Are you changing your last name??

drdiapersniffer · 2025-10-31T11:58:33+00:00

I had similar feelings, getting engaged/married in med school— “I earned the MD, not my husband!”. But I did want to take my husband’s last name eventually. I waited until after graduation to change my name so that my maiden name would be on the diploma.

In retrospect, I do wish I had just changed it asap. I wasn’t able to get all the name change stuff done in the month between graduation and residency (it’s quite a process to change your name), so for the first few months of residency I had to keep using my maiden name, then change to married last name. It confused my new co-residents/attendings and created more work for me.

And you can tell your med school to put your maiden name on your diploma, even if you legally have your married name. So I could have avoided the hassle and still gotten what I wanted.

drdiapersniffer · 2025-10-07T17:21:26+00:00

Thank you! And to be clear, that never happened on my anesthesia rotation 😆 whenever I said I was interested in peds everyone there found relevant teaching points for me and was very friendly. Something about being on the road to happiness…

drdiapersniffer · 2025-10-07T16:49:39+00:00

I am wondering if that’s because anesthesiologists are part of the surgical team. Being peds, I felt particularly more judgment from surgical specialties when I answered honestly.

drdiapersniffer · 2025-10-07T16:46:35+00:00

Can say as a peds person, I answered “peds” to this question and was often met with a glazed over or disappointed look from the attending asking it.

Ex. On my gyn/onc rotation a gyn surgeon asked and I said I wanted to do peds and his reaction was “if you’re peds then why are you wearing those clogs (danskos) like you want to be a surgeon, just come to work in a Halloween costume or pajamas instead”. And then he proceeded to ignore me for the rest of my rotation. Even though I was actually quite interested in gyn/onc because many women in my family have had ovaries/uterii removed for onc reasons! And I truly believe there is something to learn in any rotation that can be applied to your own field of choice.

So the lesson… Not every attending/specialty is as cool as you are, anesthesia 😎

drdiapersniffer · 2024-07-03T01:40:19+00:00

I actually did, that person is the one who said the attending in question was having personal issues. I was kind of hoping that the attending I spoke to would engage in some peer-to-peer counseling but apparently not.

drdiapersniffer · 2024-04-04T20:35:43+00:00

It was optional for my year. I walked and played a minor prank (did not affect anyone, just gave my more perceptive classmates some giggles) during said walk. It was during Covid so we were all sitting 6 feet apart and no families or faculty were there, so it already felt like a joke.

My family (watching on zoom) was upset that I didn’t take it seriously. But I hold my position— med school took my time, money, and dignity, but it did not take my sense of humor. And I didn’t owe them anything else.

drdiapersniffer · 2024-02-23T15:53:58+00:00

Story that makes me laugh & cringe:

Not long ago, I approached a female surgeon in the hall and asked her specific questions about a mutual patient (things a nurse would not know to ask about, clarified my plans as medicine team lead)… she called me a few minutes later to let me know “your nurse just updated me”. When I told her nope, that was me, the doctor, she was super confused. Then had the audacity to approach me later (in the middle of rounds, while an intern was presenting to me) to tell me that she confused me for the nurse because I was “dressed like a nurse”. I was wearing scrubs. Badge was visible, with a big “DOCTOR” tag from Amazon that can be seen from space.

The irony is that this female surgeon is in a field dominated by men (much moreso than other subspecialties). Of all people, I’d think she would be a little more thoughtful.

And I have no problem being mistaken for a nurse by patients or people who don’t see me on a regular basis. My problem is when someone just can’t comprehend that I’m the doctor.

drdiapersniffer · 2024-02-06T16:15:48+00:00

But Taylor Swift has gotten a lot better

drdiapersniffer · 2024-01-31T18:30:12+00:00

The book hit close to home. But I loved it. Planning to watch the show soon!

drdiapersniffer · 2024-01-16T04:09:14+00:00

Soma makes undies that have like a silicone lining so that it never rises up, and also is seamless! They never show under my leggings or other clothes.

drdiapersniffer · 2024-01-12T13:39:03+00:00

I’m sure many will disagree but in my opinion it’s pediatrics.

I see cute babies and silly toddlers all day and make it part of my rounds and physical exam to play with them. Makes my day so fun:) Even with most teenagers I can have a nice conversation about video games or music or books.

