"Can I wear this to placement?"

Dress code among doctors in this part of the world isn't quite as um.. 'rigid' as it might be in other places. I suppose the boundaries of what one can and cannot wear would be a topic of another blogpost as after 4 years, I am still occasionally baffled by the choices people make regarding their work wardrobe- not always because they dress indecently but because it would not even cross my mind to wear certain items of clothing in a clinical setting.

This post, however, is mainly about the frustration (almost agony) I experience when going shopping for clothes since being on clinical placement. Being a girl brings it's own challenges- in life in general, but right now I'm specifically referring to clothes shopping. Shopping is often a convoluted experience for females, full of highs and lows: the thrill of finding the dress you saw in the shop window last week for half price and the disappointment of realising the only one left is 2 sizes too big. 2 sides of the same coin yet girls can't seem to get enough and our pockets will perpetually be at the mercy of the high street stores.

And as if the process of finding the perfect dress was not complicated enough, let's add another factor: "Can I wear this to placement?" A seemingly harmless question and one sensibly grounded in the expectation that medical students "look professional" at all times. While that might mean slightly different things  to different people given the context, broadly speaking, it means "try not too look like a sex kitten without looking like a drab prude". I think that is a universally applicable principle unless, of course, your profession requires that you look like a sex kitten or, indeed, a prude.

So what does this mean in practical terms? Well since we don't have white coats to cover up creases and unsightly stains, first of all, shirts or tops must be cleaned easily. Splattered blood from a dripping cannula and ink stains add nothing to the aesthetic appeal of clothing. Plunging necklines must be avoided, no exceptions. Bending over to examine someone must never be a display of anything more than clinical prowess. On that note, no dangling bows that hang in the patient's face are allowed either. No low cut arm holes as visible bra on side view is also not acceptable. Sleeves are desired but not always necessary- keep in mind that in winter months, the inside of a hospital is like a furness. Sweat patches have never been a fashion statement worth emulating. Now for skirts and dresses: how short is too short? I have seen a lot of variation on this, but I suppose if you can't sit or bend without exposing unmentionables, then it belongs in the store and not in your wardrobe. Shoes: I have seen people come to work in trainers (sneakers) without having a medically valid reason, so I guess anything goes on that front really. Then you have to think of the price. Does it fit? Do I have a top in this colour already? Do I like the pattern? Argh!!!

But regardless of how you choose your clothes for your professional wardrobe, I think there's one question we all need to answer: "How does this outfit make me feel or look as a student doctor? Do I look like the kind of person people would take seriously and does it make me feel like I am ready to tackle any challenge thrown at me?" If the honest answer is yes, then I think you'll have a hard time saying no.