"Medical Student" vs "Student Doctor"

[WhippleWhileWeWork]

I like to be called student doctor (name) than medical student, just because you are called as student doctor. It makes us to be looked upon than medical student where the patients do take you seriously.

Well said.

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[jakeislove]

I introduce myself as a medical student.

Adding a year or saying student doctor comes off silly and sounds a little insecure, to me.

 

[DrKershaw]

We're told to go by "Student Physician", but when I see SP's I try to put major emphasis on the student part...to the point where I almost yell it at them, just so I can clear up any confusion that may occur after I ask to stick my fingers in their orifices.

But seriously, with the vagaries in "medical student" being perceived as nursing, PA, etc., a "student doctor" could also be an aspiring podiatrist, dentist, theologist, etc. With this logic in mind, "student physician" is the only appropriate title in order to avoid confusion...so, while I understand why my school prefers us to use this, I feel as though I should undoubtedly be wearing an ascot and pocket square when I announce my new pretentious title to the world.

 

[j4pac]

As a med student: good morning, ma'am/sir. I'm student doc j4pac. I'm working dr. X today.

As a resident: good morning ma'am/Sir. I'm doctor j4pac, a resident on your primary medical team.

The point of talking is communicating...and the term med student is confusing.

 

[QualityProcess]

What do they use in pharm and dental? "Student pharmacist"? "Dental student"?

In a university newsletter article about an interdisciplinary event, my COM made a Facebook post and edited the write-up to call COM students "student doctors" and the COP students "pharmacy students." good-to-great times in the land of throwing subtle inter-professional shade.

 

[jakeislove]

As a med student: good morning, ma'am/sir. I'm student doc j4pac. I'm working dr. X today.

As a resident: good morning ma'am/Sir. I'm doctor j4pac, a resident on your primary medical team.

The point of talking is communicating...and the term med student is confusing.

How is medical student confusing?

 

[DrKershaw]

How is medical student confusing?

Seriously, I have no idea. But I (and apparently a lot of other people in this thread) have had people ask if I'm in the nursing, PA, dental, OT, PT, etc. etc. program after I say I'm a medical student or in medical school. It seems obvious to me that going to medical school means MD/DO, but I think they layman might group all things healthcare-related under an umbrella term of medical school. Thats my explanation of it, fwiw.

 

[235009]

So what I gather from this thread now is that people in favor of "student doctor" prefer it because they want to maintain some sort of perceived hierarchy of students in which they imagine they are at the top of the food chain. Does it make any difference whether the patient thinks you are a PA student or an MD/DO student? Besides it bruising your fragile ego it won't change how patients will respond to you or treat you.

 

[j4pac]

You're a guy. When a patient hears "medical student" from a female, a good percentage will think "nursing student". Role identification is very important for the patient...and student doctor is easier to identify the appropriate role. There is nothing pretentious about "student doctor"...

Would you suggest the website is changed to medicalstudent.net?

 

[jakeislove]

So what I gather from this thread now is that people in favor of "student doctor" prefer it because they want to maintain some sort of perceived hierarchy of students in which they imagine they are at the top of the food chain. Does it make any difference whether the patient thinks you are a PA student or an MD/DO student? Besides it bruising your fragile ego it won't change how patients will respond to you or treat you.

I'd rather sit in the TPV than be mistaken for a nurse!

 

[NontradCA]

I'm nontradca, a first year med student. If any patient should know what that means, it's a standardized one, so I see no reason to say student doctor.

 

[DoctorofDelight]

You're a guy. When a patient hears "medical student" from a female, a good percentage will think "nursing student". Role identification is very important for the patient...and student doctor is easier to identify the appropriate role. There is nothing pretentious about "student doctor"...

Would you suggest the website is changed to medicalstudent.net?

As a med student, I'd rather be mistaken for a nursing student than a full fledged physician.

 

[j4pac]

As a med student, I'd rather be mistaken for a nursing student than a full fledged physician.

