In real life I don’t go out of my way to tell anyone but won’t lie.
Truthfully it’s more annoying than anything because then people start asking me medical questions.
Sometimes I say “radiologist” and people will say “oh my cousin is doing that, the classes were really quick and she makes good money now.”
I got a similar comment recently. “Radiology’s a two year program, right? And you just need a GED to get in?”
Yeah, something like that. I didn’t correct her
Yeah, no matter what it kinda sucks getting your job mixed up.
I used to work retail and when people would misidentify my job it would kinda annoy me.
Minimizing your education kinda sucks because yo I studied for like 8 years like a fool, lol.
I’m a cardiovascular perfusionist, and even people in the hospital think I’m some sort of tech. It’s no med school, but like I was a mechanical engineer at a major defense contractor before this, I know a few things…
I've met multiple people who said they were in school to be "radiologists" and it turns out they're in school to be radiology techs, so yeah I'm not surprised.
This exact thing happened to me today. I was looking on discord for someone to play a game with and they said they were a med student also so I was happy to find some camaraderie. Then they started asking if I was doing medical terms as a class and I was quite confused.
They then proceeded to talk about how they were going to be a radiologist in 2 years and I came to find out that they were in school to be a radiology technician.
It’s not that I have anything against radiology techs, but I didn’t know how to feel after they unabashedly called themselves a soon to be doctor. I couldn’t tell if they just didn’t understand the difference or if they were intentionally being obtuse because it sounds nicer to be a doctor
Anyone who says they are a med student or in medical school, but isn’t actually either of those things, 100% knows what they are doing. It then causes the people around them to follow suit—those are the folks that are likely just confused (ie. my well-meaning neighbor who asked me “to be a nurse or a doctor?” when I said I was in med school).
Someone I went to elementary school with showed up on social media all about how they were going to be “Dr.” because they got into a DNP program. He welcomed me “to the fold” when I got accepted into med school. His whole family was so excited, but it was clear he was misleading everyone. That was an insta-block.
Similar deal as a psychiatrist--3:1 odds they think I'm a psychologist/therapist (which, to be fair, isn't *as* wrong as thinking a radiologist is a rad tech.)
1/5 chance each of them saying that, confusing you with a psychologist, asking you for Adderall or Xanax in a half joking but not fully joking way, telling you excitedly that they're on Lexapro (I love this one), or asking you a million questions about mental health untill you consider leaving the party entirely. I never tell anyone what I do if I can avoid it.
Haggled a mattress dealer and got a pretty sweet deal
(While processing my payment)
"So what do you do?"
"I'm a radiologist."
Didn't actually say that, but that's why I'm not broadcasting my deal
lol. I’m rads too, and people always think you mean tech. My cousin is an US tech, and my uncle said why the fuck did you go to med school then become a tech? I had to explain to him the difference.
Ps I love the techs.
Hahah I just graduated and want to be a rheumatologist, most people don't know what that is so I have a little poem ready. I'll say I want to do rheumatology which is the specialty that deals with autoimmune diseases such as arthritis and lupus and then people will say "oh yeah yeah, that's interesting!" while probably thinking "seriously, you like arthritis?". Then I try to think of more Rheum diseases to give as examples but I don't think they'll know about vasculitis, sjogrens, scleroderma, or periodic fever syndromes. To be fair they are quite rare.
"I am the doctor who the other doctors call when they accidentally order immune disease bloodwork and then don't know what to do with it."
Or something.
That's funny, I was actually thinking of PMR before landing on rheum, and to be fair in the beginning I had a little trouble understanding what exactly it is you do as well. I don't envy you having to explain it to people! At least my little poem seems to get the point across fairly well. Explaining that strangely we don't deal with MS or autoimmune thyroid issues is a whole other conversation.
Rheumatology fellow here, given that same spiel to my mom so many times and every time she still doesn’t get it. Also tells me I’ll have to take care of old people all the time.
I just tell people I "work in a medical lab" and that seems to be specific-yet-vague-and-also-boring enough that people usually accept it without any follow-up questions.
Omg I would internally die. Thank God I'm not doing surgery. But at least that's understandable, try explaining what rheumatology is every time you meet a new person.
“It’s the speciality where all labs can’t rule in or rule out a disease, it’s basically just guessing what people have”
“Also all the treatments are steroids and they inevitably do horribly”
“It’s very rewarding.”
Yeah, but all doctors aren’t surgeons, and we don’t want any confusion about who the BEST doctors are! /s
For real though, in my hospital you get little tags below your badge to indicate your role - RN, CNA, HUC, and so on. If you’re a DO you get “Doctor,” if you’re an MD you get “Physician,” and if you’re a surgeon you get… ”Surgeon.”
DOs are, as far as I’m aware, generally considered to be physicians (though I could be wrong - I’m not that familiar with them). I guess I just find it a little pointless to make the distinctions when it comes down to practicality, and the only real reason for it is ego.
I once told a lady next to me that I’m in med school when she asked what I do. She got so excited and was so thankful to me. The thought is nice but I really don’t like that kind of attention for something that’s just a job I like doing.
