Q for the recently married female docs...

[DebDynamite]

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Hello. I have searched these forums and have not come up with a concise answer, so I thought I'd try starting my own post... my question is about the last name change (after marriage & before I begin residency).

My new husband (okay, it's been over a year now) has a common last name, almost as common as Smith. I've decided to take his last name by changing my name to Deb Dynamite Smith (my real last name is ALmost as uncommon as Dynamite). Ultimately I would like to be Dr. Dynamite and Mrs. John Smith, and keep my work identity as a separate name. My reasons are many and I have decided to change my name shortly after taking step 2 (ie AUG/Sept).

So, my question is for the married doctor ladies who have done this, or tried to do anything like this. I think that the only problem I might encounter would be with writing scripts, ect (which would be a big problem). I want to be Dr. Dynamite, not Dr. Dynamite Smith at work. Is this possible? I am planning on going to social security, etc...and dropping my current middle name, keeping my 1st name "Deb" and changing my last name to"Dynamite Smith" no hyphen action. If I HAVE to be "Dr. Dynamite Smith" I will be- but I wanna be Dr Dynamite. Who has been through this successfully? Is it that much of a problem?

Thanks much,
DebDynamite
(not my real name-)

 

[dpmd]

If your goal is to be Dr Dynamite for work and Mrs. Smith socially, why not just skip the official name change. Many people will assume you changed your name and will address you accordingly, but while at work you can sign the shorter version and not run into any trouble with scripts matching your stationary and license (which should be under your legal name). I didn't change my name, but I still get plenty of mail as Mrs. Husband name. My immediate family knows that I kept my name, but how often does your family use last names? My extended family assumed I changed my name, but I only correct them if they ask (since I actually prefer my real name-you could just not tell them and they will likely assume you made the change too). It has only come up a couple of times (once was when my aunt asked because she was having a white coat embroidered as a gift for me). As for friends, we don't really have any😉, but we tend to use first names anyway.

 

[musm2008]

What about Deb Dynamite Smith, MD when signing prescriptions, but putting Deb Dynamite on your coat. That's how I changed my name. I do more Deb D. Dynamite now, but I don't have the smith problem. I bet people will call you what you call yourself socially. Sign cards Deb Smith, etc.

 

[jennyboo]

Yeah.... Unfortunately, the name on your medical license and the ID you have to show when you take your board exams (your board exam name needs to match your medical license name) needs to be your legal one. Otherwise, they won't let you in for exams and I don't think you can have your medical license issued in a name that's not your legal one.

It's a lot of effort to change your name legally, but I think your medical license needs to be issued under your legal name. So if you want to use your maiden name professionally, then the easiest way about it is to skip going to the DMV and the SS office, keep your legal maiden name, and just tell your friends and husband's colleagues to address you by your married name.

(And yes, unfortunately your tax returns and stuff have to be filed under your maiden name too.)

 

[DebDynamite]

I really appreciate the replies. I am going to go all the way through the Match with my maiden name, and immediately after that change it (I think this will be the easiest way to go about things, as I still have ERAS & both step 2's to take. I'm going to try and take the advice here to have my coat & cards printed with Deb Dynamite MD & then if I have to have Dynamite Smith on the Rx pad I will. I don't think it will create much confusion if I just roll with it.


Thanks again.

 

[gwen]

hey there,

i'm also a newly married doctor (just like you...its been a year...exactly a year! yay!) who is also married to a doctor. we are both indian and have very rare indian last names (not patel or singh)...lol.

anyway, i'm keeping my maiden name b/c i want to be called dr. maiden name. for everything else, i'm mrs. husband's last name...ie. letters, cards, family events, etc. but its too much of a pain to go through all the paperwork to make it "my name" + maiden name + new last name. why bother!? its easier to tell your family to call you by a new last name than to tell pharmacy your long story.

 

[kalico]

So I had this same exact debate within my own head. What I decided to do was hyphenate so that I could use whichever I wanted. But it's true, whatever your legal name is is what's on your license, what your residency program will put you as in the computer, and what you'll have to print next to your signature when you sign charts (and rx pads).

I had another career with another last name (non medical) so I didn't want to switch, but I actually found that Dr. Smith was easier to say 🙂. So, I introduce myself as Dr. Smith. Some people see Dr. Dynamite-Smith and just call me Dr. Dynamite, some Dr. Dynamite-Smith... but really it's how you introduce yourself. People will follow suit.