You think that referring to yourself as student doctor doctorofdelight working with doctor x, that your patient is going to think you are the attending?

 

[Overanxious]

Patient's perceptions on what a doctor (or doctor in training/medical student) looks like will color any idea they have about your role in their medical treatment. For example, if you are a woman you'll probably be asked if you are a nurse or nursing student even if you introduce yourself as a medical student or student doctor and i've even heard this confusion after a woman Dr. has introduced herself as Dr.Woman. That's just the way it goes. There is nothing ambiguous about medical student and even if they did misinterpret it they won't confuse you for a physician which is more important. I can easily see how student doctor could be misinterpreted...they may only hear the doctor part. I think the worst thing you could do at this stage (when you can't really do anything other than talk to the patient) is imply (intentionally or unintentionally...like they didn't hear the student part) an expertise you don't have. It would ruin your credibility with that patient, they can tell you are not at that level. I see patients on a weekly basis and when I go into a room I DO NOT introduce myself as Dr. Overanxious. Even though i've earned that title I would be misrepresenting myself in that context. I am NOT a physician, i'm a scientist and I do NOT want them misinterpreting me for a physician who has an expertise and knowledge base i don't have and who can help them in ways i cant. When my colleagues introduce me as Dr. Overanxious I make it very clear I am a scientist and not a physician and even then they can be confused. If i don't make that distinction right away most often they'll eventually ask and it sometimes even leads back to the question "are you a nurse". The extra amount of time it takes me to define my role is negligible and opens a dialogue that i feel puts patients more at ease because i'm defining my role, answering their questions, sharing things about myself and not just asking them to open up about the intimate details of their lives. I really feel one should be more focused on dialogue than on whether the patient associates you with studying to be a doctor. It really doesn't matter whether you are a medical student, nursing student etc. the patient will see someone who is in training and one title will not confer some added benefit or trust.

 

[DoctorofDelight]

You think that referring to yourself as student doctor doctorofdelight working with doctor x, that your patient is going to think you are the attending?

Patients may miss the "student" part of that phrase and think "O hi doc"

"Student doctor" places emphasis on the "doctor" part while "medical student" places emphasis on the "student" part.

 

[hallowmann]

Patients often miss one or two words. Missing the student at the beginning of "student doctor hallowmann" is pretty easy considering the term "student doctor" is not really known outside of the profession. It's much harder to miss the student in "medical student hallowmann", because regardless of whether they know that means student physician or PA student or nursing student, that term is familiar.

It really doesn't matter if they think you're some other medical professional student. Who cares? You'll see them for a day or at most a few weeks. It's much better at this level that you understate your credentials than overstate them. When you're a physician you can make it abundantly clear you're a physician, right now it doesn't matter.

 

[DoctorofDelight]

Think about it, if you need to see your lawyer and a student gets your info, wouldn't you be confused if he said "Hi I'm student lawyer Mike Ross" instead of "Hi I'm Mike Ross, a law student"?

Thing is, if you say "student doctor", laymen wouldn't know if you are already a licensed physician further continuing your education or just a medical student.

 

[Th2]

"Hi *shake* Im student doctor Th2, med student at suchandsuch. Mr. Johnson, right? Can I call you Joe? Fantastic. So I was looking over the nurse's notes... can you tell me about your back pain? Where exactly was it..."

 

[Petypet]

This topic was a much bigger deal in preclinicals and in simulation patients.

Hi, I'm (enter first name here) and I work with team/dr/surgeon/etc that is responsible for your care. Then I go right into their CC. After I am done I always summarize and say now I'm going to go talk w/ my boss and come up with a final plan.

I am not saying to dutifully lie about your credentials, but only divulge when asked. 99% of the H&P is confidence and making your patient trust you and by going in and saying I'm a pretend dr, I think some confidence in the patient goes out the door. The only times they have asked is if they have an idea what the short white coat means, and then I just honestly say I am a 3rd year MS from XYZ.

Most of the time, the patient doesn't care and just wants help. Frankly the residents and docs at my institution end up calling us drs in front of the patients anyway.

