'I am so insulted': Pregnant professional physician is gaslit and forced into unfair work environment due to management's antiquated fear of ‘pregnancy brain’

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  • 01
    Font - Posted by u/Neighborhood Known792 7 days ago Is my job treating me unfairly? Help?
  • 02
    Font - A couple weeks ago I found out I was pregnant (25 weeks) and two days ago I told this news to a really close friend of mine who also happens to be my coworker. We have known each other for a very long time and she has always been a really great friend to me up until this incident. After I told her she seemed really happy for me and all was well.
  • 03
    Font - That was until I came in this morning for my shift and was called into a meeting with said coworker and our supervisor. In this meeting my boss informed me that from today until I go on mat leave I am to be supervised by a senior physician on all matters regarding patients. In other words I am no longer allowed to do any of my basic job duties such as ordering tests, performing routine procedures, interpreting imaging, diagnosing patients, prescribing medications, surgeries, etc etc. with
  • 04
    Font - and this coworker are both Maternal-Fetal Medicine specialists, but she has been in the field for longer as she is older. Our supervisor is the chief of the obstetrics and gynecology department at the hospital we are employed at.
  • 05
    Font - I am absolutely infuriated with this news. Their reasoning was that this field has one of the highest liabilities for malpractice claims and MFM is especially complicated (both things i am fully aware of) so they do not want to risk me making silly mistakes due to "pregnancy brain". Neither of these women have been pregnant before. I told them this is very unfair as I have not done anything wrong and I am being made out to be incompetent for no reason. Their response was that they work wi
  • 06
    Font - fully licensed, board certified physician for f_ks sake. I am also really upset that such a close friend of mine thought it was okay to share something so personal with my boss without my permission. I am genuinely thinking about leaving this hospital and finding a new job elsewhere.
  • 07
    Font - I told my husband about all of this and he (who is also an MD in an entirely different field) is saying that I shouldn't prioritize my feelings over patients safety. I'm not! I just don't believe my patients are in danger. Am I being dramatic here? What can I do about this?
  • 08
    Font - . IlexAquifolia 7 days ago What the actual fuck, this is absurd. That person should no longer be your friend - what sort of person shares someone else's pregnancy news with their BOSS?! Appalling. Also, get this sh t in writing so you have a paper trail - follow up with an email saying "Just to be clear, this is what I heard from you in our meeting. Can you confirm that this is what you meant?"
  • 09
    Font - Auroraburst 5 days ago The more formally that OP writes her response the more the boss will panic. (I have experience in this sort of thing and if you sound like a lawyer (a robot) they tend to take you seriously)
  • 10
    Font - _thicculent 7 days ago Holy sh t! Heck yes you're being discriminated against!! Are you in the US? I'm not a lawyer, but you might want to consider that in your future after you start with HR or EO, whatever your workplace has for crap like this.
  • 11
    Font - Poppyflower1215 - 7 days ago Go to HR immediately. My OB and PA are both pregnant and have been my entire pregnancy! We are all within three weeks of each other's due dates. I have never once questioned their judgment or level of care.
  • 12
    Font - Internal_Screaming_8 6 days ago I've seen many pregnant doctors. They NEVER missed anything important. If anything they were overly cautious (maybe fear of missing something, maybe the hormones being more empathetic towards my concern idk but it worked)
  • 13
    Font - Auroraburst 5 days ago I'm actually concerned that they think so little of pregnant women. I worked up until 36 weeks, my biggest baby brain moment was forgetting to take attendance at the start of a class once.
  • 14
    Font - kmufsu 6 days ago I'd suggest you skip HR and rather document everything, speak to an employment lawyer, and have your ducks in a row if this escalates. I'd be much more concerned having these people (who clearly think pregnant women are idiots) care for me, than you. Good luck!
  • 15
    Font - LeoraJacquelyn - 6 days ago I was thinking I would never want someone like these people as my doctor. I haven't had any "pregnancy brain" and I'm just as competent now as before I got pregnant. This is a discrimination lawsuit and OP needs to document everything and get an attorney.
  • 16
    Font - anonymousanxietyPA 7 days ago This is outrageous. From a PA (not an MD, you are a true bada 5), you should 100% be able to do your own job while pregnant. This is discrimination, it is illegal.
  • 17
    Font - Sweeper1985 - 7 days ago This is f king outrageous, seek legal advice immediately. Also, report your "friend" to HR, she had no right to discuss your personal medical details woth your boss.
  • 18
    Font - D Acceptable-Crazy1226 6 days ago another perspective, don't go to HR. HR exists to help an employer not get sued, they're on an employers dime and despite what they may say they're here to protect the employer-it may be an idea to go straight to an attorney that specializes in worker discrimination-it'll prevent your employer from having any time to cover their own a 3 maybe....
  • 19
    Font - NeighborhoodKnown 792 OP 6 days ago A lot of people have suggested this.. Unfortunately I don't see myself logistically being able to pursue a lawsuit. Not that I don't believe it's worth it, frankly I just don't think I have the time, money, or energy to take legal action against a huge hospital that is owned by one of, if not the largest, healthcare network in the state. I don't really know how successful I'll be in that realistically.
  • 20
    Font - I did email and request written confirmation from my boss this morning outlining the specific outcomes of our meeting yesterday. She provided this for me and included the clear limitations being put on my work duties, who it is acceptable for me to report my findings to, the reason these changes were occurring as well as the consequences I would be facing if I breeched these guidelines and that these changes would go into effect at the beginning of my next shift. I cc'd the email to HR as
  • 21
    Font - I was informed half an hour ago that I have a meeting on Monday morning with Our Chief of Staff, My supervisor, and an HR rep discussing these matters. I guess we'll see how that goes

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