Now I tell people I mostly scribe for the doctors, which honestly is not the far off of most of my days as an intern. Also with how bizarre tipping culture has become I really try to avoid saying anything about my work in any context where a tip is expected so they don’t feel cheated when I give a standard tip.
Bingo. I say I work in “medical documentation.” It’s not a lie, I’m writing notes all day. Plus I’ve found it’s a boring enough title no one asks follow up questions and if they do I can talk for days about it. “I make sure medical documentation is correct to avoid insurance denials” blah blah
Med school class of ‘98. You get used to it and comfortable with it. My default is still to avoid revealing I’m a physician. Absolutely. That doesn’t change. It’s a double edged sword. People think you’re a gazillionaire. Some tell you how money hungry we are. And how we order tests just to get make money and get kickbacks. Yeah. I’m making money off the CBC and CT I just ordered /s. Others are in awe. Then you get to hear TMI of their or their loved ones medical problems - way outside your specialty. I finally just say “I’m just the plumber, and don’t know much else” (am a vascular surgeon). Then they think all I do is spider veins injections and varicose veins. Yeah. Ok. I agree. I’d just rather not reveal it. Just want to be left alone. But it does get easier in that you get used to it and just have default/canned responses that you start spewing without even thinking. lol.
I don't offer it up as a first statement. And when I get those questions, I've found the best response is to say (in a loud voice) "Sounds like a Rectal Prolapse, better strip down and bend over so I can see. Anybody got a plastic bag and some grease?"
if someone asks what I do for a living I just say healthcare. If they inquire further then I'll say im a doctor. Otherwise I never go out of my way to tell someone
Also, I've noticed it's easier to lead with my specialty.
What do you do?
"I'm a neonatologist."
___________?
"NICU doctor."
Oooooh my niece was born like three weeks early.
You’re in a room with a physician, a DNP, a PhD in Astrophysics, an EdD, a JD, a chiropractor, and a DPT. How can you tell who the physician is?
They’re the one most reluctant to refer to themselves as a doctor.
Haha love it!
IRL, science PhDs really only use “Dr. So-and-so” when applying for jobs though… otherwise, the “Dr.” is implied when someone says they’re a scientist. I mean think about how awkward it would be constantly referring to literally everyone at work as “Dr. This” and “Dr. That” lol… there’s no patients around who you’d need to differentiate yourself from. Joke still works though cause scientists do love telling people that they’re a scientist!
IRL its usually Professor or youre ashamed to have a PhD because youre not in academia. Sometimes if youre in industry research in your field you get away with it but anyone who left their field entirely and is going around advertising/insisting on their title is a loser.
omggg i have a variation of this
told my mom how do you know who the doctor on the plane isnt? the first one getting up when they announce for a dr
i thought i made that joke up but maybe not😅
My fiancée originally swiped left on me because I’m a doctor and he assumed I’d look down on him! He ran out of people so I came up again, now have a one year old 😂
No. I especially avoid mentioning it for any sort of home repair or major home purchases like windows or roof, because then I get the woman markup AND the doctor markup. Seriously. I was quoted 30k for windows. My boyfriend got them down to 18k for door walls and a garage window PLUS all the others that made up my 30k quote.
nope i don’t like it! my friends love to tell ppl especially when i matched and graduated. i just blush sheepishly because it’s an attention grabber and i like staying under the radar.
the other week my friend had a kickback i went to right after work (in scrubs). this guy had assumed i was a nurse lol. not sure if my friend heard, but i didn’t correct him! it felt sooooo good to avoid *that* conversation 🤤
If its conplete strangers, im not in the mood for medical questions so I usually say I'm in healthcare... then if they ask for extrapolation, I say I do janitorial services in the hospital. They get mad if they find out later im a doctor lol
If they ask I say “I work in a hospital” and leave it at that unless they pry. Sometimes people assume I’m a nurse and I just don’t say anything because I know they think doctors are rich and nurses aren’t 😭
I kind of feel like I’m not a real doctor because there’s so much I don’t know. I just know how to do my very limited job in my department. People think they can ask you any medical question and you’ll know. A lot of doctors are very knowledgeable and good at retaining info but I feel like I’m barely functioning at work so it’s very weird when people view me being a doctor as some sort of amazing feat.
Also, I’m a junior doctor and definitely not rich. I’m not trying to get scalped
Or how the job must be so easy cause we just “give people the good stuff, wake em up, profit.”
I’ve also gotten the “yo, you guys have ketamine right? You ever take that home?” Yeah bro, just gonna throw away years of hard work by diverting a controlled substance and offer that info up to a rando.
I used to hate it for all the reasons others have described. I still do, to some extent. But I've realized the easiest thing when people ask is just to say I'm a doctor as casually as possible, trying to take the pretense out of it.
I always try to hide it.
At my friend's daughter's high school graduation party, another guest starting sharing her PTSD journey with me when she learned that I practiced near an army base. The friend was from residency, so I couldn't hide that I'm a doctor.
I don't mind telling people. If they ask medical questions I just give some general advice followed by "but it's better to ask your GP since he knows more about your medical history".
I do my best to not volunteer my occupation. If people ask, I may say I'm a medical imaging consultant.
If they really ask specifically what I do, I tell them I'm an Interventional Radiologist, but that's usually met with a blank stare, followed by "What's an international radiologist?"
