Since when does med school= nursing?

[dr.sartorius]

I recently spoke to my female cousin and she was complaining to me about people assuming she's in nursing school anytime someone asks her "so what do you do" or "what have you been up to." She says almost 95% of the time they respond with something like "oh my sisters a nurse too" or something about how great it is that she's becoming a nurse. She's a pretty girl, not sure if that has anything to do with it. But I think it's rather bizarre that almost everyone (who is not in medicine) thinks med school= nursing school. I assume this happens all the time too while in the hospital rotations and even when she graduates. Anyone else experience this?

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[BobbyB]

it is a pretty normal response

people just naturally respond with the closest relative in healthcare. it doesn't mean they think med school = nursing school.

 

[dr.sartorius]

it is a pretty normal response

people just naturally respond with the closest relative in healthcare. it doesn't mean they think med school = nursing school.

She responds saying she is in med school, then they automatically assume she is becoming a nurse.

 

[ChEMD]

She responds saying she is in med school, then they automatically assume she is becoming a nurse.

You're making this a bigger deal than it needs to be. Sure you can go all feminist on us, but is it really necessary? Plenty of people think medical school just means the medical field, which could mean medical assistant, PA, nurse, physician, etc...there's no need to take it personally if someone doesn't automatically think physician. And yeah, they may think nurse before doctor because of some quick judgement they've made about you (too pretty being one of them, especially for females), but that is one of those little things in life that you just can't let bother you. Politely correct them and resume conversation, it's as simple as that.

 

[VisionaryTics]

She responds saying she is in med school, then they automatically assume she is becoming a nurse.

1. They're saying it because she's a woman. Sorry. No dude is ever asked "what kind of nurse are you going to be?" when he says he's a med student.
2. On the other hand, they're just trying to relate and commiserate.

 

[notbobtrustme]

the **** is going on in this thread.

 

[Nasrudin]

People know diddly squat about what our training is. (See NP expansion movement). One of the problems we face daily as clinicians is that we have to constantly calibrate our expectations of what people know. We have a significant intelligence advantage that has been magnified by years and years of hard work at learning stuff. Most people are dim. And then multiply that times years of watching Maury and learning how to shut their minds off for undemanding repetitive work.

I saw a study once about Alzheimer's disease having a huge jump in prevalence among worker populations who did repetitive industrial work with no learning involved.

So there's that.

And then also everybody knows that pretty girls are nurses. And dudes are docs. Unless they're gay.

Seriously though. The nurse assumption for female physicians is a constant reminder of our immediate past in terms of gender equality.

 

[Fluffy Pomeranian]

Lol this happens to me all the time. It's just something that you have to get used to and it's not worth getting upset over, though it is annoying sometimes. It happens both because we're female and because people don't know that only physicians go to med school.

I was wearing my scrubs at the grocery store once after a lab and some lady asked me to help her pick out vitamins since I'm a nurse and all.

A friend from high school asked me what I'm going to do once I'm an RN after I told her I was going to med school.

My bf's brother asked me if I want to get a doctorate after I finish medical school....LOL

One time I was with two male med students at starbucks and we were still in scrubs after some diagnosis class or something. The cashier rings them up and says nothing to them and then when it's my turn he asks me "so are you in nursing school or something?"

Girl who works in my apartment's management office asked me what I do and I say I'm a med student and she exclaims, "Oh, that's what I'm doing too!" And then she tells me she is applying to PA school.

And it goes on and on and on....

 

[evilbooyaa]

Sexism. It still exists in the general population. It exists to some extent in damn near every population.

 

[Psai]

Lol this happens to me all the time. It's just something that you have to get used to and it's not worth getting upset over, though it is annoying sometimes. It happens both because we're female and because people don't know that only physicians go to med school.

I was wearing my scrubs at the grocery store once after a lab and some lady asked me to help her pick out vitamins since I'm a nurse and all.

A friend from high school asked me what I'm going to do once I'm an RN after I told her I was going to med school.

My bf's brother asked me if I want to get a doctorate after I finish medical school....LOL

One time I was with two male med students at starbucks and we were still in scrubs after some diagnosis class or something. The cashier rings them up and says nothing to them and then when it's my turn he asks me "so are you in nursing school or something?"