I'm glad that I hyphenated at first because my school kept messing up my name (as did my family members who wrote graduation checks) and leaving off the married name, and I haven't had any issues since I hyphenated in proving that it was really me. I am considering the hyphen as a transition period and my goal is to eventually be Deb Dynamite Smith with Dynamite as the middle name -- we'll see.

Good luck. Sad to say, it's a complicated decision. If you don't want to bother, I ditto a PP who said to leave your maiden name as your legal name and call yourself Mrs. Smith. I have a friend who has yet to change her name and everything comes in her married name still.

 

[mdnsw]

You aren't Miss Dynamite from the Dynamite family anymore. You are Dr. Smith of the new Smith family and your name should reflect that. Just change your name. It might seem strange at first, but you'll get used to it and it shows you're comitted to your new family unit.

 

[I am Hans]

You aren't Miss Dynamite from the Dynamite family anymore. You are Dr. Smith of the new Smith family and your name should reflect that. Just change your name. It might seem strange at first, but you'll get used to it and it shows you're comitted to your new family unit.

I think you're missing the point. This isn't about commitment to her "family unit".

The fact is that she is LICENSED as Dr. Dynamite and changing her name to Dr. Smith is not only confusing for her patients, colleagues and the community at large, it is a royal PITA. You think getting a new driver's license with a name change is hard? Try getting a new medical license...it can be done, but it doesn't seem like there is a significant enough reason for the OP to do so.

I agree with the others - in legal and professional situations, she calls herself Dr. Dynamite and in social circles, if she prefers, its Mrs. Smith. No need for a legal name change, IMHO.

 

[Tone2002]

You aren't Miss Dynamite from the Dynamite family anymore. You are Dr. Smith of the new Smith family and your name should reflect that. Just change your name. It might seem strange at first, but you'll get used to it and it shows you're comitted to your new family unit.

wow

 

[f_w]

Whatever you do, make sure your name on your medical license matches name on DEA application matches your name on medicare application matches..... (a colleague of mine had to run after 50k worth of medicare reimbursement because somewhere along the way someone had put her married (legal) name on an application that should have carried her maiden/professional name).

Some medical boards actually don't care so much as to whether the name on your medical license is your legal name. All they want is that you are to your patients whatevever you are on your license (the mrs dr 'w' for a while was still 'dr dynamite'. only after a move to a different state, she changed her medical paperwork to the 'w-dynamite' that you'll find in her passport. now, where we practice, folk are a bit conservative and at times even other docs that work with both of us don't make the connection that we belong together. )

 

[musm2008]

I had a resident with a hyphen-Dr. Dynamite-Smith. This felt awkward to say. Nurses messed it up. Patients messed it up.

 

[mdnsw]

I think you're missing the point. This isn't about commitment to her "family unit".

The fact is that she is LICENSED as Dr. Dynamite and changing her name to Dr. Smith is not only confusing for her patients, colleagues and the community at large, it is a royal PITA. You think getting a new driver's license with a name change is hard? Try getting a new medical license...it can be done, but it doesn't seem like there is a significant enough reason for the OP to do so.

I agree with the others - in legal and professional situations, she calls herself Dr. Dynamite and in social circles, if she prefers, its Mrs. Smith. No need for a legal name change, IMHO.

I think you are ignoring the reality. It is about her commitment to her future and her willingness to move on from her past. I think the arguments against a name change are just excuses. It isn't that difficult to change your name, and it's easire to just change it once and get it over with. It also isn't confusing at all to your patients. Everyone in the world is familiar with the situation where a wife changes her name when she gets married. There's is nothing confusing about. My sister is a kindergarden teacher and one day she went to work and became Mrs. Jones instead of Mrs. Smith. There was no problem whatsoever. If a bunch of 5 year olds can get it, I'm sure your patients and collegues can too.

 

[f_w]

Why should anyone change their name ?

 

[sassalicious]

I think you are ignoring the reality. It is about her commitment to her future and her willingness to move on from her past. I think the arguments against a name change are just excuses. It isn't that difficult to change your name, and it's easire to just change it once and get it over with. It also isn't confusing at all to your patients. Everyone in the world is familiar with the situation where a wife changes her name when she gets married. There's is nothing confusing about. My sister is a kindergarden teacher and one day she went to work and became Mrs. Jones instead of Mrs. Smith. There was no problem whatsoever. If a bunch of 5 year olds can get it, I'm sure your patients and collegues can too.

