Sexism and Respect

When I first graduated vet school I'd made the decision to go by my first name with clients. In large animal medicine its more common to use your first name than Dr. X because you generally have a more professional/business relationship with clients than in small animal practice. Well my first year out if school I was doing my internship and found that a couple older clients were very condescending and didn't take me seriously. I got a lot of comments about how I was too young to be a vet and some that were poorly masked sexism. One of the surgeons I worked with noticed and pulled me aside one day and told me to start going by Dr. He told me not to let them make feel stupid and push me around because no matter what they thought I had more education than they did and I was without a doubt a real vet. I deserved respect as a doctor regardless of being a woman or being in my very early 20s.

Things got better and since starting my residency and only going by Dr. I've found clients are less disrespectful. I've encountered some sexism and ageism, but I've developed the ability to brush it off and politely demand respect as a doctor. However, today I encountered a foreign vet (they can't practice without supervision- like a student, if they aren't licensed in Canada) My white coat has my title embroidered on it, with only my first initial of my first name. I introduced myself as Dr. X and then this vet repeatedly referred to me by my first name and was incredibly rude and disrespectful. Then a male technician came in and he was so polite and respectful to him. He treated him as if he had experience and training as a vet.

I'm used to crap like that from clients (men and women). I walk into a room with a male technician and they assume he's the vet and differ to him. Even though I'm the one with doctor on my coveralls or white coat and he's got technician on his scrubs (nothing against techs- this particular tech is amazing at his job, but there's a substantial difference between a tech and a vet). I know how to deal with it and this particular tech is great and helping me out too (he always emphasizes my title and tries to keep focus on me as the vet instead of him which I am so grateful for). He was great with this rude vet, but this vet was just too much.

He wants to come to Canada and practice here. He's in the beginning the process of applying to practice here (there's a licensing exam and a bunch of other stuff too). I've been asked by my senior clinician to write a report on his work today. All I want to write is that he's disrespectful professionally. Professionalism is very important and we have a professional association with a set of rules we have to follow. Treating other vets with respect is one of those rules- you cannot downgrade another vet, which in my opinion this vet did. He was rude to me and treated me as if I had no experience or medical training. He also dismissed my opinions in front of a number of clients today as well.

So my question is, would you write a report on this person stating that they are unprofessional? The veterinary community is nearly 80% female so he will work with women daily. The women in my profession have faced enough sexist crap from clients we don't need it from our colleagues as well.