Hello Committee,
Here is the work I promised as we start on to looking at a proposed dress code. I have cc'd Dr. Mcmahan and Dr. Dalley for their thoughts on this as well.
Need for this policy
- no current standard
- ECE and clerkships asks for "professional attire" with some statements of shirts and ties for men and appropriate attire but most do not have precise or clear standards
- the most exact code is within the Ob/Gyn clerkship and residency with very clear standards (I borrowed from their policy with permission)
- two major goals could be considered in our deliberations
1) when are current trends in attire detracting to patient care and professional appearance? Specific concerns in this area are the wearing of clothes with midriffs, low neck lines with increasing amounts of cleavage exposed, high slits in skirts with increasing amount of leg exposure. These observations come from faculty members who feel this report should come to me as well as patients from my clinic.
2) lest this become nothing but a set of prohibitions, there is a larger picture we can look at here. A senior faculty member made this observation to me, "We are losing a measure of civility in this increasingly 'casual' world we live in. I truly feel that we would raise the level of professionalism and learning if we all dressed at a more professional level." I think this is well worth considering. So, a second consideration is would it be worthwhile to start a dress code that extended into the 1st and 2nd years even outside of the clinical encounters? My sincere hope is that we could raise the level of professionalism and learning at the school with this policy. Thus, I see this as a student advocacy, though I know many will not see it this way.
How to proceed
I have a sample draft for our discussion and consideration. I think key factors for the sucessful implementation of this include:
- student input for their understanding of our goals and our edification on their thoughts on attire, trends, and goals for professionalism. So, i think the class presidents and/or EPC members should be invited to meetings on these disscusions.
- fair accountability to both students and faculty on this policy. Hence, we can't be the final body on this. It will need ratification and distribution/implementation from the Faculty Executive Committee.
Thanks,
Tommie
Here is one of the articles sent to me by a concerned faculty member.
HEALTH | November 21, 2006
Essay: When Young Doctors Strut Too Much of Their Stuff
By ERIN N. MARCUS, M.D.
It seems that more and more medical students and young doctors show up for clinical work in less-than-professional attire.
