If you missed part 6, click here!

 *This story is a creative interpretation of all real events. Names and locations have been changed to maintain privacy.

Being a doctor is hard. Being a female and identifying as a woman working in medicine is hard.
Residency as it is, is hard to begin with: the over 12-hour shifts, overnights, being constantly on call or on duty, and being a woman training for this job on top of it? How I still stand on my feet day to day blows my mind.

Monday morning, I drag my feet as I trudge into ATCH, already tired and knowing I have a long day ahead of me. I decide to grab a coffee for a little boost, where I meet up with Becca, and the two of us head on off to find Dr. Johnson for rounds. Once all the residents are here and are circled up, Dr. Johnson hands out patient assignments and reaches over to give me patient Gregory Divulsh’s chart. As I flip open his chart, the residents scatter, and I hear the pitter-patter of their feet hurriedly scurrying off to their patients. Chest pain, okay, hopefully not too complicated.

“Good morning, Mr. Divulsh, I’m Dr. Trevecci. I see that you’ve been having some chest pain. Any possible shortness of breath recently?” I question as I stroll into the room. Just as I finish my question, Mike, today’s day nurse dutifully follows me into the room. Mike is an absolute sweetheart, and although quiet, he is probably one of my favorite nurses to work with. I turn back to Mr. Divulsh, waiting for his answer.

“Oh, finally I have a doctor. I’ve been waiting for forever doc, and I’m starving. Nurse, be a doll and get me some Oreos would ya?”

Funnily enough, Mr. Divulsh looks me right in the eye when he asks for his snack. I look over at Mike whose pupils have dilated and eyes have grown 3 times their size out of shock and embarrassment. My gaze snaps back to the beady-eyed lump lounging on the bed with growing impatience.

“Mhm Sir,” I straighten up and clear my throat, preparing to introduce myself one more time. “I am Dr. Michelle Trevecci, your doctor for today. Here with me today is Michael Krettle, your nurse.” Mr. Divulsh looks back and forth between Mike and I with bewilderment and confusion in his eyes.

“But… but,” he stammers. “That’s backwards. I don’t want a girl doctor, and I sure as hell don’t want some wuss as a nurse who wasn’t man enough to become a real doctor.”

I’m at a loss for words. I look over at Mike, who is standing paralyzed in astonishment. I’m used to this behavior by now, especially as a female doctor, but I have never seen a patient, or anyone for that matter, take it this far. And to attack Mike as well? The poor guy chose to become a nurse because it was better suited to him financially, AND it’s what he wanted to do! He never became a doctor because he didn’t want to, so why patronize him for it? Even so, why is it a problem in the first place?! It’s not like one, being a nurse is easy, and two, it’s a “woman’s job.”

I whip my head back to Gregory, physically biting my tongue in order to hold myself back from crossing a line. Crossing THE line.

Photo by Arseny Togulev on Unsplash