Female Medical Doctors And Fashion
A Standard Dress Code Is Relative
Photo credit: istock
Each professional’s clothing style has a significant impact on their presentation, reliability, and look. Formal healthcare personnel who aren’t dressed professionally must protect and defend their professional demeanour. The white coat has long been regarded as a medical doctor’s badge.
Some patients still prefer a white coat, according to various research. Professionalism, identity, and hygiene were among the reasons stated (yet white coats may be a source of, rather than a barrier to cross-infection). While delivering patient care, wearing professional clothes (i.e., a white coat with more formal clothes ) may have a positive impact on trust and confidence-building in the medical encounter.
One of the most essential things in instilling a patient’s confidence in the doctors is their appearance. In terms of attire, the white coat was deemed to be the most suitable, followed by surgical scrubs, regardless of a doctor’s gender. Older patients were stricter than younger patients and thought scrubs were inappropriate. However, on the other hand, they accept more lenient standards at night and on weekends.
The medical workforce and cultural standards have changed dramatically in recent decades, resulting in changes in doctors’ attire. One development is the growing number of female doctors who enter the profession without having a standard dress code. Another factor is a shift away from medical paternalism, which has led to fewer doctors opting for the conventional white coat.
How do patients prefer female doctors to dress?
Patients have the highest trust in a female doctor wearing a white coat, according to a six female doctor-model survey presenting five different clothing styles. This predilection was unaffected by the female doctor’s age. To be trusted, female doctors were supposed to dress formally in a white coat, whereas men doctors could dress more casually. Although previous research has shown that patients prefer female doctors to wear white coats, we discovered that patients prefer a semi-formal style of dress over formal suits and white coats and that it is even better when accompanied by a smile, implying that a friendly demeanour may be more important to them than wardrobe style. In general, patients prefer more conservative items of clothing, which suggests the start of a movement away from patients choosing white coats.
Patients however preferred female doctors dressed casually to feel at ease, whereas men doctors were expected to be more dressed up. When patients need to communicate, it appears that female doctors still have to earn their patients’ trust while at the same time being "this nice lady from next door."
Female doctors should wear name badges in a visible area during consultations, according to the majority of patients, especially in places where the medical profession is viewed as a male profession.
How do female doctors prefer to dress?
After weathering medical school, overnight duties, and other hurdles in the medical field, the last thing a young female doctor needs is to unintentionally dress in a way that diminishes her professionalism.
Over the decades, culture and fashion have shaped the appearance of female doctors. In general, female doctors’ attire has gotten less formal in recent times.
Some female doctors alter their ways of dressing to fit in with the culture of the institution they work in, some hold coworkers’ expectations in high regard, and some strive to stand out purposefully. While some dress in a way that they feel is appropriate to their patients, there are yet others who stick to what they want to wear. Because of this complex interplay, new female doctors may be unsure of how to dress and request current information on the typical dress style expected of a female medical doctor.
To obtain achievements at work, it is critical to establish a healthy balance between what you want to wear and what works for the profession, regardless of which group you fall into.
When deciding how to dress professionally, keep the following guidelines in mind:
•Culture is important
The culture surrounding your workplace influences your wardrobe to some extent especially in this part of the world. Learn about the people you will be meeting and try to think like them. Fine-tune your attire to fit what is expected. This will make work and patient interaction a lot easier for you.
•Dress to attract, not distract
Don’t draw unnecessary attention to your body, rather draw focus to your professionalism and knowledge. Dress to exude self-assurance. Dress in the manner in which you wish to be addressed.
•Aim for realism
When getting dressed, keep in mind the responsibilities of your workday. Wear dresses that are easy to move in. When making rounds or running to the emergency room, ballet flats or sneakers are more comfortable. If you like heels, kitten heels are the way to go. It’s all about comfort and being your best self.
•Adequately accessorize
Although your white lab coat hides a lot of your style, accessories are still a great opportunity to express yourself artistically while remaining conservative in your other wardrobe selections. Your accessories can also serve as conversation pieces, allowing nervous patients to have a closer look at the woman behind the medical chart. Avoid items that could harm the patient if you get close to assess them.
•Play by the rules.
If your hospital management has a dress code for female doctors, always adhere to it. You don’t want to get in trouble or jeopardize your work while being fashionable. Most facilities emphasize the importance of identification, particularly in this region of the world where medical doctors are assumed to be exclusively male. Obtain an identity tag with your title, name, and position on it or have it imprinted on your white coat. You don’t want to be confused with other healthcare personnel.
•Follow trends
By upgrading your wardrobe with current seasonal colours and styles, you can keep your workwear looking good. Nobody said a female doctor shouldn’t be on her game.
Conclusion
Finally, given the impact of a female medical doctor’s fashion style on the doctor-patient interaction, a female medical doctor needs to pay special attention to her appearance.
References
“Judging a book by its cover: a descriptive survey of patients’ preferences for doctors’ appearance and mode of address”
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16373739/
“What to wear today? Effect of doctor’s attire on the trust and confidence of patients”
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16271913/
“The Doctor’s New Clothes: Professional or Fashionable?”
How to Dress Professionally as a Young Female Doctor
https://careertrend.com/how-8411830-dress-professionally-young-female-doctor.html
Importance of physicians’ attire: Factors influencing the impression it makes on patients, a cross-sectional study
About the Author
Dr Cynthia Chisom Edeh
Cynthia Chisom Edeh is a Medical Doctor, Writer, Content Developer, and Health Awareness Creator. She is also a Girl-Child Advocate and Health Volunteer.
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Awesome 😊
ReplyDeleteGreat read
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