#and saying she wasn't serious about neurosurgery

[nerdgirlnarrates]

Even though it's been months since I switched from neurosurgery to internal medicine, I still have a hard time not being angry about the training culture and particularly the sexism of neurosurgery. It wasn't the whole reason I switched, but truthfully it was a significant part of my decision.

I quickly got worn out by constantly being questioned over my family plans. Within minutes of meeting me, attendings and residents felt comfortable lecturing me on the difficulties of having children as a neurosurgeon. One attending even suggested I should ask my co-residents' permission before getting pregnant so as not to inconvenience them. I do not have children and have never indicated if I plan to have any. Truthfully, I do want children, but I would absolutely have foregone that to be a neurosurgeon. I wanted to be a neurosurgeon more than anything. But I was never asked: it was simply assumed that I would want to be a mother first. Purely because I'm a woman, my ambitions were constantly undermined, assumed to be lesser than those of my male peers. Women must want families, therefore women must be less committed. It was inconceivable that I might put my career first. It was impossible to disprove this assumption: what could I have done to demonstrate my commitment more than what I had already done by leading the interest group, taking a research year, doing a sub-I? My interest in neurosurgery would never be viewed the same way my male peers' was, no matter what I did. I would never be viewed as a neurosurgeon in the same way my male peers would be, because I, first and foremost, would be a mother. It turns out women don't even need to have children to be a mother: it is what you essentially are. You can't be allowed to pursue things that might interfere with your potential motherhood.

Furthermore, you are not trusted to know your own ambitions or what might interfere with your motherhood. I am an adult woman who has gone to medical school: I am well aware of what is required in reproduction, pregnancy, and residency, as much as one can be without experiencing it firsthand. And yet, it was always assumed that I had somehow shown up to a neurosurgery sub-I totally ignorant of the demands of the career and of pregnancy. I needed to be enlightened: always by men, often by childless men. Apparently, it was implausible that I could evaluate the situation on my own and come to a decision. I also couldn't be trusted to know what I wanted: if I said I wanted to be a neurosurgeon more than a mother, I was immediately reassured I could still have a family (an interesting flip from the dire warnings issued not five minutes earlier in the conversation). People could not understand my point, which was that I didn't care. I couldn't mean that, because women are fundamentally mothers. I needed to be guided back to my true role.

Because everyone was so confident in their sexist assumptions that I was less committed, I was not offered the same training, guidance, or opportunities as the men. I didn't have projects thrown my way, I didn't get check-ins or advice on my application process, I didn't get opportunities in the OR that my male peers got, I didn't get taught. I once went two whole days on my sub-I without anyone saying a word to me. I would come to work, avoid the senior resident I was warned hated trainees, figure out which OR to go to on my own, scrub in, watch a surgery in complete silence without even the opportunity to cut a knot, then move to the next surgery. How could I possibly become a surgeon in that environment? And this is all to say nothing of the rape jokes, the advice that the best way for a woman to match is to be as hot as possible, listening to my attending advise the male med students on how to get laid, etc.

At a certain point, it became clear it would be incredibly difficult for me to become a neurosurgeon. I wouldn't get research or leadership opportunities, I wouldn't get teaching or feedback, I wouldn't get mentorship, and I wouldn't get respect. I would have to fight tooth and nail for every single piece of my training, and the prospect was just exhausting. Especially when I also really enjoyed internal medicine, where absolutely none of this was happening and I even had attendings telling me I would be good at it (something that didn't happen in neurosurgery until I quit).

I've been told I should get over this, but I don't know how to. I don't know how to stop being mad about how thoroughly sidelined I was for being female. I don't know how to stop being bitter that my intelligence, commitment, and work ethic meant so much less because I'm a woman. I know I made the right decision to switch to internal medicine, and it probably would have been the right decision even if there weren't all these issues with the culture of neurosurgery, but I'm still so angry about how it happened.

[now-we-say-c0ral]

December 6, 2023

Didn't shower today before going to work because if I did I would be ultra late. Got to work on time though. I was assigned again in Th19 with Tony, Cyril, Tharsika and April today.

I did the minor VP shunt. The surgeon wasn't really happy with me though he was smiling. I can tell. Ive heard that the consultants as a whole aren't very welcoming to new staffs scrubbing in their theatres. I really don't care. I'm way past the point of caring to be honest. After everything I've been through this year emotionally I really don't give a damn anymore. I did the case swimmingly. Neurosurgery is such a fascinating speciality. I wish I could be rotated here on my next rotation. It's so nice working with Ate Cyril. She's such a good mentor to be really honest. She explains things so good that even as a newcomer I could understand. I wish I could always work with her because I feel so comfortable with her. Her presence is like a shining light guiding me to where I am supposed to be. She's a gem is what I'm trying to say.

Went to the gym after and did some chest, arms, cardio, and abs. I'm glad I skipped gym yesterday because I feel so recharged going to the gym today. It was a good session really. Bought some cookies to eat tomorrow morning too.

Put my bike in the garage and arranged lunch for tomorrow that Ed cooked. The pork sinigang looks spectacular. I can't wait to eat it tomorrow. Today was a good day!

December 5, 2023

Today's the start of my neurosurgery rotation. Hannah, the team leader was so welcoming to me. I was on a late shift. After I took my break, the Spines team apparently called and asked what time I’ll be coming down to scrub for a PSF. I mean, it’s okay if I wasn’t on rotation. Apparently, Hannah sorted this out and said that it wasn’t right for me to come down when I’m on rotation. I thanked her for putting her foot down for me because it would have been harder if I did it because I’m still kind of new.

I observed how they did the craniotomy and honestly it’s like doing a SNAPS case but it’s just more serious by a thousand per cent. They also have too many televisions in the unit to help visualize the brain. They have too many devices in. Those are just my observations. In the afternoon, since we finished early, I was sent to Th14 to help out. Afterwards, I went to Th1 to relieve since I was on a late. I asked Rosie what the fuss about me was about and she said that apparently it’s all bullshit and that there was no proper communication about it and in the end it was all sorted out. I agree. I finally understood what it was all about because Rosie talked about it in detail but damn. The lack of communication and the incorrect information that has been said is astounding.

Went home straight today. Didn’t go to the gym because my body’s still tired and recovering. I know I’m going to be thanking myself tomorrow since I skipped two gym days. It’s been a tiring day today to say the least.