Girl who works in my apartment's management office asked me what I do and I say I'm a med student and she exclaims, "Oh, that's what I'm doing too!" And then she tells me she is applying to PA school.

And it goes on and on and on....

Maybe you shouldn't be wearing scrubs outside? Theres a reason why there's basically no more distinction between community and hospital acquired mrsa. Also it's gross

 

[evilbooyaa]

Maybe you shouldn't be wearing scrubs outside? Theres a reason why there's basically no more distinction between community and hospital acquired mrsa. Also it's gross

I wear scrubs out to bars. Girls naturally think I'm in Ortho. If they don't think that, that's what I tell 'em, even though I'm not. Sounds cool. Yeah.

 

[Nasrudin]

I wear scrubs out to bars. Girls naturally think I'm in Ortho. If they don't think that, that's what I tell 'em, even though I'm not. Sounds cool. Yeah.

Strong work.

 

[SouthernSurgeon]

I wear scrubs out to bars. Girls naturally think I'm in Ortho. If they don't think that, that's what I tell 'em, even though I'm not. Sounds cool. Yeah.

Plus this way if some girl comes up and starts chatting about acetylcholine receptors you can just be like "ummm...ortho..."

 

[Fluffy Pomeranian]

Maybe you shouldn't be wearing scrubs outside? Theres a reason why there's basically no more distinction between community and hospital acquired mrsa. Also it's gross

I wasn't coming from the hospital. This was during the preclinical years where we wear scrubs in our physical diagnosis course. I know not to wear scrubs I've worn around patients outside the hospital.

hence why I said "after lab" in my post above.

 

[maxxor]

Maybe you shouldn't be wearing scrubs outside? Theres a reason why there's basically no more distinction between community and hospital acquired mrsa. Also it's gross

Had your surgery rotation yet?

 

[tdram]

Sexism. It still exists in the general population. It exists to some extent in damn near every population.

Sexism is one thing, but there's also the fact that nurses are overwhelmingly female (from the numbers), and there are a lot more nurses than doctors, so if you were to make a guess about a female in healthcare, the safest guess would be nurse, and you'd be right most of the time. Now if nursing had an equal number of males and females you'd start being wrong a lot and might have to stop making assumptions.

I think nursing schools should aggressively recruit males to help combat a lot of the sexist stereotypes about nurses, as well as have a more healthy gender balance in the field.

 

[Mad Jack]

After a 16 hour shift, it's often pretty unreasonable to go home, shower, and change your clothes before running an errand or two. I hate wearing scrubs in public, but sometimes I have to if I want to sleep at a reasonable hour.

And women get this "nurse" BS for their entire careers. Yay sexism.

 

[1badmamajama]

No. It's because she's a woman.
My female classmates and I have all experienced this plenty of times.
"What do you do?"
"I'm in medical school."
"So you're going to be a nurse?"
"No... a doctor."
*surprised face*

 

[maxxor]

After a 16 hour shift, it's often pretty unreasonable to go home, shower, and change your clothes before running an errand or two. I hate wearing scrubs in public, but sometimes I have to if I want to sleep at a reasonable hour.

Agreed. Often I change scrubs before leaving the hospital if the day was nasty. But you can't tell if I changed to new scrubs or am wearing old scrubs (unless you look at my heels).

And before someone brings up "just wear street clothes then", even as a resident, I don't have a locker.

 

[evilbooyaa]

Sexism is one thing, but there's also the fact that nurses are overwhelmingly female (from the numbers), and there are a lot more nurses than doctors, so if you were to make a guess about a female in healthcare, the safest guess would be nurse, and you'd be right most of the time. Now if nursing had an equal number of males and females you'd start being wrong a lot and might have to stop making assumptions.

I think nursing schools should aggressively recruit males to help combat a lot of the sexist stereotypes about nurses, as well as have a more healthy gender balance in the field.

I agree that in a situation where one has to guess whether a female who clearly works in a hospital (say, with scrubs on) is a nurse or a doctor, they are better off guessing nurse.

I am saying it is blatantly sexist to ask a female what she does, and when she replies "medical school", reply with "oh, so you're going to be a nurse?"

Guys who are asked the same question, and give the same reply as above, never get the follow up question "oh, so you're going to be a nurse?"