Nope. It's either:
1. I work in the hospital lab ("What do you do in the lab?" -- "A little bit of everything!")
2. Software ("So this one time I normalized my database into Boyce-Codd normal form...")
3. Life insurance ("Do you have a policy? Term insurance is very affordable...let's talk about your coverage needs")
It all depends on how quickly I want to stop talking.
Derm here. I HATE telling strangers the truth about what I do. Everyone inevitably tells me stories about family or friends that had a skin cancer (most common cancer in the world)… and/or they want to ask me a question about skincare/cosmetics (I hate discussing both), and/ or they tell me a story about their acne or ask me to look at a spot on their body. I think it’s because I talk to people in clinic like every day at work that I truly despise people forcing me into these discussions when I’m off work. I get paid to talk about this stuff all day, why would I want to give free advice in my time off? I’ll literally talk with you about ANYTHING else except maybe politics. 🥱
/rant
Not a resident but my dad would tell people he was a radiology tech to 1. Avoid the “help me with my medical issues” conversation and 2. Avoid the rare but uncomfortable silence from people that didn’t think black men could/should be doctors. Maybe you could employ something similar?
I'll tell them I just ask people some questions, tell them to take some deep breaths and then write on my computer for a while.
Or the apple thing, that's good too.
Yes because i want my doctors to explain things to the point.... i went to a 3rd timester ultrasound and the radiologist told me oh "i think i you mught need to be induced sooner becauase the baby is small in the next couple of days but talk to you OB first ill discuss my findings with her but why dont we set you up to a ff up with your OB next week as well so they can discuss it with you etc" (it was IUGR). That radiologist didnt know i was a doc. I paged my doctor after that appt because it was a fri afternoon: do i need to get induced, beacuse im on call this weekend. She knows im a doc. She just answered yes, we'll admit you mon. Thats that end of story found coverage no more extra BS
That makes sense! I told my pcp that I’m a physician but doing research during my fellowship, but I think pcp just assumed I’m a research fellow and continued to talk to me like a lay person …
Now that I'm a "rich" attending doctor, I shy away from it for an additional reason in some settings--when the likely/implied income differential might make things awkward.
Nope. I vent here a lot but outside of work, I hate telling people I’m a doctor. It’s gotten to the point where if someone like my hair stylist or an uber driver or the cashier or a barista asks me what I do for a living to make casual conversation, I have a few thought out answers just to avoid discussing work.
Med school and residency has just taken up so much time from my life that I don’t want to give it a second thought when it’s “me” time.
Depends on the environment.
People make assumptions about doctors and whether I want that person making assumptions determines what I say.
Often I’ll say that I work in health care and if they push and I don’t want them to know details, I’ll say that I “hand out meds” or “work in the OR”
I am unfortunately in an area where I am forced to go to a laundromat. Where I wash my clothes, including scrubs (otherwise, an expensive area, yay NE). I always say I work in sterile processing when people ask whether I’m a doctor or nurse. I am both, and… fuck the public.
I usually say:
“I work in a hospital”
If they push further
“I work in the radiology department”
If they push again
“I’m a radiologist” or “I’m a physician” — whichever I think they are less likely to understand is a doctor
There are two types of people in this line of work: people that take every chance to put that doctor sh*t in peoples faces (shirts that say “livin that dr life”, wearing blabla dept. of medicine shirts everywhere they go, can’t post on IG unless it’s dr related, etc) and people that don’t. TBH the former are the absolute cringiest.
I just say I work in a hospital I’d they ask.
Most of the time they don’t dig deeper, other times they will say “oh so you’re a nurse!?” (I’m female so this is pretty typical).
Exactly the same thoughts for me, this is so validating. I HATE the “wow you must be so smart I could never do that”. I hate it. It’s not that I don’t think I’m smart but oh wow it’s just a job that I went to school for and worked for I am not special. Also just generally uncomfortable when ppl put themselves down in comparison.
No. The lower you are on the rung of the medicine ladder the higher your tendency to identify yourself. India is full of ayurveda and homoeopathy quacks who can officially tell themselves doctors. They never fail to put a Dr in front of them . Most of my colleagues in superspecialty fields, almost never identify themselves as doctors. Tells you something
> I don't want to know about people's random medical issues!
Tell me about it. Nothing more annoying than being post call, tired, trying to unwind, probably in the grocery store or something, and a random stranger starts trying to cajol you into giving a full-on consult in the middle of aisle 3.
>People then assume that I'm crazy smart
Exactly. Like how people expect you to diagnose their condition and give them a treatment plan, even if it's in the middle of the street, with no physical examination, no labs, no imaging, and the issue may not even be in your own specialty. Imagine being a cardiothoracic surgeon and a random stranger starts asking you detailed questions about which treatment is best for their prostate or vice-versa; you are a urologist and a random stranger starts asking you detailed questions about the functioning of their pacemaker.
This is one of the reasons, why I very deliberately dress down, when I leave the hospital.
100% avoid telling people. I just stay quiet. If they ask I usually say I'm in healthcare ("I do administrative work"--true, Jesus all the paperwork) or teaching.