 

[ChrisGriffen]

I like to be called student doctor (name) than medical student, just because you are called as student doctor. It makes us to be looked upon than medical student where the patients do take you seriously.

This is a joke right?


This thread is insane. Around 0% of patients know/care about the medical student's role...but "Student Dr. Assface" is about as pretentious as it gets. You are applying a title to your name that you have invented, while actually having no title bearing degree. This is the type of garbage that drives me up a wall.

And who cares if they confuse you for a nursing student? Most patients couldn't name 3 differences between nurses and doctors anyway. I know your ego takes a bruise but people don't go to the hospital just to admire how smart you are.

Imagine how much more time you'll have when you realize you can stop making sure the whole world knows you are a medical student.

 

[NurWollen]

This is the first time I have thought of this but is it possible that some laypeople think a nurse and a doctor are the same thing? As if "nurse" were the feminine form of doctor??

 

[ChrisGriffen]

This is the first time I have thought of this but is it possible that some laypeople think a nurse and a doctor are the same thing? As if "nurse" were the feminine form of doctor??

I 100% agree with you. I really think its very common to not know at all the difference between the two.

Even 1st/2nd yr medical students probably cant tell you clearly/exactly what the roles of each are.

Edit: thats confusing word use, but the difference between the two roles is only really obvious to us because we work within that environment.

To your average *****:
Nurses diagnose and treat medical conditions

Doctors diagnose and treat medical conditions but can prescribe drugs and "make bank."

 

[SpartanWolverine]

Think about it, if you need to see your lawyer and a student gets your info, wouldn't you be confused if he said "Hi I'm student lawyer Mike Ross" instead of "Hi I'm Mike Ross, a law student"?

Thing is, if you say "student doctor", laymen wouldn't know if you are already a licensed physician further continuing your education or just a medical student.

Haha, I see I'm not the only one here who watches Suits.

This is a joke right?


This thread is insane. Around 0% of patients know/care about the medical student's role...but "Student Dr. Assface" is about as pretentious as it gets. You are applying a title to your name that you have invented, while actually having no title bearing degree. This is the type of garbage that drives me up a wall.

And who cares if they confuse you for a nursing student? Most patients couldn't name 3 differences between nurses and doctors anyway. I know your ego takes a bruise but people don't go to the hospital just to admire how smart you are.

Imagine how much more time you'll have when you realize you can stop making sure the whole world knows you are a medical student.

@ChrisGriffen, Yeah, this certainly went a bit farther than I expected. I think we can wrap this up by saying that 1) "medical student" is a more fitting title than "student doctor" (regardless of what some of our clinical faculty may say)... and 2) that most people think this is an idiotic thread.

However, I don't think that "student doctor" is an attempt to stick an adjective in front of doctor (and knowingly mislead patients)... but to differentiate it from other health professions.

 

[jakeislove]

This is a joke right?


This thread is insane. Around 0% of patients know/care about the medical student's role...but "Student Dr. Assface" is about as pretentious as it gets. You are applying a title to your name that you have invented, while actually having no title bearing degree. This is the type of garbage that drives me up a wall.

And who cares if they confuse you for a nursing student? Most patients couldn't name 3 differences between nurses and doctors anyway. I know your ego takes a bruise but people don't go to the hospital just to admire how smart you are.

Imagine how much more time you'll have when you realize you can stop making sure the whole world knows you are a medical student.

If we're ever within drinking distance.... I owe you a beer.

 

[DoctorofDelight]

Haha, I see I'm not the only one here who watches Suits.


@ChrisGriffen, Yeah, this certainly went a bit farther than I expected. I think we can wrap this up by saying that 1) "medical student" is a more fitting title than "student doctor" (regardless of what some of our clinical faculty may say)... and 2) that most people think this is an idiotic thread.

However, I don't think that "student doctor" is an attempt to stick an adjective in front of doctor (and knowingly mislead patients)... but to differentiate it from other health professions.