I see no need for nursing schools to take any action. None of this sexism is any skin of their back. It only hurts females going into the medical profession, and most medical schools are near 50% female at this point IIRC.

 

[Ismet]

It's just a common stereotype. It's happened to me several times, I just brush it off, because it really doesn't matter. It doesn't help that I have a pink stethoscope

Don't think less of a pt or someone who doesn't know what one goes to medical school for. Nurses provide medical care too, so it's not that surprising for a layperson to not realize that medical school = future doctor and that there are different schools for different healthcare professionals. If there's confusion and if clarification matters, I say I'm studying to be a physician. Then they get it.

 

[DocVapor]

I don't usually tell laypeople I just met what I do, but if they ask I tell them "I'm in medical school." Even though I'm a tall man that sometimes looks closer to a bear than a human being, even I still get the "Oh, what kind of nurse are you going to be?" question frequently. If it's not that, then it's "What are you going for?" It usually takes a few more back-and-forth statements to realize I'm actually going to be a doctor.

Part of it might be the fact that I'm an osteopathic student, but really I think it's more because there are so few doctors and so many nurses that people just assume that any stranger they meet is much more likely to be a nurse/nursing student than a physician/medical student.

Now when I talk to healthcare professionals, I don't get the same responses. I am sure that being a female would make it exponentially worse, but I think it just comes down to a numbers game and the fact that most people don't even have a clue about the pathway to becoming a physician.

 

[slopes23]

No. It's because she's a woman.
My female classmates and I have all experienced this plenty of times.
"What do you do?"
"I'm in medical school."
"So you're going to be a nurse?"
"No... a doctor."
*surprised face*

See but then what happens.
I am talking to a girl (who is not my wife).
I ask "What do you do?"
She says "I'm in medical school."
I reply "So you're going to be a doctor?"
To which I hear "No... a nurse."
*my surprised face*

 

[deleted564496]

I almost always get asked "so what do you want to be" after telling somebody I'm in medical school.. I don't think it's that big of a deal.. And they're not talking about a specialty, they're talking about nurse, PT, pharmacist, doctor, etc.

 

[tdram]

I see no need for nursing schools to take any action. None of this sexism is any skin of their back. It only hurts females going into the medical profession, and most medical schools are near 50% female at this point IIRC.

True, my school is actually 54% female.

I was just saying that they should have a better gender balance. We see a lot of schools pushing for more women in engineering and other science fields in order to create a gender balance in areas that are predominately male, so why would it be any different in nursing which is predominately female? It can only help.

 

[tdram]

See but then what happens.
I am talking to a girl (who is not my wife).
I ask "What do you do?"
She says "I'm in medical school."
I reply "So you're going to be a doctor?"
To which I hear "No... a nurse."
*my surprised face*

Why don't you guys just tell them the job you're training for? Medical school is just too ambiguous. Say "I'm training to be a doctor" or "I'm training to be a nurse". Problem solved.

 

[DocVapor]

True, my school is actually 54% female.

I was just saying that they should have a better gender balance. We see a lot of schools pushing for more women in engineering and other science fields in order to create a gender balance in areas that are predominately male, so why would it be any different in nursing which is predominately female? It can only help.

I think it's happening. It seems like every time I go to the hospital there is another new male nurse there. It may never reach 50/50% though because I think most men select themselves out of nursing due to the type of job it is.

 

[tdram]

I think it's happening. It seems like every time I go to the hospital there is another new male nurse there. It may never reach 50/50% though because I think most men select themselves out of nursing due to the type of job it is.

Yeah, I think so too. There's a negative stereotype to the "male nurse". Men think it's a "female field", a lot like women think engineering is a "male field". Florence Nightingale is actually the first one to blame because it was her idea that men weren't fit to be nurses.

The engineering schools are making a huge push to correct that stereotype. I think the nursing schools should push to correct their stereotype as well.

 

[Roxas]

Yeah, I think so too. There's a negative stereotype to the "male nurse". Men think it's a "female field", a lot like women think engineering is a "male field".

The engineering schools are making a huge push to correct that stereotype. I think the nursing schools should push to correct their stereotype as well.