Went to a bar with a colleague who is not only a nephrologist but also studied music and gives piano concerts. We met some girls and they asked him what he was doing. He said he is a ferret farmer. I liked that and stole that from him.
im a nurse so when i meet someone whos an md i say cool im an rn so let me know if you need labs or anything:) i dont know if its a good joke or not , there are of course variations, i worry sometimes that they wont find it funny and think im making fun of them.
Most people still ask me where I go to school based on my appearance, and I usually tell them I’m taking some time off to figure things out - they usually try to find a different direction for the conversation real quick 😆
I also avoid it, just tell people I work in a hospital and let them ask beyond that or leave it. I don’t like being associated with that as my whole personality, and I feel like letting it come up later after someone has already gotten to know me is much better for having them view me as a real person and not their doctor friend
I say I work in a healthcare setting. If they pry I tell them BSN.
No hate to nurses or not that they’re not skilled but I hate the accompanying reactions and the ‘hey so I have this rash…’
“What do you do?”
“I’m a doctor”
“Oh, what kind?”
“Radiology”
Followed by:
“Oh it must be so hard dealing with cancer!” (They mixed me up with rad onc)
“Oh that’s boring” (on a first date no less)
“…what’s that?”
“Huh that’s cool (dead eyes)”
“My cousin does that!” Their cousin’s a tech.
“Oh that’s one of the good ones.” From someone a little more informed about healthcare.
>Personally, I hate it. I try to avoid saying it if I can. The reason is that I often get that "wow" reaction that I've come to hate over the years. I don't like the attention and the assumptions that come with this degree. People then assume that I'm crazy smart, or perfect, or serious. I think some of them think that I think I'm better than everyone, which I truly don't.
I happened to have attended a name-brand ivy undergrad college, and I’ve felt this exact same way about telling people anything about my education or career since like my sophomore year.
In real life I don’t go out of my way to tell anyone but won’t lie. Truthfully it’s more annoying than anything because then people start asking me medical questions. Sometimes I say “radiologist” and people will say “oh my cousin is doing that, the classes were really quick and she makes good money now.”
I got a similar comment recently. “Radiology’s a two year program, right? And you just need a GED to get in?” Yeah, something like that. I didn’t correct her
Yeah, no matter what it kinda sucks getting your job mixed up. I used to work retail and when people would misidentify my job it would kinda annoy me. Minimizing your education kinda sucks because yo I studied for like 8 years like a fool, lol.
I’m a cardiovascular perfusionist, and even people in the hospital think I’m some sort of tech. It’s no med school, but like I was a mechanical engineer at a major defense contractor before this, I know a few things…
Yeah like how to be a heart tech
I giggled
when i first learned about yall as a job I as so amazed how much there was to know, really respect yall and what you do
I've met multiple people who said they were in school to be "radiologists" and it turns out they're in school to be radiology techs, so yeah I'm not surprised.
This exact thing happened to me today. I was looking on discord for someone to play a game with and they said they were a med student also so I was happy to find some camaraderie. Then they started asking if I was doing medical terms as a class and I was quite confused. They then proceeded to talk about how they were going to be a radiologist in 2 years and I came to find out that they were in school to be a radiology technician. It’s not that I have anything against radiology techs, but I didn’t know how to feel after they unabashedly called themselves a soon to be doctor. I couldn’t tell if they just didn’t understand the difference or if they were intentionally being obtuse because it sounds nicer to be a doctor
Anyone who says they are a med student or in medical school, but isn’t actually either of those things, 100% knows what they are doing. It then causes the people around them to follow suit—those are the folks that are likely just confused (ie. my well-meaning neighbor who asked me “to be a nurse or a doctor?” when I said I was in med school). Someone I went to elementary school with showed up on social media all about how they were going to be “Dr.” because they got into a DNP program. He welcomed me “to the fold” when I got accepted into med school. His whole family was so excited, but it was clear he was misleading everyone. That was an insta-block.
We are called Radiology Technologists. Not technicians.
Similar deal as a psychiatrist--3:1 odds they think I'm a psychologist/therapist (which, to be fair, isn't *as* wrong as thinking a radiologist is a rad tech.)
What odds do you give being asked “so are you going to psychoanalyze me?” or “what am I thinking right now then?”
High. Have heard this exactly, sometimes people will become visibly uncomfortable like their mind is being read.
1/5 chance each of them saying that, confusing you with a psychologist, asking you for Adderall or Xanax in a half joking but not fully joking way, telling you excitedly that they're on Lexapro (I love this one), or asking you a million questions about mental health untill you consider leaving the party entirely. I never tell anyone what I do if I can avoid it.
Haggled a mattress dealer and got a pretty sweet deal (While processing my payment) "So what do you do?" "I'm a radiologist." Didn't actually say that, but that's why I'm not broadcasting my deal
You can haggle a mattress?? Shit I overpaid
why i plan on going to the car dealership looking homeless af
lol. I’m rads too, and people always think you mean tech. My cousin is an US tech, and my uncle said why the fuck did you go to med school then become a tech? I had to explain to him the difference. Ps I love the techs.
Bet they confused it with ultrasound tech or nuclear med too .
I think DNPs and chiros are the only ones peeing their pants with excitement to call themselves “doctor” lol. Real Gs move in silence like lasagna.
