How We Dress Matters

Once upon a time, the Chairman of Medicine (also my mentor) practically blew a gasket when he saw one of his faculty members wearing blue jeans to work on the weekend. The doctor was rounding on the hospital wards, seeing patients on a Saturday morning.

I wasn't present to witness what occurred in the moment but there were all sorts of stories floating around. What I do remember like it was yesterday was what The Chief told us residents as we gathered for Morning Report in the conference room adjacent to his office shortly after this event. His words have stuck with me forever; they are so ingrained that conscious thought about the issue comes up only when I happen to see a colleague in jeans.. In the 30 years since The Chief imparted his wisdom on the subject,  I wouldn't dream of putting on a pair of jeans and heading into work, weekend or not.


"When you dress like that [jeans], the message you send to your patient is loud and clear; you'd rather be out on the golf course or anywhere else rather than where you are right now."

I think he was/is absolutely correct. Yesterday was Sunday and I was on call, rounding in the hospital. Standing in a patient's room with three attentive and concerned family members at the beside hungry for information and a sense that their loved one was in good hands, in walked a surgeon, dressed in blue jeans.. Was it just my impression or was every word out of his mouth colored by what he had chosen to wear?

I may be old school but, in my view, jeans of any kind have no place in a hospital except on visitors. The Chief said it best.