Check Mate

5+ years after beginning my degree I will be walking out of my school on Wednesday officially finished and doctorized. The major pieces are already completed-- my dissertation has been signed off, and all that remains is for the administrative machinery at my school to put it on my transcript. While this may not happen instantly, it is apparently kosher for me to be referring to myself as doctor anyway, as I have met all of the requirements for my degree.

The fact of my doctorness is somewhat less intense than one might imagine, given that, of the 8 students in my group, I was the only post-doc who hadn't actually graduated yet, meaning I was, if anything, behind the curve. Also, in a hospital, no matter how skilled you are as a doctor of psychology, in the Emergency Room you'll find someone who'll look down their nose at you because you're "Just a Ph.D." Obnoxious, but also humbling.

All that being said, I'm very happy to be official, and happy to not be Mrs. M. anymore. God, did I hate being called "Mrs." Now I have a real excuse- "Um, it's Doctor, actually."