Maybe he should change his name to reflect his commitment to the future and his willingness to move on from his past.

But then again, I don't understand the point of changing one's name. I'm sure not going to, even if I do bother with getting married.

 

[jennyboo]

You think getting a new driver's license with a name change is hard? Try getting a new medical license...

Changing your name is a pain, period. It is:
1) One trip to the DMV
2) One trip to the Social Security office
3) Probably one trip to to the registry office to get a spare copy of your marriage certificate

Changing my name on my medical license was:
1) One trip to Kinko's to print out a passport photo
2) One trip to a notary public to get the photo notarized
3) One $18 check to write to my state licensing board
4) One trip to the post office to mail the forms in (marriage certificate, notarized photo, form)

Easy peasy, and not nearly as bad as going to the DMV and the SS office. It's probably better to get it changed earlier rather than later (I just submitted the name change request with my license renewal application), and (I guess) better as a resident while you're not billing than afterward when you actually have to bill. Yeah, your identity will be in flux for a year or so, but that's life.

 

[f_w]

Changing my name on my medical license was:
1) One trip to Kinko's to print out a passport photo
2) One trip to a notary public to get the photo notarized
3) One $18 check to write to my state licensing board
4) One trip to the post office to mail the forms in (marriage certificate, notarized photo, form)

Whatever you do, do it while you are a resident. Once you are on the roster of a couple of insurance plans, the potential for billing mayhem is considerable. In addition you have to worry about:

-DEA
-State substance registration
-National Provider Identifier
.
.
.

 

[DebDynamite]

I appreciate all of the informative responses, especially the real-life anecdotes. I'm about to take step 2 (thus I have not checked this recently), and don't graduate until May '08. Thus, I would like to change my name (or, alter it- depending how one views it) after I match, and before I graduate. This seems like the best time to do it- no confusion during the match, and less significant a "change" when I start residency. So, the responses here have given me much to consider. I do appreciate those who have shared their own experience with this.

 

[jennyboo]

Thus, I would like to change my name (or, alter it- depending how one views it) after I match, and before I graduate. This seems like the best time to do it- no confusion during the match, and less significant a "change" when I start residency.

Yeah, that was when I changed my name (right before starting internship) and it was definitely good to go through my intern year with only one name.

The only lesson I learnt -- I told my residency program I had changed my name the day I arrived to orientation (like, June 25). Unfortunately, by then they had already 1) assigned my email addy under my maiden name, so that no one could find me, and 2) put me into the phone/pager directory under my maiden name, and 3) created my medical record (with my pre-employment blood tests, immunizations, etc) under my maiden name. It remained a point of confusion for the entire year -- thank goodness I was only there doing a prelim year, because otherwise I'd be stuck with all those identity problems!

So, tell them you're changing your name ON MATCH DAY or within 24 hours. Yeah, our residency coordinators sucked and they probably would've messed up my name anyway -- but better to catch the problem early on than let it propagate.

 

[f_w]

I'm about to take step 2 (thus I have not checked this recently), and don't graduate until May '08.

Even better. If you are willing to pull the trigger, change your name NOW so you go through the match and get your diploma with the 'new' name (which in 1/2 of physician marriages will be your 'old' name within 7-10 years 😉 ).

 

[DebDynamite]

So, tell them you're changing your name ON MATCH DAY or within 24 hours. Yeah, our residency coordinators sucked and they probably would've messed up my name anyway -- but better to catch the problem early on than let it propagate.

Interesting. Maybe I'll go back to the original idea I had which was to change it right after Step 2. I just don't want any ERAS confusion...

I'm going into Psych and think that having my patients calling me Dr. Dynamite, while the majority of my "traceable" data is found by Mrs. Smith would be kinda nice. Not that I would not be up front about being Dr Dynamite Smith, I just may refer to myself as Dr Dynamite and have the white coat read Dr Dynamite. The other thing is that I intend to eventually teach yoga again, and when I do that it will definately be as Mrs. Smith. Once your yoga students find out you're a future doctor/med student, they pummel you with health-related questions after class.

 

[DebDynamite]

Even better. If you are willing to pull the trigger, change your name NOW so you go through the match and get your diploma with the 'new' name .

Yeah. I think this is what I'm gonna do. 😍

 

[c_daye]

I had lots of internal "struggle" with this issue. I ended up changing my name legally (before graduation, and before step 2), but on all my med school stuff I was First Maiden Last, even though I did not "officially" keep my maiden name as part of my legal name. Even my diploma reads this way.