No other healthcare fields do this. Why is medicine so special?

 

[SpartanWolverine]

No other healthcare fields do this. Why is medicine so special?

Medicine is no more special than any other healthcare field, but "medical" is a vague term. It potentially encompasses everything in the realm of healthcare.

For the record, I dislike the use of "student doctor", but I can see both sides of the argument and wanted to hear what other schools teach their students to do during their clerkship years.

 

[Siggy]

Medicine is no more special than any other healthcare field, but "medical" is a vague term. It potentially encompasses everything in the realm of healthcare.

So... we need to rename schools of medicine (since medicine now equals "healthcare") to "schools of physianing." Damn... my parents were right. I should have just gone to medical assistant school for 8 months, where I could have learned all of medicine! (for the record, they were being sarcastic when they said that).

 

[SpartanWolverine]

So... we need to rename schools of medicine (since medicine now equals "healthcare") to "schools of physianing." Damn... my parents were right. I should have just gone to medical assistant school for 8 months, where I could have learned all of medicine! (for the record, they were being sarcastic when they said that).

...

Perhaps I'm being dense, but bear with me since it seems like I have to pick this apart even further.

I am saying that medicine is a field of study (like nursing, pharmacy, dentistry, etc. are also fields of study) while medical can refer to many thing to many people. I would argue that the majority of patients conflate health professionals (those within medicine, surgery, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, and other allied health professions) with medical professionals.

 

[DoctorofDelight]

I 100% agree with you. I really think its very common to not know at all the difference between the two.

Even 1st/2nd yr medical students probably cant tell you clearly/exactly what the roles of each are.

Edit: thats confusing word use, but the difference between the two roles is only really obvious to us because we work within that environment.

To your average *****:
Nurses diagnose and treat medical conditions

Doctors diagnose and treat medical conditions but can prescribe drugs and "make bank."

Doctor = Quarterback
Nurse = wide receiver
PA = running back

That's how I see it.

 

[studentdoctorberg]

As a med student: good morning, ma'am/sir. I'm student doc j4pac. I'm working dr. X today.

As a resident: good morning ma'am/Sir. I'm doctor j4pac, a resident on your primary medical team.

The point of talking is communicating...and the term med student is confusing.

I agree

 

[studentdoctorberg]

This is a joke right?


This thread is insane. Around 0% of patients know/care about the medical student's role...but "Student Dr. Assface" is about as pretentious as it gets. You are applying a title to your name that you have invented, while actually having no title bearing degree. This is the type of garbage that drives me up a wall.

And who cares if they confuse you for a nursing student? Most patients couldn't name 3 differences between nurses and doctors anyway. I know your ego takes a bruise but people don't go to the hospital just to admire how smart you are.

Imagine how much more time you'll have when you realize you can stop making sure the whole world knows you are a medical student.

First of all

That aint a joke. Secondly I guess it all depends on each individuals preferences...
It is not a title we make up, Its what you hear/expected by other professionals

 

[ChrisGriffen]

No its definitely not a title we make up.

Its a title YOU make up.

I like to be called student doctor (name) than medical student.

 

[jakeislove]

First of all

That aint a joke. Secondly I guess it all depends on each individuals preferences...
It is not a title we make up, Its what you hear/expected by other professionals

At best, it's verbal pocket-pool.

Get ahead of the curve and start using "Student Physician". It's even more badass!

 

[NontradCA]

Doctor = Quarterback
Nurse = wide receiver
PA = running back

That's how I see it.

Student Doctor =

 

[studentdoctorberg]

No its definitely not a title we make up.

Its a title YOU make up.

I would have to disagree on that.....

 

[JimmyB123]

Medical student doctor?

 

[jakeislove]

If there's another student present..... I'll often introduce them as my supervisor and say something like "She's here to make sure I do everything right", LOL!

People have began asking "What year?", lately. No idea why.

 

[DoctorofDelight]

I would have to disagree on that.....

