Lopez-Ruiz Andrea, Misra Lopa, Lamb Lindsey, Files Julia, Haerter Sonal, Marks Lisa, Agrwal Neera
Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine, Scottsdale, Arizona, USA.
Department of Anesthesiology, Mayo Clinic, Phoenix, Arizona, USA.
Womens Health Rep (New Rochelle). 2025 Jan 8;6(1):29-36. doi: 10.1089/whr.2024.0087. eCollection 2025.
Trust and rapport between patients and physicians form the cornerstone of effective medical practice. A key factor influencing this trust is the patient's perception of the physician's appearance. Women physicians often face more rigorous expectations concerning their physical appearance compared to men physicians, creating a need to balance traditional professional attire with maintaining femininity and individuality. This review explores the unique challenges women physicians encounter in presenting a professional image.
A narrative review was conducted using PubMed and Google Scholar to identify studies addressing both patient and physician perceptions of physician appearance. The search was limited to studies conducted in the United States and published between 2004 and 2024. Seven articles met the inclusion criteria and were selected for analysis.
The findings suggest that professional attire, particularly when combined with a white coat, is associated with higher perceptions of competence and professionalism. However, women physicians face ambiguity in meeting these expectations compared with men. In addition, women are more frequently mistaken for nurses, phlebotomists, or support staff based on their attire and appearance.
Overall, patients tend to prefer professional attire to physicians, but these preferences are influenced by cultural, demographic, and age-related factors. Women physicians, in particular, experience heightened scrutiny regarding their appearance and are subject to stricter norms than men physicians. This challenge is further amplified for young women trainees, who may struggle to convey professionalism due to their youthful appearance.
患者与医生之间的信任和融洽关系构成了有效医疗实践的基石。影响这种信任的一个关键因素是患者对医生外表的认知。与男医生相比，女医生在外表方面往往面临更严格的期望，这就需要在保持传统职业着装的同时兼顾女性特质和个性。本综述探讨了女医生在展现专业形象时遇到的独特挑战。
使用PubMed和谷歌学术进行叙述性综述，以识别涉及患者和医生对医生外表认知的研究。搜索仅限于在美国进行且于2004年至2024年发表的研究。七篇文章符合纳入标准并被选作分析对象。
研究结果表明，职业着装，尤其是搭配白大褂时，会让人对能力和专业素养有更高的认知。然而，与男医生相比，女医生在满足这些期望方面面临着模糊性。此外，基于着装和外表，女性更常被误认为是护士、采血员或辅助人员。
总体而言，患者倾向于医生穿着职业装，但这些偏好会受到文化、人口统计学和年龄相关因素的影响。特别是女医生，她们在外表方面受到更严格的审视，并且比男医生受到更严格的规范约束。对于年轻的女实习生来说，这一挑战进一步加剧，她们可能由于年轻的外表而难以展现出专业素养。
