Discipline of Rural Health - Faculty of Health Sciences - The ...

The following dress standards have been provided by the School of Medicine.
All students are expected to follow the standards and guidelines outlined in this document.
Dress Standards for Medical Students in all Clinical Areas
The medical profession is generally held in high esteem. Continuing enjoyment of this privilege implies
certain basic rules of professionalism as to how to conduct oneself and how to dress when involved in
patient care. While students may feel some rules may be merely derived from conservativism and/or the
views of older colleagues, the major driver behind this dress code are the (published) expectations of
patients paired with evidence-based recommendations in regards to infection control and Occupational
Health & Safety rules.
A significant proportion of patients are 70 years old or more. Patients and relatives are anxious. It has been
estimated that it takes patients on average only 15 seconds to form an initial opinion regarding the
competence of their doctor. The majority of initial opinion is formed through non-verbal cues. Therefore, in
order to maximise a positive patient perception of doctors, it is mandatory to dress appropriately.
Obviously it is difficult to be prescriptive and what counts is the overall picture. Nevertheless, here are some
examples:
Acceptable Not acceptable
Formal attire Track suits, board shorts, jeans
Smart casual Street wear (including large logos)
Buttoned business shirts/blouses T-shirts, fleeces
Dresses or skirts of reasonable length Sand shoes, sneakers, thongs
Business trousers Hot pants
Tidy hair Extreme Hairstyles
A generally unkempt appearance and/or offensive body odour are unacceptable as well. Polls of patients clearly
indicate what they and their relatives do not wish to see during their patient-doctor experience:
• exposed abdomen, as often occurs with so-called ‘hipsters’
• deep, ‘plunging’ neck lines
• mini skirts
• rucksacks
• water bottles
There are also areas where breaches compromise patient safety or staff safety:
OHS&W
No open footwear and high-heeled shoes. Long hair needs to be restrained.
Infection Control
No nail polish and especially no acrylic fingernails. Jewellery also frequently harbours micro-organisms and must
be kept to a minimum, e.g. wedding band and wrist watch. However, during scrubbing all will have to be
removed. If neck ties are worn they need to be prevented from coming into contact with the patient (e.g. use a
tie clip).
Hospital Administration and Security
Valid ID badges must be displayed at all times.
Summary
A competent professional maintains a professional dress code standard. Clinical care is neither a casual street
encounter nor a fashion parade.
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