There were a good number of males in my ug's nursing program. And it was really easy to tell the nursing students apart from everyone else: the chip on their shoulder and undeserved sense of accomplishment was already well in place.

 

[slopes23]

Why don't you guys just tell them the job you're training for? Medical school is just too ambiguous. Say "I'm training to be a doctor" or "I'm training to be a nurse". Problem solved.

Lol not sure who "you guys" are, but I am in fact a male. Moreover, I was just making a joke out of the post that I quoted, which is why I made it a point to copy the format she used and verbatim wording with a twist.

Personally, I don't let petty things and ignorance get under my skin because I would go nuts in this world of ours. So I could really care less. If people ask are you going to be a nurse, I'll correct them and move on with the conversation as someone rightly pointed out earlier in the thread. It's really not that big of a deal.

 

[tdram]

Lol not sure who "you guys" are, but I am in fact a male. Moreover, I was just making a joke out of the post that I quoted, which is why I made it a point to copy the format she used and verbatim wording with a twist.

Personally, I don't let petty things and ignorance get under my skin because I would go nuts in this world of ours. So I could really care less. If people ask are you going to be a nurse, I'll correct them and move on with the conversation as someone rightly pointed out earlier in the thread. It's really not that big of a deal.

By "you guys" I meant medical or nursing students in general, not a particular gender. The stereotypes go both ways. If you don't want people to make assumptions, the easiest solution is to just be clear about what you're doing. Unfortunately for most of the general public, "medical school" is vague. They don't necessarily know that means doctor vs nurse. So just tell them exactly what you're doing.

I know a guy who kept telling everyone he was a "medical student", but he was actually a pharmacy student. Seems like "medical school" is used as a generic term by some people nowadays.

 

[slopes23]

I know a guy who kept telling everyone he was a "medical student", but he was actually a pharmacy student. Seems like "medical school" is used as a generic term by some people nowadays.

Definetely is. That is what I was playing into with my quote. I was taking it the opposite way, thinking that when that person said they were going to medical school, and I asked oh so you are going to be a doctor, they reply no I am going to be a nurse and me surprised that they call it medical school and not nursing school. This conversation never actually happened but I do know people who do health related fields and say I got into medical school yay! Or I am so proud of my child for getting into medical school! Cause I think it's actually more ridiculous that people actually think medical school means anything other than MD/DO vs MD/DO students getting called nurses.

Anyways, like I said who cares. Know your own truth, and just mind ***k them.

That last sentence was not directed specifically towards you or anyone tdram fyi.

 

[Jabbed]

I recently spoke to my female cousin and she was complaining to me about people assuming she's in nursing school anytime someone asks her "so what do you do" or "what have you been up to." She says almost 95% of the time they respond with something like "oh my sisters a nurse too" or something about how great it is that she's becoming a nurse. She's a pretty girl, not sure if that has anything to do with it. But I think it's rather bizarre that almost everyone (who is not in medicine) thinks med school= nursing school. I assume this happens all the time too while in the hospital rotations and even when she graduates. Anyone else experience this?

When people ask me what I'm doing career-wise, I just tell them that I'm going to Doctor School.

 

[evilbooyaa]

So I could really care less.

Couldn't care less is what you meant.

As punishment, you must watch this 10 times or however long it takes for you to learn everything in it:

 

[Fluffy Pomeranian]

A male NP or PA will probably get called doctor more often over the course of their career than I ever will.

 

[redpanda]

Don't think less of a pt or someone who doesn't know what one goes to medical school for. Nurses provide medical care too, so it's not that surprising for a layperson to not realize that medical school = future doctor and that there are different schools for different healthcare professionals. If there's confusion and if clarification matters, I say I'm studying to be a physician. Then they get it.

Well, I try not to think less of them until I already told them I'm the medical student who is training to be a doctor, did H+P-so-extensive-only-a-third-year-medical-student-would-do-this on them and then walk in 1 hour later to tell them something and the patient tells whoever is on the phone "Oh, I need to go, my nurse is here!". Really, has your bedside nurse ever interrogated you like this? Must resist urge to make b**chface.

 

[EMDO2018]

Question is, why are girls and gay guys so drawn to nursing? Honestly it seems like the perfect profession to cultivate b*tchy, passive aggressive, "im smarter than you even though I have 1/3 of the schooling" behavior.