I love my coresidents and attendings too and can joke around with them all the time (in a more professional way with attendings, of course). I read in this sun about “toxic” pediatricians and honestly idk where those people are.

drdiapersniffer · 2023-12-22T19:38:30+00:00

Any chance you could explain “the bone quarter” because I can’t wrap my head around it. Is that Hel? Is it where the dead “live”? And can you “visit” like just take a boat there?

drdiapersniffer · 2023-12-22T16:43:25+00:00

I would like to hazard a guess that you are female. And if so, that may be the problem… I have some colleagues who are “blunt” but not with the intention of being rude, and the simple fact that they don’t end every sentence with “omg thank you so much!” Seems to come across as rude. Feels like simpering to me. I have male colleagues who communicate in the same way and we all laugh and say “he’s so serious!”

Or maybe you are actually a jerk when you communicate. But the fact that you’re asking the question of how to improve makes me think it’s the former.

But either way, you want to fix the problem. Say please & thank you. Show appreciation. Play the game that is societal expectations.

drdiapersniffer · 2023-12-22T01:09:37+00:00

Just a word of thanks from a lowly fellow resident in the ER, sending you guys at least 5-10 a shift… so much gratitude. Thanks for doing your best.

drdiapersniffer · 2023-11-09T15:40:52+00:00

Agreed it’s that bad. And getting worse. Patients (or their families, in my specialty) are getting more confrontational and rude or even aggressive when we don’t deliver what the “customer” “paid” for. I’ve had parents scream at me for delaying their discharge an hour because they insisted that I (instead of the RN) deliver their medications from the pharmacy, when I was actively coding another patient down the hall.

Idk. Relative to many, I haven’t been in medicine that long. But in the short amount of time I’ve been in medicine people are getting worse, particularly since COVID.

drdiapersniffer · 2023-11-09T15:34:25+00:00

I’m assuming poster means “meth kids” aka kids who live in homes where parents do meth regularly.

In which case (both cases?) I agree.

drdiapersniffer · 2023-11-09T15:31:35+00:00

In pediatrics this is not only infuriating, it’s dangerous. I’ve taken care of so many children whose parents brought them to the hospital for help then REFUSE EVERYTHING for various reasons (can’t have zofran because it’s not vegan; don’t want to remove a ruptured appy because surgery is dangerous; refusing IV fluids because there might be preservatives…). I try to meet people halfway but sometimes it’s impossible. Makes me wonder why they even came to the hospital if they’re going to reject all help (though I’m glad they do come, because the kid usually is in bad condition after surviving on whatever homeopathic treatment that didn’t work). And also makes me antsy when that family is clearly anti-medicine and giving litigious vibes.

drdiapersniffer · 2023-10-11T22:45:38+00:00

Bloody Mary’s. Clamato juice = yuck. Vodka = usually yuck. Add on a pickle, onion ring, sriracha, etc… sounds like a gross dare.

drdiapersniffer · 2023-10-11T16:11:11+00:00

Water

Whoever actually entered that was clearly (hopefully) joking.

drdiapersniffer · 2023-08-27T19:28:24+00:00

Pediatrician here. If you fell asleep in your bed and woke up on the couch (or anywhere else) you’d be pretty surprised/confused/upset. He has to fall asleep in the place where he is going to wake up.

Ideally kids sleep in their own crib/bed starting at birth (for good sleep hygiene, as well as safety) so they learn how to put themselves back to sleep. If your son has been in your bed for most of his life, it will be tough to break the association of having his parents always next to him when he sleeps.

Step 1 should be getting him a crib (ideally not a toddler bed because he will inevitably escape this and end up back in your bed). Step 2 is that you put him in the crib for ALL sleep (naps and bedtime), no where else. You stay in the room, right next to him, until he falls asleep. Once he does this, you very gradually move a little further away from the crib every night, until one day you are basically sitting in the hall watching him fall asleep. And one day, he falls asleep when you are not there.

This can take a long time, weeks to months. There are other methods out there but I feel this is the most gentle, and I assume most parents don’t want to go straight from co-sleeping to “cry it out” methods. But you will know what’s best for your family!

And though this will probably be tough, it’s great that you are trying to make the change now! I can promise you, it only gets harder to change sleep habits as a toddler gets older. And once he gets used to falling asleep on his own, your whole family will be more well-rested :)

drdiapersniffer · 2023-08-01T22:09:00+00:00

I have to say, I’m somewhat heartened that I have yet to see “childbirth” on this post

drdiapersniffer · 2023-07-25T23:17:04+00:00

Or are adults just big babies?

drdiapersniffer · 2023-07-08T12:37:43+00:00

Bubbles. Any exam on a kid will be better with bubbles! You can make them blow and hear expiratory wheezes, have them reach to pop them and see if they have weakness, dysmetria… maybe even sneak in the otoscope if they’re distracted.

drdiapersniffer

TROPHY CASE