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Home / Lifestyle

Doctor claims people told her she was 'too pretty' for the job

By Rebekah Scanlan
news.com.au·
22 Jan, 2021 06:19 PM4 mins to read

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Dr Medina Culver claims people say she is "too pretty" to be a doctor. Photo / Instagram, DrCulver

Dr Medina Culver claims people say she is "too pretty" to be a doctor. Photo / Instagram, DrCulver

A doctor has claimed she was told she was "too pretty" to go into medicine – but she didn't listen to any of them and used her "brain to become successful".

Dr Medina Culver created a video revealing all the reasons she was told she couldn't become a doctor.

In it, she said people believed she "wasn't smart enough" and that as a woman she should instead "focus on building a family".

Culver – who is in her 30s and lives in the US – said the main reason people insisted she shouldn't pursue her medical dreams was because she was "too pretty", writing others suggested she used her looks to become successful.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Medina Culver, DO (@drculver)

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"We are constantly surrounded by people telling us what we can't do. Guess what … stop listening to them," she captioned the clip on Instagram.

"Believe in you. Believe in your dreams. Believe in your journey.

"It's the only one we get so make it count."

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Medina Culver, DO (@drculver)

The video clearly struck a chord with other women who were supportive of Culver's message.

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"You Rock! I have twin daughters applying to Med/dental school. So proud of them. You are inspiring," one mum said.

"Never listen to negative, just harness it toward positive efforts/results," another wrote.

While one woman said: "It's pretty clear that you are smart, gorgeous and successful!"

Other successful women also shared their tales of being "attractive" and having good careers.

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"Agreed!! I was told I wasn't smart enough in terms of becoming a veterinarian too! Now I've been a vet for 12 years," one wrote.

"Thank you for highlighting that we are allowed to be smart and pretty," another added.

Culver shot to Instagram fame in October last year when she defended herself online against claims she was "too pretty to be a doctor" in a video recounting her accomplishments.

She copped criticism for listing her achievements in a bid to inspire other women that there are more important things than looks.

"Pretty women can be more than pretty faces … we can also be badass doctors," she captioned a video that listed her professional qualities, including being "pretty ambitious", "pretty hard working" and "pretty determined to achieve my dreams".

But the video wasn't well received, receiving a torrent of abuse from people telling Culver to "get over yourself".

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"Lol you're not that pretty," one person wrote on Instagram.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Medina Culver, DO (@drculver)

"You're so annoying," another said.

While one remarked: "I find it odd that someone does a TikTok to tell people how successful and confident they are. Makes me wonder how confident are they really?"

She appears to have taken the backlash in her stride. Her social media feed shows she shares regular selfies in her scrubs at work with her 43,000 followers.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Medina Culver, DO (@drculver)

Previously she was criticised for sharing bikini photos online by people who said she shouldn't because she's a physician.

A post shared in August defended negative comments she received about her swimwear, writing: "To the women who chose to make negative comments that 'as a physician I shouldn't post a photo in my bikini' please kindly unfollow me.

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"This place I've created over the last 10 years is nothing but positive and there will be no negative energy allowed."

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