So what's the whole #ILookLikeASurgeon thing about?
Let me tell you a bit what it is like not only being a female physician, but also a female surgeon.
(thread)
Let me tell you a bit what it is like not only being a female physician, but also a female surgeon.
(thread)
1. Yes, this is a “thing.”
2. Every day of my life I am assumed to be someone or something I am not based strictly on my appearance.
3. Yes, I introduced myself as "Doctor".
2. Every day of my life I am assumed to be someone or something I am not based strictly on my appearance.
3. Yes, I introduced myself as "Doctor".
4. Yes, I am wearing a coat that says Dr. on it.
5. Yes, I am wearing my name badge that has MD after my name.
6. Yes, my name badge even comes with a separate badge that lives below my name badge that has MD in large letters.
5. Yes, I am wearing my name badge that has MD after my name.
6. Yes, my name badge even comes with a separate badge that lives below my name badge that has MD in large letters.
7. And yes, despite all this.
Even after I have introduced myself, tattooed my entire body with the initials Dr. and MD, I am asked:
"Who did the surgery?"
"What did THEY find in surgery?"
"Can they speak to the surgeon?"
"Right, but who ACTUALLY did the surgery?"
Even after I have introduced myself, tattooed my entire body with the initials Dr. and MD, I am asked:
"Who did the surgery?"
"What did THEY find in surgery?"
"Can they speak to the surgeon?"
"Right, but who ACTUALLY did the surgery?"
8. Why is this a problem? Is it just that I have a fragile ego?
9. Lol, no. I have no fragile ego. I can open a chest and have a heart in my hands in under 90 seconds. I am very comfortable with who I am and what I can do.
9. Lol, no. I have no fragile ego. I can open a chest and have a heart in my hands in under 90 seconds. I am very comfortable with who I am and what I can do.
10. But some people aren’t. Some people aren’t comfortable seeing me as a surgeon, seeing me as the one “in charge”. Some people are just not comfortable seeing someone who looks so different from how they think I should look.
And that is the problem.
And that is the problem.
11. Because then, that discomfort often leads people to make additional assumptions.
Look at her!
She can't possibly be experienced.
She can't be as good as that older male surgeon.
She can't 100% BE the part because she doesn’t 100% LOOK the part.
Look at her!
She can't possibly be experienced.
She can't be as good as that older male surgeon.
She can't 100% BE the part because she doesn’t 100% LOOK the part.
12. This bias harms women and POC everywhere. It is not only the assumption that we aren’t who we are, but that even once you see who we are, that we still must not be quite as good as the people who “look the part.”