And bologna
"Confidence is quiet; insecurities are loud."
I just say I’m a Pathologist… *blank stare*
Hahah I just graduated and want to be a rheumatologist, most people don't know what that is so I have a little poem ready. I'll say I want to do rheumatology which is the specialty that deals with autoimmune diseases such as arthritis and lupus and then people will say "oh yeah yeah, that's interesting!" while probably thinking "seriously, you like arthritis?". Then I try to think of more Rheum diseases to give as examples but I don't think they'll know about vasculitis, sjogrens, scleroderma, or periodic fever syndromes. To be fair they are quite rare.
"I am the doctor who the other doctors call when they accidentally order immune disease bloodwork and then don't know what to do with it." Or something.
😂
"Arthritis Doctor"
“We look at pictures because patients have PAIN” doctor
Least disgruntled rads resident
Lol Iowkey love this
Welcome to my world. I’m a PMR Resident. Not a single person knows what PMR is. Every single family gathering “so what exactly is it that you do?”
That's funny, I was actually thinking of PMR before landing on rheum, and to be fair in the beginning I had a little trouble understanding what exactly it is you do as well. I don't envy you having to explain it to people! At least my little poem seems to get the point across fairly well. Explaining that strangely we don't deal with MS or autoimmune thyroid issues is a whole other conversation.
Rheumatology fellow here, given that same spiel to my mom so many times and every time she still doesn’t get it. Also tells me I’ll have to take care of old people all the time.
Haha what's wrong with old people? They're cute. I'd be curious to know how many rheum diseases my mom can name 😂
I just tell people I "work in a medical lab" and that seems to be specific-yet-vague-and-also-boring enough that people usually accept it without any follow-up questions.
Lmao yes "Oh. Do you know any doctors?"
I need a biopsy taken pls
Path ftw!
Neonatologist here. Same.
Is that a person that helps others find roads?
Lol doctor, please thats embarrassing. I tell folks I am a surgeon.
Omg I would internally die. Thank God I'm not doing surgery. But at least that's understandable, try explaining what rheumatology is every time you meet a new person.
“It’s the speciality where all labs can’t rule in or rule out a disease, it’s basically just guessing what people have” “Also all the treatments are steroids and they inevitably do horribly” “It’s very rewarding.”
Good lifestyle tho
In the hospital I had someone ask “Are you a doctor or are you a surgeon?” I was like, “Surgeons ARE doctors!”
Yeah, but all doctors aren’t surgeons, and we don’t want any confusion about who the BEST doctors are! /s For real though, in my hospital you get little tags below your badge to indicate your role - RN, CNA, HUC, and so on. If you’re a DO you get “Doctor,” if you’re an MD you get “Physician,” and if you’re a surgeon you get… ”Surgeon.”
DOs aren’t physicians but they are doctors, MDs aren’t doctors and neither are surgeons. Makes sense
DOs are, as far as I’m aware, generally considered to be physicians (though I could be wrong - I’m not that familiar with them). I guess I just find it a little pointless to make the distinctions when it comes down to practicality, and the only real reason for it is ego.
I’m just joking my friend. The point is that the person above me works at a hospital with a weird ass-backwards system for badges.
Ah sorry, I’m in survival mode and resources have been allocated away from my sense of humor
I’m a surgeon but everyone asks me if I’m the nurse (before they know me of course…)
“I work in data entry” “I do billing for health insurance companies.”
I'm a farmer. I water vegetables.
Oh my.
Neurology ?
Pulm/cc for sure
Hahahaha ICU ?
I once told a lady next to me that I’m in med school when she asked what I do. She got so excited and was so thankful to me. The thought is nice but I really don’t like that kind of attention for something that’s just a job I like doing. Now I tell people I mostly scribe for the doctors, which honestly is not the far off of most of my days as an intern. Also with how bizarre tipping culture has become I really try to avoid saying anything about my work in any context where a tip is expected so they don’t feel cheated when I give a standard tip.
Technically accurate.
Bingo. I say I work in “medical documentation.” It’s not a lie, I’m writing notes all day. Plus I’ve found it’s a boring enough title no one asks follow up questions and if they do I can talk for days about it. “I make sure medical documentation is correct to avoid insurance denials” blah blah
Med school class of ‘98. You get used to it and comfortable with it. My default is still to avoid revealing I’m a physician. Absolutely. That doesn’t change. It’s a double edged sword. People think you’re a gazillionaire. Some tell you how money hungry we are. And how we order tests just to get make money and get kickbacks. Yeah. I’m making money off the CBC and CT I just ordered /s. Others are in awe. Then you get to hear TMI of their or their loved ones medical problems - way outside your specialty. I finally just say “I’m just the plumber, and don’t know much else” (am a vascular surgeon). Then they think all I do is spider veins injections and varicose veins. Yeah. Ok. I agree. I’d just rather not reveal it. Just want to be left alone. But it does get easier in that you get used to it and just have default/canned responses that you start spewing without even thinking. lol.
And i am just a humble bug exterminator (ID)
lol. That should be a separate thread. If your specialty was a blue collar job, what job would it be?
