Skip to content
  • About
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Book
  • Careers
  • Podcast
  • Recommended
  • Speaking
  • All
  • Physician
  • Practice
  • Policy
  • Finance
  • Conditions
  • .edu
  • Patient
  • Meds
  • Tech
  • Social
  • Video
    • All
    • Physician
    • Practice
    • Policy
    • Finance
    • Conditions
    • .edu
    • Patient
    • Meds
    • Tech
    • Social
    • Video
    • About
    • Contact
    • Contribute
    • Book
    • Careers
    • Podcast
    • Recommended
    • Speaking

Sexually discriminatory language used against our trainees: There is no grey area

Kate Wonneberger Gardner, MD
Physician
May 15, 2019
520 Shares
Share
Tweet
Share

“Thanks baby, I mean doctor … Doctor baby …” he finished uncertainly.

I washed my hands, gave him a quick nod, and walked out of the emergency department exam room with my smirking attending following behind me.

Speaking to a group of my female colleagues, it seems everyone has a story or two like this. Starting as medical students and continuing through our practice today, for female physicians there seems to be no end in sight to everyday sexism at the hands of our patients and peers. Recently, we’ve been discussing not just the incidents themselves, but how we handle them, and if there is a “right” way to do it. As an intern, I had no better solution than to get confused, look embarrassed, and walk away.  Not only did my attending remain silent in the patient’s room, but he also didn’t acknowledge my discomfort or the inappropriate situation later on. Further in training, even as I watched my male attendings refer to me by my first name and male residents as “Dr. X” or allow when patients called them “Sir” and me “sweetheart,” I began to stand up to this kind of gender diminutive, in the way I always wished someone would stand up for me.

After discussions with my female colleagues, I’ve found a range of responses from completely ignoring these remarks, to firmly and professionally explaining why they are not appropriate.  For those of us that do not take this express route, the common reason is concern over damaging the doctor-patient relationship.  The logic goes something like this, “If I make a big deal about this patient’s casual sexism, then he may feel embarrassed or annoyed and be less likely to trust the therapeutic relationship or his plan of care.”

I don’t know if this is true or not, and to my knowledge, it has never been studied, but recently I’ve come to believe that it’s the wrong question.  The right question to be asking ourselves is, “What are the consequences of allowing these sexist undercurrents to go unchallenged.”   What kind of example are we setting for our colleagues and trainees:  How should you respond when the patient calls your medical student, “baby”?

Gender discrimination is commonplace in medicine. This ranges from blatant sexual harassment to the more insidious culture of sexism that permeates hospitals and medical interactions. Numerous studies, both in and outside of medicine have demonstrated the professional, physical and psychological impact that gender discrimination has on women who experience it. Clearly, a dramatic shift needs to occur in the culture of medicine to reduce these levels of sexual discrimination.

I think one of these changes should include fighting the allowance made for gender diminutives as described above.  As I transition from a resident to a fellow to an attending, I am constantly reminded of the message it sent when other members of the team let these infractions slide.  I was a lesser member of the team, with less authority, less ability, just less. Now as I lead academic training teams, I realize that those more junior in training may not feel comfortable correcting these remarks in front of their team, just as I wasn’t. She may be more likely to defer to the authority of someone else in the room, wonder if it’s appropriate to say something or just let it go- and then carry this uncertainty forward in her career.   If the attending doesn’t step in, it normalizes the behavior to the patient, the trainee, and also the other members of the team. This is diminishing our female trainees and normalizing gender discrimination to our team and our patients, fueling the unspoken acceptance of sexism throughout medical culture.

However we decide to handle it in our own practice, there is no gray area when it comes to sexually discriminatory language used against our trainees. When a patient makes a gendered remark to a trainee, silence itself is harmful. Reinforcing respect for all members of the medical team by standing up against this kind of gender mistreatment is just one small step toward overcoming sexual discrimination in academic medicine.

Recently I walked into a patient room with my all-female trainee team, and the resident waited for the patient to get off the phone to introduce herself. “Hold on,” he said into the phone, “some young women just came in to talk to me.”