 

[hmockingbird]

I've honestly just started telling people "I'm going to school to become a doctor". I think it's partially sexism but equally people just not knowing what med school is. I have had a lot of non-medicine friends/relatives ask me what "medical school" entails and usually they seem surprised that it is only for doctors and not all healthcare fields.

 

[tdram]

A male NP or PA will probably get called doctor more often over the course of their career than I ever will.

Not if you're wearing a badge that says MD or DO....

 

[MRSAful Fate]

I actually try to be ambiguous with strangers most of the time and just say that I'm a grad student. Often after clarifying that I'm studying to be a doctor the next line is something about how doctors these days should learn more about essential oils and accupressure or, alternatively, that Obamacare is going to kill everyone so why bother. I'd rather just talk about the weather.

 

[circulus vitios]

I almost always get asked "so what do you want to be" after telling somebody I'm in medical school.. I don't think it's that big of a deal.. And they're not talking about a specialty, they're talking about nurse, PT, pharmacist, doctor, etc.

The correct answer is always "rich and famous."

 

[NickNaylor]

I almost always get asked "so what do you want to be" after telling somebody I'm in medical school.. I don't think it's that big of a deal.. And they're not talking about a specialty, they're talking about nurse, PT, pharmacist, doctor, etc.

Another question I frequently get from patients: "so what kind of doctor are you going to school for?" Tell them about residency and the length and most are pretty damn surprised.

Unfortunately the lay public doesn't understand the length of training or the various parts of training involved in becoming a physician.

 

[BobbyB]

A male NP or PA will probably get called doctor more often over the course of their career than I ever will.

#firstworldproblems

i've had a few badass female attendings whom no one would ever mistake as a nurse. work on your appearance and confidence. if you want people to recognize you as a leader, you have to look and act the part.

 

[Arkangeloid]

Our med students wear long white coats. I was doing research at another hospital, and I get called "doctor" multiple times a day haha.

 

[tdram]

Another question I frequently get from patients: "so what kind of doctor are you going to school for?" Tell them about residency and the length and most are pretty damn surprised.

Unfortunately the lay public doesn't understand the length of training or the various parts of training involved in becoming a physician.

This is partially why they aren't too concerned about expanding various midlevel scope of practice, because they don't really know the difference. Many patients have told me they thought NP and MD was basically the same amount of training and were shocked when I explained the actual difference.

 

[radkat101]

When people I will never talk to again ask me, I tell them I want to do something in the medical field. Most of the time the conversation ends here with "oh okay, cool". If instead, they follow by asking what I want to do, I just say I'm not sure yet. This is true because I don't know what I want to specialize in. If I know the person, or feel like actually conversing with the person, I get a little more specific. I have found the average working class person thinks nursing is cooler than being a doctor anyway, because they usually know someone who's a nurse and "the nurses do all the work and actually care blablabla". If they mistake you for one, who cares? It's probably for the better these days.

 

[Winged Scapula]

#firstworldproblems

i've had a few badass female attendings whom no one would ever mistake as a nurse. work on your appearance and confidence. if you want people to recognize you as a leader, you have to look and act the part.

It does help being older and dressing the part.

I can understand when the female student/resident comes in wearing slouchy wrinkled scrubs and a hoodie that a patient might be confused. I've had multiple experiences of being mistaken for a nurse over my life but its not that common anymore (although it does still curiously happen in my own office, which confuses me; I'm not sure who they expected to be seeing).

 

[syma]

Same over here with people that don't understand what medical school is.

We will be in clinics in the hospital and introduce ourselves as medical students and they ask if if we want to be nurses. That's where the whole medical student vs student doctor debate is from. (Amongst other things)

 

[BurghStudent]

Even if it's an understandable reaction, you still have to admit, people assuming you're becoming a nurse when you're busting ass to become a physician is in a word, ****ty.

 

[Member10billion]

No. It's because she's a woman.
My female classmates and I have all experienced this plenty of times.
"What do you do?"
"I'm in medical school."
"So you're going to be a nurse?"
"No... a doctor."
*surprised face*

THIS x10000

I think this has to do with the fact that I'm 1. female 2. hispanic 3. I look like I'm 14