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Tuesday, October 30, 2007

What are you dressing up as for Halloween?


I'm told that my office staff dress up for Halloween. It's festive, it's fun.

I'm not dressing up. Here's why -- I don't look like a cardiologist. As a young woman, I look nothing like your stereotypical, gray-haired cardiolgist. I'm mistaken as the nurse, the physical therapist, the nutritionist, the social worker -- you name it. And not just by patients, but by health care workers as well.

Some patients have even told me that because my last name ends in "-man" that they assume I'm -- a man!

In a world of stereotypes and preconceived notions, I need all the credibility I can get. Hence no costume.

Photo from paranormalworld.net

6 comments:

radioactivegan said...

Perhaps you could (secretly) go as a strong, confident, female doctor!

LizNoVeggieGirl said...

you don't "look" like a cardiologist? I hate stereotypes. I'm not going as anything for Halloween - my family always celebrates this holiday by spending time with family (especially since two family members have a birthday today), and watch horror movies :0)

Anonymous said...

I'm 38 and people still occasionally ask me what I'm majoring in in college, so I sympathize.

Maybe to make the point, though, you could dress up as:

DR.! Frankenstein
DR.! Strangelove
DR.! Zhivago
DR.! Suess
DR.! Who

Although, none of those are women. Huh.

Maybe what you really need is a lab coat with the following embroidered on the breast pocket:

(in BIG letters): CARDIOLOGIST
(in smaller letters): Vegan Doc, MD

Then you can dress that up with holiday buttons as appropriate. :)

affectioknit2 said...

Just a funny note about the opposite - when my son was very small - his first Pediatrician was female - then we moved to a larger city with a teaching hospital - and went to a practice with multiple Pediatricians - but the one assigned to him was also female - after several visits with Dr. Lily - she came in one day with a male intern - and introduced him to my son - who leaned over and whispered to me "look Mama a 'man doctor'" as if they were all supposed to be female - so it's all perspective and I don't think he will ever think that all doctors are or should be male...

Cate said...

I wish I read this sooner! I would have told you to go as a stereotypical cardiologist... make a point!

my uncle is a nurse and is constantly mistaken for anything but. elderly women are particularly fond of asking him how long he has been a "male nurse". his standard answer now is "since the operation".

Sara said...

Awww I HATE that..."Nurse! Comm-ere!"