Now I'm actually wondering who's the genius that came up with that stupid term in the first place? "Student doctor" my ass. We haven't earned the title "doctor" yet, so we come off as entitled assfaces when we say it.

 

[Overanxious]

Argh.... no no and no. English was never my strong suit but I'm going to TRY and apply some logic here.

student doctor...doctoral student (adjective/modifier followed by the noun)

Let's play with these two terms.

student doctor...are you a doctor who is a student? NO? Then no...you are not a student doctor.

doctoral student...are you a student in a doctoral program? YES? Then yes...you are a doctoral student. (doctoral program is pretty ambiguous and includes medicine)

I think that's the best you can do with attaching doctor to your name as a medical student.

 

[jakeislove]

Why not just say egomaniac?

 

[hallowmann]

...People have began asking "What year?", lately. No idea why.

I've also been hearing this a lot lately during shadowing. I don't even think most know how many years a medical degree is, but they still ask.

 

[jakeislove]

I've also been hearing this a lot lately during shadowing. I don't even think most know how many years a medical degree is, but they still ask.

I'm in Prospect Park, people see quite a few students.

 

[Driftinglily11]

I use medical student because I think student doctor sounds pretentious. Our school would call us student doctors, but with SPs and our orientation before 3rd year they made it very clear to call ourselves medical students.

 

[iTcanBdone]

So what I gather from this thread now is that people in favor of "student doctor" prefer it because they want to maintain some sort of perceived hierarchy of students in which they imagine they are at the top of the food chain. Does it make any difference whether the patient thinks you are a PA student or an MD/DO student? Besides it bruising your fragile ego it won't change how patients will respond to you or treat you.

I disagree with it being about ego. As a female and african american, literally every time i've told a stranger I'm a medical student, their response is "You mean nursing student or medical assistant student" .... I find that very offensive because its like they feel someone like me couldn't be in medical school to become a physician. So I always lead with student doctor or student physician to avoid that from occurring. If it weren't for that happening I would be just fine with saying medical student every time.

 

[DoctorofDelight]

I disagree with it being about ego. As a female and african american, literally every time i've told a stranger I'm a medical student, their response is "You mean nursing student or medical assistant student" .... I find that very offensive because its like they feel someone like me couldn't be in medical school to become a physician. So I always lead with student doctor or student physician to avoid that from occurring. If it weren't for that happening I would be just fine with saying medical student every time.

So it actually is about your ego?

 

[jakeislove]

No one uses Osteopathic Student?

 

[Jwalker]

No one uses Osteopathic Student?

probably about the same amount of people that say allopathic student

 

[iTcanBdone]

So it actually is about your ego?

I don't see being offended when someone projects their stereotypes or is being prejudice towards you as being an "ego" thing but you're entitle to your opinion. I was just giving my 2cent.

 

[Overanxious]

I don't see being offended when someone projects their stereotypes or is being prejudice towards you as being an "ego" thing but you're entitle to your opinion. I was just giving my 2cent.

If it's not your ego then why does the opinion of a complete stranger offend you? It's not even a negative opinion. Nurses are not bad people. Who cares if they think you are a nursing student or whatever!? You know you are a medical student and their opinion doesn't change that. Your comment speaks more about yourself than it does about them. So they don't know what medical student means or they think you're something else....they don't know you. Correct them, but don't be vague and misleading by putting doctor before your name.

 

[SpartanWolverine]

If it's not your ego then why does the opinion of a complete stranger offend you? It's not even a negative opinion. Nurses are not bad people. Who cares if they think you are a nursing student or whatever!? You know you are a medical student and their opinion doesn't change that. Your comment speaks more about yourself than it does about them. So they don't know what medical student means or they think you're something else....they don't know you. Correct them, but don't be vague and misleading by putting doctor before your name.

Well you're a complete stranger and managed to offend me... -- but perhaps I'm only offended because my ego is just getting in the way.

I'm not sure why you think people stereotyping our colleagues by their sex or race is okay. If using an introduction we are TOLD to use helps clear things up, then great.