hello -

just got married and i am a 1st year fellow in a 2 year program. i will be going out to practice in a new city in a year and a half. i have a wish list for my new name but don't now how to achieve it. have any thoughts?

my wish list:
-incorporate my married last name into my name somehow
-use my maiden name professionally (for privacy) and married name socially.
-minimize confusion with medical professional paperwork (license, board cert, future hospital credentialing, etc)

possible options:
1. first, maiden, and married
2. first, middle, and maiden-(hyphen)married.

Any experience changing names/hyphenating name? Pros and cons?

Having had a hyphenated name for the last 10 years, it's a pain. It's doable, but a pain. Prepare to get lost in every system out there.

For privacy, just put the phones, etc, in husband's name.

I'm in the process of going back to my maiden name with everything, and I'll be glad to be rid of the hyphen. (Now granted, I'm divorcing him, so there's a bit more to it.) I've stayed maiden-name professionally anyway, which was a LOT easier. Not to mention, he has a common last name.

Good luck. Why not have him just take your name? Might be easier.

Can you do four names? - first, middle, maiden, married

I know someone who intermittently goes by her maiden name... I don't know if she does it legally. I think she honestly did your option one and replaced her middle name.

I'm a hyphen and I hate it. The man was the best decision of my life, but the name was a flub. If I had it to do again, I'd keep my maiden name.

If you want to go by your maiden name professionally and married name socially, I would think that your legal name should be First Middle Maiden - I would think this would be necessary for professional paperwork, i.e. to have your professional name be your legal name. It should be easy to go by your married name socially - no one cares about legality in social situations. Plus if you plan on having kids, everyone will call you Mrs. married name anyway.

When I married, my legal name became first name, maiden name as my middle name, then married name as my last name. I practice under my maiden name and didn't have to change any licensing. I was told by the medical board that as long as it is part of my legal name, I am ok. I have been doing this for the past 8 years. It also lends to a certain amount of privacy b/c I am one name in my 'doctor life' and one name in my 'private life'. My patients don't know my other name so I don't have to have my phone unlisted, etc...

a classmate of mine hyphenates hers and when she went to renew her drivers license, the combination would not fit on the license! apparently they could not change the font either...

Personally I find hyphenated names annoying. It's like a non-commitment to either one. I go by myname, mymiddlename, married name, and am happy as a clam. I have an unlisted phone number, don't live in the town where I work, and have so far had no issues with patients. My maiden name is super common, so I was happy to be rid of it.

I agree with all of the above posters! I took my maiden name as my middle name and my husband's name as my last name. I am very happy with this decision. I was able to keep my genetic heritage in my name (that is the weirdest thing, when people assume you are Irish or Italian or whatever based on your married name!) and our little family all shares the same last name. I actually practice under my married name because I was in my first year of medical school when I married and it was no big deal to change my name then. One of my colleagues kept her maiden name legally but answers to "mrs husband's name" socially. Makes sense to me for women who marry later on in training, I probably would have done this. The only regret I had was losing my given middle name. I decided I would much rather have my family surname as my middle name though. Well good luck! And congratulations.