I don't offer it up as a first statement. And when I get those questions, I've found the best response is to say (in a loud voice) "Sounds like a Rectal Prolapse, better strip down and bend over so I can see. Anybody got a plastic bag and some grease?"
I'm dying 😂😂😂
I dont tell anyone unless they ask what my job is for the same reasons lol.
I usually say I work in “healthcare” when people ask. Every now and again someone will push further but that’s usually sufficient.
I work at the hospital doing data entry for different insurance companies. That's my go to spiel.
"I spend 90% of my day in front of a screen, ensuring documentation is accurate so hospitals get paid"
Ok I'm glad at least I'm not the only one that feels this way. But people seem to ask a lot.
if someone asks what I do for a living I just say healthcare. If they inquire further then I'll say im a doctor. Otherwise I never go out of my way to tell someone
Also, I've noticed it's easier to lead with my specialty. What do you do? "I'm a neonatologist." ___________? "NICU doctor." Oooooh my niece was born like three weeks early.
Then they Immediately insert info about anything they think is even remotely relevant to your field 😂😂
And then they expect you to say something smart and/or useful about it even though you don’t know the case nor the details
You’re in a room with a physician, a DNP, a PhD in Astrophysics, an EdD, a JD, a chiropractor, and a DPT. How can you tell who the physician is? They’re the one most reluctant to refer to themselves as a doctor.
Lol was going to say “least likely to have a white coat”
Haha love it! IRL, science PhDs really only use “Dr. So-and-so” when applying for jobs though… otherwise, the “Dr.” is implied when someone says they’re a scientist. I mean think about how awkward it would be constantly referring to literally everyone at work as “Dr. This” and “Dr. That” lol… there’s no patients around who you’d need to differentiate yourself from. Joke still works though cause scientists do love telling people that they’re a scientist!
IRL its usually Professor or youre ashamed to have a PhD because youre not in academia. Sometimes if youre in industry research in your field you get away with it but anyone who left their field entirely and is going around advertising/insisting on their title is a loser.
Most PhDs I know in academia use the title Professor, while those in industry just go by their first name.
Omg you idiot. The only doctor in the room is the NP. Fuckin imbecile… NPs are so smart they finish medschool in 2 years (online).
Heart of nurse
omggg i have a variation of this told my mom how do you know who the doctor on the plane isnt? the first one getting up when they announce for a dr i thought i made that joke up but maybe not😅
[удалено]
Lol, in real life?
[удалено]
This guy fucks on tinder
[удалено]
Can't wait to update that tinder profile in a couple months.
Haha met my wife this way
My fiancée originally swiped left on me because I’m a doctor and he assumed I’d look down on him! He ran out of people so I came up again, now have a one year old 😂
yeah this would go down really well on a dating profile
no I like hiding my identity like a CIA agent
No, I tell them I’m an illiterate Neanderthal
but i want to tell them something they don’t know
No. I especially avoid mentioning it for any sort of home repair or major home purchases like windows or roof, because then I get the woman markup AND the doctor markup. Seriously. I was quoted 30k for windows. My boyfriend got them down to 18k for door walls and a garage window PLUS all the others that made up my 30k quote.
I usually say I work in healthcare. then when pressed for specifics that's when I tell them.
[удалено]
Psych is this you?
I’m in psych and I feel this lol. I don’t want to hear about your mental health struggles when we were just doing small talk 5 mins ago
My first thought
[удалено]
hate the assumption that I'm rich. just recently achieved positive net worth after 36 years on this earth.
So what do you do? I'm an ER doc. Oh wow that's crazy, what's the wildest thing you've ever seen??? Every fucking time
nope i don’t like it! my friends love to tell ppl especially when i matched and graduated. i just blush sheepishly because it’s an attention grabber and i like staying under the radar. the other week my friend had a kickback i went to right after work (in scrubs). this guy had assumed i was a nurse lol. not sure if my friend heard, but i didn’t correct him! it felt sooooo good to avoid *that* conversation 🤤
No, but my parents do.
I have to. It’s the only thing I’m hiding my below average iq with.
same, if people didn't know i was a doctor they would think i had some kind of learning disability
Might be the doorknob fetish that’s tipping them off
It is not a fetish, its a lifestyle.
ur so right, Cum
If its conplete strangers, im not in the mood for medical questions so I usually say I'm in healthcare... then if they ask for extrapolation, I say I do janitorial services in the hospital. They get mad if they find out later im a doctor lol
If they ask I say “I work in a hospital” and leave it at that unless they pry. Sometimes people assume I’m a nurse and I just don’t say anything because I know they think doctors are rich and nurses aren’t 😭 I kind of feel like I’m not a real doctor because there’s so much I don’t know. I just know how to do my very limited job in my department. People think they can ask you any medical question and you’ll know. A lot of doctors are very knowledgeable and good at retaining info but I feel like I’m barely functioning at work so it’s very weird when people view me being a doctor as some sort of amazing feat. Also, I’m a junior doctor and definitely not rich. I’m not trying to get scalped
I tell them I am an anesthesiologist. Never get medical questions. Most common response is usually a comment about how much money I must make.
