Paging Dr. Stephanie

scrubs-and-beyond-iguana-med-1When I was a little girl, I often played "Doctor" with my little sisters. I set up my clinic in the bathroom and carefully examined my patients. My favorite diagnosis was a broken arm because I could then ever-so-carefully create a cast out of water and toilet paper - wrapping it gently 'round and 'round the injured limb.

As the years passed from elementary to middle to high school, I still considered going the medical route. I certainly had the qualities necessary - I loved school and could easily see myself in academia for a long stretch. I also have a natural ability to memorize things. I'll often look at a word/paragraph once and be able to recall it instantly.

Somewhere between childhood and young adulthood, I was enticed away from science by literature and poetry. The English language and all of its marvels captivated me. I went on to study English at the undergraduate level, then went to seminary very briefly, and then eventually landed on getting a masters in school counseling. It's funny how life unravels - a series of choices based on the places we are, the people we meet, and the doors that we walk through.

scrubs-and-beyond-iguana-med-2Someday I still might like to get my PhD. Maybe. I wouldn't go the medical route though (too many years, too much time away from my family), but perhaps I could pursue a doctorate in Family Studies or Communications. That said, it's really not on my radar right now. I'm already "studying" my family and I'm learning more about communication right now than I ever could in a classroom.

Sometimes people talk about having "mommy brain" or feeling like their mental capacity is draining from at-home motherhood, but I don't buy it. I am more innovative, bright, and courageous than I ever was. I am constantly reading, studying, writing, collaborating, and creating. My kids inspire me to be the best version of myself. I am more qualified than ever to do research, to speak at conferences, to write books, and to serve as a consultant.

I am choosing to be an at-home mother and I firmly believe that my education and my credentials are not wasted in this line of work. On the contrary, my intellect is sharpened daily as I teach, inspire, and play with my two daughters.

P.S. I'm wearing scrubs in these pictures not because I'm a doctor and not because it's Halloween (although it would make a great costume...), but because one of my readers gave me the best idea awhile back. She said she wears scrubs around the house because they are as comfortable as PJs, but you don't have to run for cover if a neighbor or the UPS guy happens to stop by. I thought that it was such a brilliant idea that I decided to steal it.

scrubs & beyond logoSo whether you just want to wear a pair around the house or you really do work in the medical industry (as a doctor, nurse, physician's assistant, dentist, or dental assistant), I encourage you to check out Scrubs & Beyond - an online destination for medical scrubs and uniforms. The company offers 25 different brands, including Baby Phat Scrubs, Disney Scrubs, Grey's Anatomy Scrubs, and IguanaMed Scrubs. Scrubs & Beyond also has an online outlet, home of $8.99 specials and other great clearance items.

YOUR TURN: What did you want to be when you were growing up?

WIN IT! One winner will receive a $25 gift card to Scrubs & Beyond. To enter, leave any topic-related comment on this post prior to Saturday, November 7th at 11:59 p.m. (Don’t forget to follow the rules…all generic comments like “Enter me!,” “Love it,” and “Cool stuff!” will be disqualified.).

*UPDATE* The winner is #15 Sara. Congratulations!

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44 comments on “Paging Dr. Stephanie”

  1. I always played Doctor with my brothers!!
    Gave me a reason to POKE them with the fake needle!

    Thank u for the chance!

  2. I was going to be a teacher, a firefighter, The President, rich, an actor, a writer and a whole host of other things. I ended up being a geek. I worked in IT for 25 years.

  3. I worked as a pharmacy tech & we were given the option to wear scrubs. Nobody did, but I was really tempted too. When I found out about the rule though & I had gotten pregnant & never pursued it. I have heard of people wearing them for the same reason you do though!

    I wanted to be a psychologist, and some how become a stay at home mom instead?!?

  4. I'm going to check out the outlet right now! Will have to refer my sister there too (both of them). One is a dentist and really does wear scrubs, and the other has 'girls night' where they watch grays anatomy. Would be so funny for her to go to one of her girls nights with the GA scrubs!

  5. When I was in college, I was in a car accident when a bunch of us were on a trip. When I was waiting in the hospital for the doctor to see me, a guy came in to empty the trash. I begged him to give me a pair of scrubs. He said he couldn't. But later on when we were all in the waiting room, he came over to me and handed me a big envelope and ran away. Inside was a pair of scrubs. I still have the pants. But they are rather ratty. It would be nice to have a new set.

