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The shorts debate is held by many people and in various workplaces during the summer. The question is always whether it’s acceptable or not. Proponents often say that women are allowed to wear skirts. Opponents argue that it doesn’t look professional. Ultimately, it depends on your role and the clients you have. But what about doctors? In this profession, you meet all kinds of people…
Can doctors work in shorts?
As a doctor, you can make your own decision on this matter or discuss it internally with your colleagues. This is also something that often happens in other workplaces. Niels Rossen, a Dutch doctor from Venray, approached it differently. He asked on Twitter what people think about this. With over 1,300 votes, he received a lot of responses. The results show that 64% of respondents do not mind male doctors wearing shorts. Following his poll, the Dutch medical journal Medisch Contact also conducted a small survey on Facebook.
They asked the same question and received slightly fewer responses, with 706 votes, but still a significant number. Interestingly, 54% of respondents on Facebook said they did not think it was okay for a male doctor to wear shorts. This is actually the opposite of Rossen’s results on Twitter: slightly more than half of his respondents believed that it was acceptable for a doctor to wear shorts.
Skirt or shorts The above polls focused on male doctors. Now, of course, the question is how it stands for female doctors. Inspired by Rossen’s poll, doctor Rob Schonck asked on Twitter whether a female doctor should be able to wear a dress, skirt, or shorts at work. With a large majority of 88%, people indicated that this should be acceptable.
Facebook and Twitter
The results of these polls do not surprise me. The debate about why men should not wear shorts while women can wear skirts at work has been ongoing for years. You can be for or against it, but shorts are still not accepted in many workplaces.
What did catch my attention is the fact that the results from Dr. Rossen and Medisch Contact differed so much. The difference is clearly in the audience, and the algorithm of the medium plays a role as well. On Twitter, the poll is likely to have been seen by a more diverse group of people than on Facebook. When someone posts a poll on Twitter and a follower responds, their followers also see it on their timeline. This increases the chances that the answers to Rossen’s poll come from people with diverse backgrounds.
The poll posted on Facebook came from Medisch Contact, a journal for people working in the medical field. Thus, it directly targets a specific group. Additionally, Facebook’s algorithm works very differently. When you respond to something, the chance that your friends see it is much smaller. In fact, your friends only see a fraction of your activity.
Patients and professionals on shorts
With the above information in mind, you can conclude that people in the medical world are more critical of shorts than the average patient. I discussed this topic with Tessa Haas-Lommerse, my sister-in-law and also a doctor in Kerkrade. She is co-owner of a medical practice and has worked in various practices.
“Doctors are usually neatly dressed. It’s not really a topic that is often discussed within the practice, but shorts are simply not worn. Nor are slippers, by the way. I don’t wear shorts myself because I don’t find it professional. As a doctor, your clothing should not be distracting.”
When I think back to the visits I have made to the doctor, I have never seen shorts. I don’t think it’s necessarily wrong, but the critical attitude of doctors is a plus in my opinion. It’s better to be critical of your work attire and have clients who are less so, rather than the other way around.
What do you think? Should a male doctor be allowed to wear shorts?
Kind regards,
Aileen