The Wonders of Youth and New Technologies

Victo Delore, a female physician, wrote a humorous post today offering advice to female physicians in how to achieve a fresh look with an eighteen hour rotation. Any profession of women could relate because men can literally shit, shower and shave and be prepared to meet the world.

Not true for women. There are differences in how we are perceived in the professional world.

Take a look at “Keeping Up Appearances” and see what we mean.

She made me think about my own experiences as both a nurse and a patient.

Many times I would have male nursing assistants with me and my patients constantly referred to them as the doctor. Often, asking for their opinions after I had given them mine. It was awkward.

Then came my day.

I had to have major surgery a few years ago. My female physician referred me to a female surgeon.

I was good with that.

Then I met her.

I was sitting in her office when in bopped this petite girl with long blonde hair who looked like she wasn’t a day over eighteen years. I held out my arm certain that she was about to take my blood pressure. Right? Isn’t that what the assistant always does first?

It must have been the look on my face.

She says, “Hi, I’m Jessica Vaught, M.D. I understand you are interested in the da Vinci robotics surgery. Before we get started, I’ve logged over thirty-six hundred hours on the da Vinci simulator, and performed dozens of surgeries.”

Although she was obviously trying to avail my fears, that last line conjured images of this sweet girl playing video games, maneuvering joy sticks around, and shouting, “Got that little sucker,” in an operating room theater. This was all extremely new then, and dozens just didn’t seem like enough.

When I think of ageism, I think of older people not getting jobs or being let go because of their age.

Here, I was just as guilty of ageism.

This is the real world. This is the magic of simulator training. She totally rocked.

I went home the same day and threw a party for thirty guests four days later. Never felt one minute of pain. No complications. Four tiny little scars that have faded nearly away.

The wonders of modern medicine, and youth.

Have you ever doubted a professional based on appearances?