  6. As a little girl, I wanted to be a nurse,teacher or actress. I do wish that I had gone to college but I didn't. Guess I feel "too old" to go now

  7. Is it sad that I don't remember what I wanted to be growing up? I did gymnastics as a kid, so I probably had some dream of going to Olympics... and then I liked school when I was elementary-age, so I probably wanted to be a teacher... and I do remember in high school liking my journalism class a lot and thinking I'd go into journalism...

    Ending up a SAHM sure has worked for me for now, but I guess we'll see what the future holds!

  8. I wanted to be a judge. I used to go down to the courthouse and watch trials and hearings going on because I thought it was so interesting. Maybe someday I still will become a judge. Who knows?? Stranger things have happened.

  9. You are going to love this one when I first graducated from high school I had high hopes of becomeing a (let's see if I spell it right) geophyist. I wanted to study volcanoes. Then I started taking Calcus, Chemistry, Calcus 2, Strat and Sed and my grades were awful! I finally came to the realziation that I was not a science person. Also, all along with way I wanted to be a teacher as well. I eventually changed my major to history and planed on being a secondary education, social studies teacher. That is what I graduated college with. Have I ever taught? Well I have substituted but I have never taught my own class. Since Gunnison is super small and social studies teachers are a dime a dozen I have not been able to get a job here. I could go the teacher's aid route for 3 or 4 years at $10 per hour but I need to pay the bills. Now I am a legal assisant for a local law firm and I enjoy my job but I still want something more out of life. When the girls get a little bit older and both are in school I and we can afford it I really want to go back to school to be a nurse and someday a midwife.

  10. Stephanie, you are all that and more--thanks to the grace of God! It's wonderful to see how you are using all of the gifts you have been given! Keep up the good work!

  11. My "what I want to be when I grow up" careers seemed to change around my favorite movies of the time. I wanted to be a singer like Julie Andrews, dancer like Baryshnikov, and a fighter pilot like Tom Cruise. Then I grew out of the favorite movie careers and moved on to rocks. I loved being outside and loved playing with rocks. I also had a great Earth Science class and teacher in 9th grade, so I decided to become a geologist. Then came college Physical Geography. To put it mildly, I was GRATEFUL for the B in that course! I decided that while I liked rocks, all the rest of the sciences required for the career were not the fav. Thus, I decided to major in English, but it was a five year program, so Elementary Ed with a Middle School Endorsement would allow me to learn all the cool early childhood stuff I planned to use as a mom, and the endorsement would allow me to hopefully teach English in a middle school - an age I adored. However, after teaching three years of 7th grade English in Phoenix (loved it), I moved on to teaching HS English in Vail (loved it even more!) And, now, I choose to be a Mom - LOVE IT THE MOST!

    These scrubs would be FABULOUS!

  12. Never a doctor!!! (LOL)

    A lawyer until I was 13 and realized how much reading that would take. And from then on I never really knew. I got high marks but stressed like crazy and never loved school.

    I eventually became a software developer and did that for 6 years. Now I love my online life.

  13. At one point I wanted to be a nurse but my Aunt scared me away from it because of germs. Sometimes I really regret listening to her. Of course right now I'm a SAHM so I'm glad I didn't spend all that time in school.

  14. So, it looks like you're wearing Iguanamed scrubs...I haven't tried them yet, but I hear from chiropractic assistants all over the country that they're super comfortable without making you look like you're shapeless.

    As a kid, I wanted to be an astronaut...or a doctor. I never got to fly in outerspace, but I was a crewmember on the U.S. Air Force AWACS...and now, I'm a doctor. I may not wear scrubs at the office, but I think it'd be fabulous to wear them when I make house calls...or when I'm blogging or making up a fresh batch of playdough.

  15. The first job I wanted to have was a teacher. I wanted to be everything from a basketba`ll coach to a fashion designer. Right now I'm loving being a mom but one day I'd really like to have a job like yours :)

  16. My imagined career paths evolved from teacher to OB/GYN to accountant to pharmacist in high school. Interestingly enough the one thing I always said I'd never do was be a nurse (I had this mental image that they just changed bed pans all day). I had the opportunity my Senior year to spend some time in hospitals shadowing nurses though and found out that I was really interested! I became an RN and worked 7 years as a L/D, newborn nursery and postpartum nurse. I am staying home with my kids now but I still wear some scrub pants to bed :)

  17. I love being a nurse and love being a mom too!

    I am in real need of some new scrubs, I have been hesitant to buy new scrubs after baby hoping I could loose some weight and buy a smaller size.

    Pick me pick me ( :

  18. I have always wanted to be a teacher. I would play teacher from the time I knew how. I homeschooled my kids for a time - and miss it - and now work at the high school. I'm still taking classes and hopefully will graduate in a couple of years. I'll get my sub certificate then and go on to finish a teaching certificate.

