyone in the waiting room were at least 20 years older than me. *Oh look, someone else looks twenty-some, Oh, grandson...*
ReplyDeleteI just wanted to add one thing, and that is the reason this was particularly irksome to me as a resident (as opposed to now) is that it cut right to the core of my own insecurity, which was precisely that I WASN'T old enough or ready to actually be someone's doctor, and here I was, getting called out on it.
ReplyDeleteWell, I'm 35 and been out of residency and fellowship for awhile, but still get the "how old are you, anyway?" comments from my patients when I introduce myself. I tell them that all those years of residency kept me out of the sun and so I haven't gotten any wrinkles yet.
ReplyDeleteA politician I was sticking an IV in once called me a schoolgirl. *sigh* I'm now in pathology. ;)
ReplyDelete