For Any Woman Getting Married and at Least Considering Keeping Her Own Name...

Your future children will still know you're their mother, even if they have a different last name! I promise they will.

My late mother (She died in 2021) kept the name of her late first husband (He died in 1978) when she married my father (in 1985). She and I never had the same surname, but I absolutely NEVER forgot--not once--that she was still my mom, and I was still her son.

The law in most of the world is that children still take their father's name, even if the mother chooses to keep her own name for herself. (Some countries don't allow married couples to have different surnames at all, and some have no such mandate about whose name the kids will take, but again, MOST of the world, not all.)

Again however: Your kids won't ever forget that you're their mom, even if they have a different surname. Don't let anyone with agenda tell you otherwise, if you're an engaged woman who is at least considering this.

As for my eventual future wife, I like to think I'll meet her either in Residency or better yet Fellowship. (That's a long way away, as I haven't even taken the MCAT yet.) At the very least we will NOT be introduced at our wedding reception as Mr. and Mrs. (My Name); we will be introduced as Dr. (My Name) and Dr. (Her Name). If she's absolutely hellbent on going through the nightmare of changing a name on a medical license, nothing I can do about that; but otherwise I'll encourage her NOT to have to go through that layer of Hell.

But anyway, women who are engaged, and living in a country/state where you can choose to keep your own name as long as you understand any offspring will take their father's name...If you're at all debating that decision for yourself, at the very least don't believe the lie that your children will forget you're their mom if they have a different last name from you. They won't forget!

Thanks for listening and hearing out my 2 cents!