I was thinking about this earlier and thought you already-docs would be the right people to ask: Being residents you are, of course, physicians. But during those early training years, when someone asks you what you do for a living, do you come right out and say "I'm a doctor" or do tell them you are a resident....? Stupid question, but something I was wondering about. Thanks!
Question for residents:
- Thread starter Chadleez1
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It depends if the person is another physician or not. To the average joe, I would say I am a physician and leave it at that. Sometimes you do not want to take the time to explain the medical training system for the Xth time. To another physician, I would probably say, I am a X-Year or PGY-X, Z resident. Fill in Z with whatever specialty you like.
I would probably answer follow-up questions similiarly, but this may differ slightly depending on how familiar that person was with the medical training system.
What prompted the question?
I would probably answer follow-up questions similiarly, but this may differ slightly depending on how familiar that person was with the medical training system.
What prompted the question?
Thanks for the reply...to be honest, I'm not sure exactly what prompted the question. I'm a pre-med, which is what I tell people when they ask what I'm going to school for. I also let them know my major is actually biology, but that I want to go to medical school. I get varying responses to my answer....most people say something along the lines of "Hey, that's great! I wouldn't want to go through all that, but I'm glad you and other people do..." I've got some family members that didn't go to college, and they know I'm the first person from my family to go to college in quite awhile. I don't know how to really explain their reaction; I think they are happy for me and glad I'm in school and want to be a physician (and there is always the obligatory "You won't charge me will ya? Hahaha...) but I think they wanted to go to college, and I KNOW they all could have and they could have done well...Anyway, I'm rambling and way off course. Somewhere in what I just wrote led me to wonder about my original question. Thanks, again!
I pretty much do the same as Voxel. Once in a while I will say I am a pathologist. But, much of the time people have no idea what that means. Sometimes I get so you have people lay on a couch and tell you about there problems. Hee hee. Or, eeewwww you cut up dead people. So I have pretty much started using the physician answer.
I must say it still feels strange to be called doctor.
I must say it still feels strange to be called doctor.
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Chad, worry about doing well in your classes and kicking butt on MCATs, getting volunteer and research experience before you worry about what to tell people when you are a doctor. Take things one step at a time. You have choosen a long road. 🙂
I definitely have chosen a long road...but I know it is the right road. Trust me: I have SO much more ahead of me before I have to worry about being called doctor...that is like the distant silver lining!!! I know YOU all know what I'm talking about, though, so I don't have to elaborate. It really isn't a concern yet at all, just one of those questions that pop up in your head. I have a lot of those, but I've spared the people of these forums most of them! Again, thanks for everyone's answers.
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I do the same. Most lay people do not know what a resident is (unless they spend WAY too much time in hospitals), so I generally say I'm a physician, further clarify that to surgeon in training if need be and for the medically trained, I'll tell them what year in training I am.
Seems to work well.
Seems to work well.
