We walk into a room, and the patient says, “Oh, the nurse just walked in; I have to go.” How many of you men have ever had that happen to you?

Just the other day, I had a patient tell me she was surprised when I walked in. “I was expecting an old white haired man, not a young woman!” I did like the young part! (Especially since I just turned 40.) But it is a battle we fight every day.

I’m not really complaining, necessarily. It’s just a fact I’m pointing out. It’s an extra hurdle we have with each patient encounter. We must prove ourselves every day, not only to our patients, but to our colleagues.

I feel as though a male physician is automatically trusted. You are already in the “club.” We have to prove we are worthy from the get go. Maybe it’s just my perception, but someone hears my high-pitched voice on the phone, and I sometimes wonder.

There have been so many women who have gone before me to show me the way, pave the way, take the heat, and break down the walls, allowing me to begin my career. And I am so thankful and lucky.

In America, it all started with Elizabeth Blackwell, who was the first woman to earn a medical degree in the States. She was fortunate, as I was, to have a father who encouraged her to be an educated woman. She actually had several male physician mentors who allowed her to study with them, unheard of in the 1800s.

Lately, on the AAWEP (American Association of Women Emergency Physicians) listserv, we’ve been talking about the importance of mentors and champions. Many of my fellow physicians have similar experiences, many worse than mine. I’m so grateful to them for sharing their stories and their advice. But they did say one important thing. As important as it is to have women mentors, we also need our male counterparts to be our champions as well.

When you hear of or see a fellow physician being treated as I was treated, instead of laughing it off and going to play golf with the jerk, take some action if you can. Talk to her; be her champion. Support her. Find out what you can do to help. If you are in a position to correct that issue, correct it, instead of laughing about it and chalking it up to “that time of the month.”