“We are your doctors,” I corrected him.

“A doctor and some nurses,” he updated his telephone companion. “No,” I said, “we are all your doctors.”

Kate Wonneberger Gardner is a pulmonary fellow who blogs at Adventures of a Lady Doc.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com

Prev

Lawmakers should stop trash-talking health care professionals

May 15, 2019 Kevin 13
…
Next

The truth about Caribbean medical schools

May 15, 2019 Kevin 5
…

Tagged as: Hospital-Based Medicine, Practice Management

Post navigation

< Previous Post
Lawmakers should stop trash-talking health care professionals
Next Post >
The truth about Caribbean medical schools

Related Posts

  • Don’t judge when trainees use dating apps in the hospital

    Austin Perlmutter, MD
  • Advocating for people with disabilities: People First Language

    Leonard Wang
  • Attending physicians should not pass down their impressions of trainees

    Cherilyn Cecchini, MD
  • Be mindful of the language we use in medicine

    Shannon Casey, PA-C
  • A physician’s addiction to social media

    Amanda Xi, MD
  • Language matters: the not-so-innocuous provider effect

    Torie S. Sepah, MD

More in Physician

  • The hidden factor in physician burnout: How the climate crisis is contributing to the erosion of well-being

    Elizabeth Cerceo, MD
  • Raw humanity on night float: inspiring patient encounters and overcoming challenges

    Johnathan Yao, MD, MPH
  • Revolutionizing emergency medicine: Overcoming long-term challenges with innovative solutions for physicians and patients

    Anonymous
  • The pediatric health care system tested to the limits: an inside look at the “at capacity” period during the tripledemic

    Jacqueline Bolt, MD
  • How chronic illness and disability are portrayed in media and the importance of daily choices for improved quality of life

    Juliet Morgan and Meghan Jobson
  • How biased language and stigmatizing labels affect patient care and treatment

    Joan Naidorf, DO
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • A patient’s perspective on the diminishing relationship between doctors and patients

      Michele Luckenbaugh | Conditions
    • Unmasking wage disparity in health care: the truth behind the Elmhurst Hospital physician strike

      Kevin Pho, MD | KevinMD
    • Why affirmative action is crucial for health equity and social justice in medicine

      Katrina Gipson, MD, MPH | Policy
    • How electronic health records preserve patients’ legacies in the words of oncologists

      Marc Braunstein, MD, PhD | Physician
    • Unmasking the brutal reality of gun violence in America: a call to action for unity and meaningful change

      Osmund Agbo, MD | Policy
    • Emulating Michael Jordan’s winning mindset: a path to success for health care professionals and entrepreneurs

      Harvey Castro, MD, MBA | Physician
  • Past 6 Months

    • The growing threat to transgender health care: implications for patients, providers, and trainees

      Carson Hartlage | Policy
    • Breaking point: the 5 reasons American doctors are dreaming of walking away from medicine

      Amol Shrikhande, MD | Physician
    • “Is your surgeon really skilled? The hidden threat to public safety in medicine.

      Gene Uzawa Dorio, MD | Physician
    • It’s time to replace the 0 to 10 pain intensity scale with a better measure

      Mark Sullivan, MD and Jane Ballantyne, MD | Conditions
    • Breaking the cycle of racism in health care: a call for anti-racist action

      Tomi Mitchell, MD | Policy
    • Revolutionize your practice: the value-based care model that reduces physician burnout

      Chandravadan Patel, MD | Physician
  • Recent Posts

    • The hidden factor in physician burnout: How the climate crisis is contributing to the erosion of well-being

      Elizabeth Cerceo, MD | Physician
    • The surprising medical mystery of a “good” Hitler: How a rescued kitten revealed a rare movement disorder

      Teresella Gondolo, MD | Conditions
    • The power of coaching for physicians: transforming thoughts, changing lives

      Kim Downey, PT | Conditions
    • Why doctors aren’t to blame for the U.S. opioid crisis [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Raw humanity on night float: inspiring patient encounters and overcoming challenges

      Johnathan Yao, MD, MPH | Physician
    • Is AI the solution for the shortage of nephrologists? ChatGPT weighs in.

