- Joined
- Jul 11, 2019
- Messages
- 43
- Reaction score
- 37
Hello! I am a female medical student and my school has fairly strict guidelines for professional behavior and, in particular, our professional outfits for our clinical skills or meetings. It is a very forward thinking school and highly values diversity but I am wondering to what extent that reaches and how patients may react to different grooming standards. Is it unprofessional for a woman to not shave her legs and wear an otherwise appropriate skirt or dress? Likewise, is it unprofessional to not wear a bra? I don't think I personally am bold enough to not shave my legs or forego a bra at these sessions but I was wondering if anyone had experience with these? While we are supposed to maintain a well-groomed appearance, men generally do not shave their legs (although this is generally not visible) nor do they generally wear bras. Do doctors have to sacrifice personal preferences for their appearance in order to maintain a "professional" appearance?