We deserve to be recognized!

We are in the Weber State Dental Hygiene Program! We will all become the best DENTAL HYGIENISTS out there! (not dentists and definitely NOT dental assistants!) I am so tired of people cutting rank on us. I can understand why, a lot of people don't even know what we are because they go in to see the Dentist and they know that the dentist will also have assistants and secretaries. Why should we be unrecognized? We need to get our profession out there to finally recieve the respect we are working so hard to earn right now in school!
I'm also really tired of telling people what I'm doing and then having them ask about my sister. When I say that my sister is in Medical School, EVERYONE replies "Oh wow! She must be incredibly intelligent!" Like I'm not? I've actually always had better grades than her, I just don't want to spend all of the money I don't have and the next twenty years of my life trying to make a name for myself as a doctor. My career will be important to me and I'll work everyday to be the best I can be, but I don't want it to take over my entire life, I have other things I'd like to do as well.
The worst experience I've had so far was at a family dinner with some friends. One of our recently married friends brought his wife to dinner. His wife had just been accepted into the nursing program and I had just been accepted to the dental hygiene program. She was telling us about how much work it was to go from a business major to nursing and how hard it was to get into the program. She actually said: "The nursing program is extremely competitive and really hard to get into, it's not one of those easy programs like dental hygiene..." Everyone that knew me well saw the fire in my eyes even though I tried to hide it. Trying to contain myself I calmly said: "yeah, I know how that goes, I've been working really hard the last two years and I just got into my really tough, competitive program as well." She nodded in agreement and then asked what program that was and I quickly and nonchalantly said "dental hygiene." She turned bright red and didn't say anything more about it the rest of the night. I know it wasn't her fault, she didn't mean to insult me like that but still, why do we have such a minute reputation? I don't get it, do we not work our butts off to get into this program and then work even harder to get lisenced and graduate with out Bachelors/associates degree as well?