What actually helps women get taken seriously in medical appointments (and what doesn't).
I understand the frustration of trying to get your doctor to take your symptoms seriously.
You're told your symptoms are normal when you know something is wrong.
Your test results come back "fine," but you don't feel fine.
You're interrupted, talked over, or dismissed before you can fully explain what's happening.
You've spent hours researching your symptoms because you still don't have answers.
When you have 15 minutes to explain symptoms that have been affecting you for months—or years—preparation matters.
You leave appointments with more questions than answers.
You don't know what to say to get your doctor to take you seriously
I understand the frustration of trying to get your doctor to take your symptoms seriously.
You shouldn't have to advocate for yourself at all.
Women are dismissed across every condition and every specialty, and decades of research say so.
The problem isn't you.
It has nothing to do with how you explained your symptoms.
It's not how you showed up.
Not what questions you forgot to ask.
This is the medical system's problem, and it's the system's job to fix it.
But the system isn't changing before your next appointment. And you have an appointment on Thursday.
Until things change, you deserve every tool that gets you closer to the answers you need.
Getting decent care shouldn't require preparation, scripts, or
a strategy.
The Beyond the Brush-Off Playbook
Make your concerns much harder to dismiss—step by step.
the solution
Respond in the moment when you're dismissed—instead of freezing
Describe your symptoms so they can't be brushed aside
Get answers—not vague reassurance
Walk in with exactly what you need to be heard
Leave appointments with a plan—not more confusion
Stop second-guessing yourself after difficult appointments
For years, I trusted that if a doctor wasn't concerned, I shouldn't be either.
That changed when a spot found on an MRI of my brain was dismissed as something I was "probably born with." Later, it was confirmed to be a silent stroke.
It was then that I realized doctors can be wrong—and that I needed to be an active participant in my healthcare rather than a passive recipient of it.
I would need that lesson again. It took relentless self-advocacy to get the debilitating symptoms I lived with taken seriously—and to finally reach a diagnosis of Stage 4 endometriosis and the surgery I needed.
She's Resilient was created to help other women develop the self-advocacy skills I wish I'd had sooner.
For Years, I Didn't Have Answers Either
Jennifer Zambito, MSW
Founder of She's Resilient
Simple strategies, honest insights, and practical resources to help you get heard, get taken seriously, and stop leaving appointments with more questions than answers.
Get Closer to the Answers You Need
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Simple strategies, honest insights, and practical resources to help you get heard, get taken seriously, and stop leaving appointments with more questions than answers.
Get Closer to the Answers You Need
I respect your privacy. No spam ever. Unsubscribe with one click at any time.