Also, a bit of "insight" from someone who's been through this: Changing my name was not the huge adjustment I thought it might be. I don't feel I lost part of "me", which I was worried I would. It was actually a pretty easy transition, and I don't recall ever signing my name with my maiden name by mistake. In the end, it meant so much more to my husband for me to have his name (he's from a family where people historically haven't married, so there are multiple last names), than it did for me to keep my "pride" or "feminism", or whatever I thought it was.

My plans for the future? Any time my name is in print for business (i.e. journal article, etc). it will say First Maiden Last. Otherwise, I use my husband's name. I also use Dr. "Husband's name"...but that's mostly because his is easier to pronounce than my maiden name! 🙂

 

[Pemberley]

The only lesson I learnt -- I told my residency program I had changed my name the day I arrived to orientation (like, June 25). Unfortunately, by then they had already 1) assigned my email addy under my maiden name, so that no one could find me, and 2) put me into the phone/pager directory under my maiden name, and 3) created my medical record (with my pre-employment blood tests, immunizations, etc) under my maiden name. It remained a point of confusion for the entire year -- thank goodness I was only there doing a prelim year, because otherwise I'd be stuck with all those identity problems!

So, tell them you're changing your name ON MATCH DAY or within 24 hours. Yeah, our residency coordinators sucked and they probably would've messed up my name anyway -- but better to catch the problem early on than let it propagate.

I've got this going on with medical school at the moment. At least the odds that anybody will actually want to contact me (under either name) are vanishingly small, especially for the first two years.

Keep a copy of your marriage license handy for a while afterward. I married almost a year ago and I'm still dealing with name-change issues!

 

[randomedstudent]

I think you are ignoring the reality. It is about her commitment to her future and her willingness to move on from her past. I think the arguments against a name change are just excuses. It isn't that difficult to change your name, and it's easire to just change it once and get it over with. It also isn't confusing at all to your patients. Everyone in the world is familiar with the situation where a wife changes her name when she gets married. There's is nothing confusing about. My sister is a kindergarden teacher and one day she went to work and became Mrs. Jones instead of Mrs. Smith. There was no problem whatsoever. If a bunch of 5 year olds can get it, I'm sure your patients and collegues can too.

Do you realize how ignorant you sound? Actually, not "everyone in the world" is familiar with women changing their names, because in many other countries on Earth it is much less customary, if not unheardof, for women to change their names when they get married. For example, Belgium, the Netherlands, China, Korea, Taiwan, many countries in Central and South America, etc. I realize that many Americans forget that other countries besides the US actually exist.....

 

[mdnsw]

Do you realize how ignorant you sound? Actually, not "everyone in the world" is familiar with women changing their names, because in many other countries on Earth it is much less customary, if not unheardof, for women to change their names when they get married. For example, Belgium, the Netherlands, China, Korea, Taiwan, many countries in Central and South America, etc. I realize that many Americans forget that other countries besides the US actually exist.....

Blah blah blah. As soon as I wrote 'world' I knew someone would make your totally irrelevant post. Ok ok, not everyone in the world is familiar with wives taking husband's names but pretty much everyone we interact with knows about name changes. Why even bother writing a post that is obviously irrelevant to the discussion? The point is that the arguments above are really excuses rather than real reasons. I'll assume everything you said above is true, but I don't know or care what happens to names in China when people get married. It has nothing to do with the posters on this board.

 

[f_w]

Why even bother writing a post that is obviously irrelevant to the discussion?

Why bother writing a post that is obviously irrelevant to the discussion ??

(haven't seen you contributing anything of value to this discussion)

 

[DebDynamite]

Why bother writing a post that is obviously irrelevant to the discussion ??

(haven't seen you contributing anything of value to this discussion)

Okay, this has been really helpful, because my question has essentially been answered by all you awesome people (who have contributed valuable info).
Thanks!

 

[outofhere]

This isn't totally related to the subject, but I think it is interesting to discuss anyway.

Why do children usually take on their fathers' last names? I have seen lots of hyphenated names, but those can get really long a few generations down the road. Is there another option? (Even in those other parts of the world, children still take on fathers' last names.)

I got a birth announcement recently, and the baby doesn't have the father's name anywhere, not middle, no where. And is using mother's last name as his last name. I thought it was interesting. Then I couldn't come up with a reason why we name our children the way we do.

