*raises hand*
Our attending walked into the room wearing her white coat, name badge on, and introduced herself as the doctor. The patient continued to refer to her as nurse the entire time we were there, and when we left, asked when the “real doctor” was coming. This same attending had to stop wearing her (very conservative, knee-length) dresses/skirts because male patients would comment on her legs or try to touch them. An ophthalmologist friend was telling me that she won’t do slit-lamp exams with the door shut anymore because male patients have (more than once) groped her.
Racism is still a big problem, too. I have another friend who, just yesterday, was told by a patient something along the lines of “it’s a good thing you aren’t a doctor (he is) because your people are coming here and taking up all the doctor jobs.” And that was definitely one of the milder things I’ve heard patients say about race. They’re usually screaming slurs.
I’ve introduced myself as a doctor, discussed treatment options, and when I left, I heard the patient complain that she hadn’t seen a doctor at all.
I’ve seen this from two perspectives now both on the floor and behind the scenes and I fucking hate it.
I’ve had more people than I can count call in to central billing to dispute their ER bills because the doctor that saw them was either a woman or a minority and, quote, “I never saw a doctor!”
“Sir/Ma’am it says right here you saw Dr. (Insert Name).”
“I mean a REAL doctor!”
“They are a real doctor. And you still have to pay this bill.”
They then usually ask to speak with a supervisor and get mad because all the supervisors are women.
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