Male resident: "Is there, like, a law that every woman has to have a photo of her baby on the back of her ID badge?"
Me: "Well, we can't put it on the front of the badge, can we??"
So yes, I am one of the many, many physician/mamas who sports a photo of my baby on the back of my ID badge. It covers up the instructions on what to do in case of fire.
I don't want to confess how much time and effort I spent picking out the perfect photo of her to display on the back of my badge. More time than I spend reading New England Journal, that's for sure.
My badge has a tendency to flip around, so that instead of displaying my own photo, name, and job description, I'm walking around the hospital with a photo of a baby on my chest. I'm pretty much the epitome of professionalism.
And of course, I'm always praying that the patient will notice the photo and comment on it, so I have an excuse to talk about her for a minute. A comment that would be great would be something along the lines of: "Your baby girl is beautiful." Unfortunately, comments I've heard include:
"Aw, how old is your son?" (Girls are allowed to wear green, you know.)
"Isn't that ID photo of you a little outdated?" (Ha ha.)
"Wow, you have a kid too? You must be exhausted." (Yep.)
What it all comes down to though is that I love having the photo of her on my ID so that if I'm ever feeling down during the day, I can look at it and feel a little bit better. That or the huge photo album of her that I keep in my white coat pocket at all times.
Now I am left wondering if all those who encounter me at work (always a badge around my neck) are themselves wondering where is her picture of her children. But then again, I probably bring them to enough meetings that everyone knows what they look like in real time!
ReplyDeleteI hear you!
ReplyDeleteI had my first child when I was in my third year of residency. I was so devastated to leave her and have to go back to the grueling depressing world of PICU that I dragged her blankie with me into the call room.
During the senior skit I was teased saying that I would bring my baby into the patient room if I could.
Now three kids later- ages 5,4 and 2, that's exactly what I have to do at times.
The other day I was looking at a patient and the mom remarked about a screaming child outside the room, Wow that kids is really crying!"
To which I remarked, "Um, that's would be my kid."
:) Hang in there!
I've thought you were hilarious since the pink stethoscope post, and this confirms it. Love it!
ReplyDeleteI brought all sorts of magnet pics in of my kids and plastered them on the metal drug box that we carry around with us to cases (I'm an anesthesiologist). I was asked once if this was my shrine!!
ReplyDelete