Read the ID

i'm not your "sweetie" or
your "cutie" or
your "honey".....
i'm your DOCTOR.....Damn it!

i came across an article discussing the sexual harrassment nurses face.
But female physicians face it too, especially since people/patients think WE are NURSES too....
or can't comprehend the concept of a female physician.
As a resident, i had to deal with this more......in the last couple of years, things are a little better. Being called "sweetie, cutie, honey, or nurse" were equally insulting.
if you are going to call me "honey".....call HIM "honey" or "cutiepie".

Their rationale was often,
Because i'm a woman.....
therefore i MUST be a nurse...
no way in hell can i be a doctor!
I'm too young.....not white enough?.....too pretty?
despite the fact my ID read......DOCTOR......or contained the initials "MD" aka doctor,
despite the fact i wore the same coat as the other doctors...the male doctors,
sometimes i wasn't called "nurse" directly. i would find out after the fact....someone would comment that the patient said "the nurse" was just there but the only person who had been in their room was me....the MD. I didn't lose my cool.....i just reiterated that i was Dr. so-and-so....and that i would be taking care of them during their hospitalization.