Don't judge a brain by her bikini

Recently, there was a study published in the Journal of Vascular Surgery regarding the professionalism of women in vascular surgery training, in regard to their social media profiles. There was subsequent enormous social backlash, rightly so, and the article has since been rescinded by the journal accompanied by an apology on Twitter.

I think I can say for all the women in medicine, that it is offensive to think that someone might judge my medical skills and competency based on whether or not I decide to go to the beach and subsequently post a photo of the day in the normal attire found on beaches all across America also known as – the bikini.

There are so many more pressing issues in the world that deserve the attention of medical professionals other than how a woman decides to dress and enjoy a day off. If critiquing women’s beachwear is the most important issue on your medical professional radar, I think it is safe to assume that you should reevaluate your priorities.

Professionalism and bikini wearing are not mutually exclusive. All biases aside, it simply does not make logical sense to think that a casual clothing choice has any impact at all on the professional capabilities of a medical provider, no matter the gender or race. It all boils down to the process of making assumptions – never judge a book by its cover.

These women are mothers, daughters, sisters, and nieces that are real human beings who, outside of work, enjoy going to the beach and wearing a bikini or other swimsuit. They enter this medical field, invest thousands of dollars and years of their lives in order to save yours or your pet’s. No bikini photo will ever impact their ability to save your life when you need them. Why do you care if the oncologist who will cure your child’s leukemia, or the surgeon that gives you a new hip, or the veterinarian that protects your food supply, likes to wear a bikini on her day off?

Sounds silly doesn’t it? The answer is yes.

If you’d like to see more on the social movement, search #MedBikini on your various media outlets.