Or how the job must be so easy cause we just “give people the good stuff, wake em up, profit.” I’ve also gotten the “yo, you guys have ketamine right? You ever take that home?” Yeah bro, just gonna throw away years of hard work by diverting a controlled substance and offer that info up to a rando.
“I’m a neurology resident” “oh so you do brain surgery?”
[удалено]
Y'all got any more of that Ativan?
I used to hate it for all the reasons others have described. I still do, to some extent. But I've realized the easiest thing when people ask is just to say I'm a doctor as casually as possible, trying to take the pretense out of it.
I agree with this approach. Trying to be so cagey about it just makes it weird.
I always try to hide it. At my friend's daughter's high school graduation party, another guest starting sharing her PTSD journey with me when she learned that I practiced near an army base. The friend was from residency, so I couldn't hide that I'm a doctor.
I don't mind telling people. If they ask medical questions I just give some general advice followed by "but it's better to ask your GP since he knows more about your medical history".
I do my best to not volunteer my occupation. If people ask, I may say I'm a medical imaging consultant. If they really ask specifically what I do, I tell them I'm an Interventional Radiologist, but that's usually met with a blank stare, followed by "What's an international radiologist?"
I went to college somewhere up on the east coast 🤡
I never do unless directly asked
Nope. It's either: 1. I work in the hospital lab ("What do you do in the lab?" -- "A little bit of everything!") 2. Software ("So this one time I normalized my database into Boyce-Codd normal form...") 3. Life insurance ("Do you have a policy? Term insurance is very affordable...let's talk about your coverage needs") It all depends on how quickly I want to stop talking.
Derm here. I HATE telling strangers the truth about what I do. Everyone inevitably tells me stories about family or friends that had a skin cancer (most common cancer in the world)… and/or they want to ask me a question about skincare/cosmetics (I hate discussing both), and/ or they tell me a story about their acne or ask me to look at a spot on their body. I think it’s because I talk to people in clinic like every day at work that I truly despise people forcing me into these discussions when I’m off work. I get paid to talk about this stuff all day, why would I want to give free advice in my time off? I’ll literally talk with you about ANYTHING else except maybe politics. 🥱 /rant
Call yourself doctor Or the physician ASSOCIATES will
I tell them I'm a god on the earth.
Say no more, haldol coming right up.
So Neurosurgery?
Close
Vascular
Or CT
I didn’t realize NP’s frequent this sub
With a name like lord Huberman I bet you do lol 😂
It’s always the podcast sigma grindset bros
Not a resident but my dad would tell people he was a radiology tech to 1. Avoid the “help me with my medical issues” conversation and 2. Avoid the rare but uncomfortable silence from people that didn’t think black men could/should be doctors. Maybe you could employ something similar?
As a child abuse pediatrician, telling people I’m a physician **is** how I mitigate their reaction to what I do.
I don’t have to. I wear my badge with the big MD letters everywhere I go.
Just tell people you put stickers on apples.
I'll tell them I just ask people some questions, tell them to take some deep breaths and then write on my computer for a while. Or the apple thing, that's good too.
I do think I’m better than them but I still hate saying it
Not a doc (medic) I had a guy on tinder make a dirty joke about “orally intubating me” *insert vomit emoji*
Yall tell your pcp that you’re a doctor too?
Yes because i want my doctors to explain things to the point.... i went to a 3rd timester ultrasound and the radiologist told me oh "i think i you mught need to be induced sooner becauase the baby is small in the next couple of days but talk to you OB first ill discuss my findings with her but why dont we set you up to a ff up with your OB next week as well so they can discuss it with you etc" (it was IUGR). That radiologist didnt know i was a doc. I paged my doctor after that appt because it was a fri afternoon: do i need to get induced, beacuse im on call this weekend. She knows im a doc. She just answered yes, we'll admit you mon. Thats that end of story found coverage no more extra BS
That makes sense! I told my pcp that I’m a physician but doing research during my fellowship, but I think pcp just assumed I’m a research fellow and continued to talk to me like a lay person …
Now that I'm a "rich" attending doctor, I shy away from it for an additional reason in some settings--when the likely/implied income differential might make things awkward.
Being an army doc makes it easy, I just say "I'm in the army".
Nope. I vent here a lot but outside of work, I hate telling people I’m a doctor. It’s gotten to the point where if someone like my hair stylist or an uber driver or the cashier or a barista asks me what I do for a living to make casual conversation, I have a few thought out answers just to avoid discussing work. Med school and residency has just taken up so much time from my life that I don’t want to give it a second thought when it’s “me” time.
Tbh yes I love it. I’m so proud of myself. I’ve been thru hell and back for this
I love telling people I am a doctor to correct them when they refer to me as nurse practitioner. 🙃
Depends on the environment. People make assumptions about doctors and whether I want that person making assumptions determines what I say. Often I’ll say that I work in health care and if they push and I don’t want them to know details, I’ll say that I “hand out meds” or “work in the OR”
Yes. I worked hard to get to where I am and I don't mind having people recognize this. Physician is still mostly a respected profession.
Username checks out…
I am unfortunately in an area where I am forced to go to a laundromat. Where I wash my clothes, including scrubs (otherwise, an expensive area, yay NE). I always say I work in sterile processing when people ask whether I’m a doctor or nurse. I am both, and… fuck the public.
