@nataliemwall I’ve started addressing them with something like, “I’m your doctor and I’m here to focus on your health.” For some of the more offensive comments I will also start by saying that I find what was said inappropriate. Mostly this approach has gone over well with patients.
As a woman in medicine, I frequently deal with inappropriate comments from (largely male) patients.
As a medical trainee with a fierce commitment to ensuring patient comfort, I often struggle with exactly how to handle this. Often at the expense of my own comfort.