  19. I wanted to be a nurse and that is what I am! I have to wear scrubs for work but never thought about wearing them around the house. Clever idea!

  20. Some of the HeadStart staff at my local school wear scrubs. I decided to try them out when a local store had a $5 per piece sale. I love my scrubs! They truly are as comfortable as pjs and it's a great way to wear your favorite characters without being laughed at. ;)

  21. I always wanted to be a teacher & a mom, and although I didn't get my degree in education, I'm a homeschooling mom, so I guess I got my wish!

    What a clever idea about wearing scrubs around the house :) Although, I think if I won the certificate, I'd have to give it to my sister, who is a fabulous nurse.

  22. I always wanted to be an elementary education teacher growing up. I did go on to get my degree in elementary education, but currently I am a stay at home mom. If I didn't choose education, I would have chosen a lawyer or midwife. I still think those two things would be awesome to do.

  23. I ran the gammet of what I wanted to be but I've always wanted to be a wife and mommy first. The first out of the home profession I remember wanting to persue was architecture ( I ended up marrying an architect). I briefly considered law but thought it would be silly to study for so long to eventually stay at home with my kids. Then I wanted to be a labor and delivery nurse. I ended up studying Family Studies b/c I thought that would transfer well to being a mommy. I don't know that it really has but I did enjoy it.

  24. I wanted to be just about everything at one time or another....doctor, lawyer, president, a princess.....now I am a WAHM and I get to be all of these things every day! :) Being a mom really makes you use all of the resources you possess!

    Scrubs are a great idea. I love to hang out in my PJs, but I am always a little ashamed at how schlumpy they can look. Great post and great giveaway~Thanks for the chance to win!

  25. I didn't realize we had some of the same background. If you asked me in elementary school and junior high what I was going to be, I would have told you I'd be a surgeon. But my first high school English teacher inspired me to be an English teacher, so I went through a bit of a confused year where I didn't know what I wanted to do, and then I gave in... and now I'm an English teacher.

  26. I wanted to be a horse trainer, a mommy, and a missionary. I've got one done :) I've been thinking about this so much lately, I really want to finish school but I've never been able to nail down a major. I went into collage wanting to do medicine, but like you was drawn away from the science side and so intrigued with literature and poetry.

  27. I wanted to be a teacher when I was little. And then as I got older I really got into math and science. I remember being a senior in HS and it was a struggle trying to figure out what I wanted to major in when I got to college. I decided that I loved math and science enough to be an engineer. It was a great decision and l loved my job. I too, at one point wanted to get my PhD (in Chemical Engineering). In the beginning when I stayed home I joked that my BS and MS degrees were "wasted" since I was staying home. But I cherish the time I have with my kids and wouldn't trade it for anything!

  28. I wanted to be a librarian (just like Marion)! I fell in love in high school, married my high school sweetheart, had 5 children and the rest has been my career for 43 years.

  29. When I was a little girl, I wanted to be either a princess or a Navy Seal...that should give you some insight into my personality!
    Great thoughts about how you are using your education and sharpening your intellect as a stay at home mom.

  30. I really thought I could be a Princess and live in a fascinating old castle! When I realized that wasn't going to happen, I thought about teaching,
    Broadway and I did get to help out my brother who was a Veterinarian. I love animals! My degree is in Psychology/Speech Communications. The scrubs you are wearing are fabulous. There is nothing like comfortable clothing and scrubs look "cool!"
    Thanks, Cindi

  31. I always wanted to be a psychologist. Then I started my Arts degree and thought...no one is ever going to hire me and my Arts degree, so I switched to Education. I wish I had stayed in Arts...I would have had more fun!

    K.

  32. That's too funny! I was wondering what was up with the scrubs. I have several friends and family members who are in the medical field, but that was one career path I never considered.

    I don't necessarily use my MS in Analytical Chemistry on a daily basis now that I'm a SAHM of 4, but I'm still glad for the experience!

  33. I changed what I wanted to be weekly...an architect, an archeologist, a marine biologist (I don't like the ocean), a writer, an actress (I'd have been awful)...the list goes on. My mom says that she always knew I'd be an artist.
    I love what you've said about motherhood sharpening your intellect instead of dulling it. Although, I do claim mommy-brain on occasion because on some days I'm tired and I forget things. Overall though, I feel much more creative, energized, and interested. Being a mom is definitely the coolest job in town!

  34. Growing up I always wanted to be a vet but now (I still don't think I have grown up!) I want to be an OB/GYN or a nurse in maternity or pediatrics. Of course in reality I am a SAHM as well as a rancher.

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