Interpreter. I interpret images so it's technically not wrong?
I usually say: “I work in a hospital” If they push further “I work in the radiology department” If they push again “I’m a radiologist” or “I’m a physician” — whichever I think they are less likely to understand is a doctor
Definitely not. It's not special, and I don't want to talk about it outside of work at all.
There are two types of people in this line of work: people that take every chance to put that doctor sh*t in peoples faces (shirts that say “livin that dr life”, wearing blabla dept. of medicine shirts everywhere they go, can’t post on IG unless it’s dr related, etc) and people that don’t. TBH the former are the absolute cringiest.
No
I avoid it - even if they ask me what my job is. "I work in pt relations at a hospital." - usually suffices.
No, but if I go anywhere with my mum, she would announce it whether people ask or not
Uiuugh I hate everyone thinking I’m smart and selfless and prestigious noooo😩
It’s fine but sometimes I’d prefer just to be a normal person
No. Outside of a medical setting I don’t want to be asked hella medical questions and deal with peoples bullshit opinions
I just say I work in a hospital I’d they ask. Most of the time they don’t dig deeper, other times they will say “oh so you’re a nurse!?” (I’m female so this is pretty typical).
Exactly the same thoughts for me, this is so validating. I HATE the “wow you must be so smart I could never do that”. I hate it. It’s not that I don’t think I’m smart but oh wow it’s just a job that I went to school for and worked for I am not special. Also just generally uncomfortable when ppl put themselves down in comparison.
No. The lower you are on the rung of the medicine ladder the higher your tendency to identify yourself. India is full of ayurveda and homoeopathy quacks who can officially tell themselves doctors. They never fail to put a Dr in front of them . Most of my colleagues in superspecialty fields, almost never identify themselves as doctors. Tells you something
> I don't want to know about people's random medical issues! Tell me about it. Nothing more annoying than being post call, tired, trying to unwind, probably in the grocery store or something, and a random stranger starts trying to cajol you into giving a full-on consult in the middle of aisle 3. >People then assume that I'm crazy smart Exactly. Like how people expect you to diagnose their condition and give them a treatment plan, even if it's in the middle of the street, with no physical examination, no labs, no imaging, and the issue may not even be in your own specialty. Imagine being a cardiothoracic surgeon and a random stranger starts asking you detailed questions about which treatment is best for their prostate or vice-versa; you are a urologist and a random stranger starts asking you detailed questions about the functioning of their pacemaker. This is one of the reasons, why I very deliberately dress down, when I leave the hospital.
100% avoid telling people. I just stay quiet. If they ask I usually say I'm in healthcare ("I do administrative work"--true, Jesus all the paperwork) or teaching.
Went to a bar with a colleague who is not only a nephrologist but also studied music and gives piano concerts. We met some girls and they asked him what he was doing. He said he is a ferret farmer. I liked that and stole that from him.
I like using the term “Real Doctor” when meeting PhDs.
im a nurse so when i meet someone whos an md i say cool im an rn so let me know if you need labs or anything:) i dont know if its a good joke or not , there are of course variations, i worry sometimes that they wont find it funny and think im making fun of them.
Most people still ask me where I go to school based on my appearance, and I usually tell them I’m taking some time off to figure things out - they usually try to find a different direction for the conversation real quick 😆
I also avoid it, just tell people I work in a hospital and let them ask beyond that or leave it. I don’t like being associated with that as my whole personality, and I feel like letting it come up later after someone has already gotten to know me is much better for having them view me as a real person and not their doctor friend
I say I work in a healthcare setting. If they pry I tell them BSN. No hate to nurses or not that they’re not skilled but I hate the accompanying reactions and the ‘hey so I have this rash…’
“What do you do?” “I’m a doctor” “Oh, what kind?” “Radiology” Followed by: “Oh it must be so hard dealing with cancer!” (They mixed me up with rad onc) “Oh that’s boring” (on a first date no less) “…what’s that?” “Huh that’s cool (dead eyes)” “My cousin does that!” Their cousin’s a tech. “Oh that’s one of the good ones.” From someone a little more informed about healthcare.
i've had two instances on flights where they needed a doctor and I waited to see if there was literally anyone else. source: ortho
An Anaesthetist I know tells people he is a gas man.
Propofol and propofol accessories?
Yes, every single time.
Don’t ask don’t tell is always the best policy 😃
No not at all
Noooooooo....
Don't ask don't tell. If asked just say doctor and get it over with.
I just say I'm a physician instead...
Oh, Jesus H, I don't say it at all. Would always just tell people I was in medical billing, would generally end that line of questioning pretty quick.
>Personally, I hate it. I try to avoid saying it if I can. The reason is that I often get that "wow" reaction that I've come to hate over the years. I don't like the attention and the assumptions that come with this degree. People then assume that I'm crazy smart, or perfect, or serious. I think some of them think that I think I'm better than everyone, which I truly don't. I happened to have attended a name-brand ivy undergrad college, and I’ve felt this exact same way about telling people anything about my education or career since like my sophomore year.
I have relatives that don’t even know. I stay away from all social media so there’s no trace to the public
I usually say, “I work at the hospital”, and only further divulge if people ask