“Because of love, I moved to Los Angeles after working for over eight years at the best hospital in New York. I started a job (that came with a $24,000 pay cut) at an academic medical center that came with the promise of running an entire clinic. In the interim, my husband and I incurred $20,000 in debt from moving, purchasing furniture, and the other expenses that come with starting a new life."Our original intent was to pay off our debt before we made any career decisions. However, one day the chair of my department sent me a strange text message out of the blue, undermining all the work that I did (like increasing patient volume by 33% for a niche program, increasing national awareness, and increasing patient satisfaction). After a series of texts, he followed up asking whether or not I liked my job. The subject matter seemed unusual to discuss through text."I texted him back and told him that I liked my job, was dedicated to the work that I did, and respected his leadership. I also stated that his message was quite discouraging, especially after I'd received multiple compliment letters from patients. This led to a phone call, where he spoke to me in a manner that I have never been spoken to before — filled with misogyny. He not only belittled me but spoke to me in a way that he would never have spoken if I were a man."An hour later, I went to lunch with my husband, and in the middle of our meal, I had a thought that never crossed my mind before: I told him I was going to quit the exact same day. He told me that we would have to give up the car and the apartment if I decided to move forward with it, but said he would support me regardless. I went back to the office, wrote my resignation letter, and packed up my belongings. At the end of my shift, I handed the key to the office, my ID, and my resignation letter in an envelope to my direct supervisor."As soon as I told my supervisor I was resigning, the first three questions she asked me were:'You don't want to work anymore? You don't like your job? Does your husband know?' I explained that I actually loved my job but could no longer work in an intimidating environment. Two days later, I received a phone call from two female physicians: They knew exactly who had caused my unexpected leave, and stated this wasn't an isolated incident."Quitting my job has caused financial turmoil in our household, as we were on the brink of losing everything we had worked so hard to build. Besides the physical things, like our apartment and the car, I lost my sense of self-worth and had to rediscover who I truly am. But then I did something I was extremely scared to do; for the first time in my life, I shared my experience with others "I was surprised by the outpouring of support by strangers who shared their own experiences with me, letting me know that I wasn't alone. What I learned most from quitting is that no one deserves to ever be treated as less than a human being and that no matter what we struggle with, if we are brave enough to share our experiences, others will come to our aid to let us know that we are not in it alone."— Angie, 30, Registered Nurse Program Administrator, Los Angeles, CA