Having said all that, I changed my name. It is weird to have people call me Mrs. Hubby's name, because that is his mother. I am Dr. Hubby's name, or simply, my first name. Fortunately, my kids are still young and so their friends are not articulate enough to call me Mrs. Hubby's name yet.

I never thought I would change my name, before I met and married my soulmate. But then, I think I did it because I knew it was important to him. My maiden name would have been perfect if I became a oral surgeon. But alas, no such thing for me.

Anyone care to give me their opinion about why we name our children the way we do?

 

[f_w]

Anyone care to give me their opinion about why we name our children the way we do?

Tradition ?

(I like the spanish way of propagating last names. You are born as firstname dadname momname. If you are female and get married you turn into firstname hubbyname dadname. If you are male, you just stay firstname dadname momname. If you are part of the nobility, you just never drop any names.... And then there is Iceland. Your fathers first name becomes your last name with a -son or -dottir appended. And they do that for everyone, so if you are Ahmad and your Dad was Mohamed, you become Ahmad Mohamedson !)

 

[mshheaddoc]

Great thread and wish I found it earlier. I asked this question before in the Women's Topics in Healthcare forum on here and it became this huge topic.

I am Mrs. Doe Smith. Doe = maiden Smith = married No hypen. I plan on going by Dr. maiden but legally I will be Dr. Doe Smith if someone wants to say the mouthful of Dr. Doe Smith, I don't really care. Legally as long as you aren't trying to 'defraud' anyone you can call yourself whatever you want but you have to abide by your medical license as well. I've had a doctor where she's just called Dr. Doe but signs everything Dr. Doe Smith b/c that's whats on her license. Her name is too much to say. Ha.

I wish I might have just kept my maiden name and gone by Smith socially but oh well, I like to be difficult.

 

[DebDynamite]

Great thread and wish I found it earlier. I asked this question before in the Women's Topics in Healthcare forum on here and it became this huge topic.

I am Mrs. Doe Smith. Doe = maiden Smith = married No hypen. I plan on going by Dr. maiden but legally I will be Dr. Doe Smith if someone wants to say the mouthful of Dr. Doe Smith, I don't really care. Legally as long as you aren't trying to 'defraud' anyone you can call yourself whatever you want but you have to abide by your medical license as well. I've had a doctor where she's just called Dr. Doe but signs everything Dr. Doe Smith b/c that's whats on her license. Her name is too much to say. Ha.

I wish I might have just kept my maiden name and gone by Smith socially but oh well, I like to be difficult.

This is the way that I'm going to do things. Question: when you changed did you make Doe your middle name or the 1st half of your last name? That's what I'm a little unsure about, if I should drop my middle name alltogether and have Dynamite Smith as my last name, or Dynamite as my middle name. Not sure....

 

[GoodMonkey]

You aren't Miss Dynamite from the Dynamite family anymore. You are Dr. Smith of the new Smith family and your name should reflect that. Just change your name. It might seem strange at first, but you'll get used to it and it shows you're comitted to your new family unit.

jackass.
guess they just switched families. she's now of the smith family so he must now be of the dynamite family. oh, wait ... only the woman has to ditch her previous family. i got it!

 

[mshheaddoc]

This is the way that I'm going to do things. Question: when you changed did you make Doe your middle name or the 1st half of your last name? That's what I'm a little unsure about, if I should drop my middle name alltogether and have Dynamite Smith as my last name, or Dynamite as my middle name. Not sure....

First half of the last name. My middle name is the same and I wouldn't drop it as its a family name and also my baptism/confirmation name. Although having two last names is a pain b/c many times it ends up showing as my middle name. Like I took the MCAT and it took them an HOUR to register me because of that issue even thought I registered with last name as Doe Smith. Yes, its a pain, but I enjoy my pain. Most of the stuff is smith except legal documents like bank statements and credit cards. I don't think I've gotten them all switched over yet because some are being PITA about documentation which I'm not willing to just "give them". Suprisingly changing things over have been very easy. Just sometimes I forget where my frequent flyer miles are under (Doe Smith or Doe or Smith) So that can get confusing. I'm changing MOST of all of that over to Smith though so my personal life will be Smith then professional/legal issues will be Doe Smith (although I have signed docs Smith and its not an issue, yet - I hope not too because otherwise maybe I don't own my house ).