I'm your fucking doctor

I knew medicine was a sexist field going into medical school. But I wasn't prepared for the relentless onslaught of sexism I encounter on a daily basis as a doctor in training.

One of the common complaints female emergency physicians have lodged against them by patients is: "I spent hours waiting and never saw a doctor."

Actually, you saw two doctors. Both of them were women. Both of them introduced themselves as a doctor. Because you were in distress, because you've been enculturated to visualize a tall white man in a white coat, and because society has not taught you everything that women can be--powerful, accomplished, professional--you overwrote their introductions. You assumed, incorrectly, that they were not doctors, and you assumed, incorrectly, that you hadn't been seen by a doctor.

Actually, a doctor saw you as soon as you got into a room.

Today, I had a patient complain to their nurse that they'd been waiting for hours and hadn't seen a doctor. And I decided enough is enough. I'm not going to keep swallowing my pride every time a patient makes this sexist mistake. So I went back into the room, and after delivering an update, I said calmly, respectfully, "I just wanted to clarify that I'm a doctor. I heard from our nurses that you thought you hadn't been seen by a doctor. I'm your doctor."

Thus commences my experiment. Let's see how they react. Because I'm not staying silent about this any longer.

Cause I'm your fucking doctor.