      Amol Shrikhande, MD | Tech

Subscribe to KevinMD and never miss a story!

Get free updates delivered free to your inbox.


Find jobs at
Careers by KevinMD.com

Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now.

Learn more

View 11 Comments >

Founded in 2004 by Kevin Pho, MD, KevinMD.com is the web’s leading platform where physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses, medical students, and patients share their insight and tell their stories.

Social

  • Like on Facebook
  • Follow on Twitter
  • Connect on Linkedin
  • Subscribe on Youtube
  • Instagram

CME Spotlights

From MedPage Today

Latest News

  • 'Medically Relevant to Saving the Life of Your Patient': What We Heard This Week
  • Want to Solve the Nurse Shortage?
  • Why Are Female Doctors Sued Nearly Half as Often as Male Doctors?
  • What Drug Did FDA Just Approve for COVID?
  • PET Scan for Alzheimer's Dx; Predicting Colon Cancer Survival

Meeting Coverage

  • No Access to Routine Healthcare Biggest Barrier to HPV Vaccination
  • Trial Results Spark Talk of Curing More Metastatic Cervical Cancers
  • Cross-Border Collaboration Improves Survival in Pediatric Leukemia Patients
  • Monoclonal Antibody Reduced Need For Transfusions in Low-Risk MDS
  • Less-Invasive Surgery for Pancreatic Cancer Proves Safe, Effective
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • A patient’s perspective on the diminishing relationship between doctors and patients

      Michele Luckenbaugh | Conditions
    • Unmasking wage disparity in health care: the truth behind the Elmhurst Hospital physician strike

      Kevin Pho, MD | KevinMD
    • Why affirmative action is crucial for health equity and social justice in medicine

      Katrina Gipson, MD, MPH | Policy
    • How electronic health records preserve patients’ legacies in the words of oncologists

      Marc Braunstein, MD, PhD | Physician
    • Unmasking the brutal reality of gun violence in America: a call to action for unity and meaningful change

      Osmund Agbo, MD | Policy
    • Emulating Michael Jordan’s winning mindset: a path to success for health care professionals and entrepreneurs

      Harvey Castro, MD, MBA | Physician
  • Past 6 Months

    • The growing threat to transgender health care: implications for patients, providers, and trainees

      Carson Hartlage | Policy
    • Breaking point: the 5 reasons American doctors are dreaming of walking away from medicine

      Amol Shrikhande, MD | Physician
    • “Is your surgeon really skilled? The hidden threat to public safety in medicine.

      Gene Uzawa Dorio, MD | Physician
    • It’s time to replace the 0 to 10 pain intensity scale with a better measure

      Mark Sullivan, MD and Jane Ballantyne, MD | Conditions
    • Breaking the cycle of racism in health care: a call for anti-racist action

      Tomi Mitchell, MD | Policy
    • Revolutionize your practice: the value-based care model that reduces physician burnout

      Chandravadan Patel, MD | Physician
  • Recent Posts

    • The hidden factor in physician burnout: How the climate crisis is contributing to the erosion of well-being

      Elizabeth Cerceo, MD | Physician
    • The surprising medical mystery of a “good” Hitler: How a rescued kitten revealed a rare movement disorder

      Teresella Gondolo, MD | Conditions
    • The power of coaching for physicians: transforming thoughts, changing lives

      Kim Downey, PT | Conditions
    • Why doctors aren’t to blame for the U.S. opioid crisis [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Raw humanity on night float: inspiring patient encounters and overcoming challenges

      Johnathan Yao, MD, MPH | Physician
    • Is AI the solution for the shortage of nephrologists? ChatGPT weighs in.

      Amol Shrikhande, MD | Tech

MedPage Today Professional

An Everyday Health Property Medpage Today
  • Terms of Use | Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
All Content © KevinMD, LLC
Site by Outthink Group

Sexually discriminatory language used against our trainees: There is no grey area
11 comments

Comments are moderated before they are published. Please read the comment policy.

Loading Comments...