"In a study published last year in The American Journal of Medicine, patients surveyed in one outpatient clinic overwhelmingly preferred doctors photographed in formal attire with a white coat to photos of doctors in scrubs, business suits and informal clothes — jeans and a T-shirt for men, an above-the-knee skirt for women. The patients also said they were more likely to divulge their social, sexual and psychological worries to the clinicians in the white coats than to the other doctors."

Rather than concerning themselves with how hott, laid back or fashionable they appear, physicians should focus on how their presence and behavior affects patient care.

While I don't think there should be an objection to feminine dress, there is a difference among young students today. My sister is an RN, on the job less than 10 years (still looks 16 herself!), and she recently complained about how the new medical students wear their scrubs. Apparently, there is a trend in rolling down scrub pants to show hip-bones, and to imitate low-rise jeans.

My sister has always loved not having to think about work clothes, and loves having her job provide her with comfortable clothes that allow her to do her job without having to worry about putting on a runway show, or being judged on how feminine or professional she might look. The new students coming in are turning this uniform into a more skin-showing "personalized" statement.

I don't know if I could take a young doctor seriously if I was staring at her navel.

Look, wearing a low-cut dress is inappropriate for a professional. I work with a lot of women who love to wear fun/racy clothes when they go out, but would never think of wearing flip-flops/sandals or a short skirt to work: they're professionals, and their work attire reflects it.

If you want to be taken seriously, you need to wear clothes that are appropriate for the part. And no, I'm no old fogey, I'm barely 30.

Oh, and by the way: this article was written by a woman, so clearly it's not just men who feel this way.

I think the trend of sexy dressing has nothing to do with the increase in female doctors, but with the increase in media's over-sexualization of women. Walk through any children's section and the clothing meant for girls age 8-12 rivals stripper wear.

Yes, it is great to be a woman and feminine. But feminity has nothing to do with cleavage and belly bearing tops. You can look uber-feminine wearing a regular blouse or sweater and slacks. I know I do.

No female doctor, teacher, cop, soldier, garbage collector should be thinking of fashion or appeal when dressing for the job. When you're working and getting things done, sex should be the last thing on you or your client/dtudent/customer/patient's mind. Open-toed shoes in a hospital? Ridiculous - a gross! Save the low-rise jeans for the bar, ladies.

If I'm in a doctor's office or the hospital, I expect the staff to be dressed for their profession because it shows me (at least superficially) that they are wearing their respective professional personae. I don't want to see unshaven, casually-dressed, belly-button-baring, cleavage-showing, bare-thighed, open-toed and loose-haired folks of either sex when I'm somewhere as a patient. Why no loose hair or open-toed shoes? Because in hospitals as in restaurants, workers are expected to respect basic rules of hygiene - no long open hair, no open-toed shoes, and please wash your hands!

As for the rest of the personal fashion statements, do it on your own time, not at work. Don't like it? Go work somewhere that requires different uniforms, or none at all.

I don't find it particularly sexist to insist on appropriate garb, nor is it plausibly feminist to insist that professional female physicians should be allowed to bare their bellybuttons or cleavage from under their doctor's smocks without causing offense. The same would be true of seeing a male doctor's bellybutton or sternum region - fine if he wants to expose himself, but not while in his role as a doctor.

I had a doctor here in Europe who only wore a back-tied smock without an undershirt - lots of skin peeking out from behind. Didn't like that either. That's just more doctor than I want to see.

I think Traister's comments are confounding feminist outrage with a general breakdown in private/public persona.

Call me old fashioned. Call me a woman engineer who was part of 2% in a prestigious PhD program. Call me a mom of two teen age daughters who constantly lectures them on appropriate attire. Professional clothing is important! Mini-skirts, showing cleavage and open toe shoes have no place in professional environments! Let's start with the shoes. Any woman stupid enough to wear flimsy strappy shoes in a medical or lab environment (be they flip flops or evening wear heels) looses IQ points for not caring sufficiently about the health and safety of her feet.. Open toe shoes have always been banned in all lab environments, for men or women (i.e. birkenstocks). Its quite possible to dress professionally and definitely be feminine. You just don't make yourself an object, and neither should the guys. I doubt male medical students showing off muscles in tank tops and the plaid of their shorts showing above their pants make good professional impressions. Its definitely a two way street. I'm only in my mid 40s but I feel like Cathy's mom in the comic strip. No more midriffs. No more extreme cleavage. No more underwear/lingerie on the outside. Miniskirts don't go to work. Flip flops are not for work. I won't even get into the 90% who aren't sufficiently in shape to carry the look, just cover up! We worked to hard to be taken seriously for this new generation to blow it. Be valued for who you are as a person, including the brain. Guys too.

I have to agree with the previous poster that this isn't some vast conspiracy against women's right to, I don't know, show their stuff I guess, but more about professionalism.

It is a profession (in the true sense of the word) and doctors should act and appear accordingly. In the legal profession, you don't go to court wearing a sequined halter dress b/c it is inappropriate and pretty much every judge would kick you out of court if you tried it. There is no difference here. It is about respect for who they are and what they do.

Now I am not saying they have to wear a three peice suit to the hospital, but a little decorum goes a long way.

PS Um, THIS is a big topic in feminism? We're angry b/c we can't wear hoochie gear to our jobs? Our professional non-food industry non-adult entertainment industry jobs? Jeesh.