title: Perceptions of patients, physicians, and Medical students on physicians' appearance.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the impressions made by different styles of dress and appearance adopted by physicians on patients, medical students and other physicians in Brazil.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two hundred fifty nine patients, 119 students, and 99 physicians answered questions related to a panel of male and female physicians' pictures covering the following styles: white clothing; white coat; formal, informal, and casual garments; and surgical scrubs. They also reported their level of discomfort with a list of 20 items for professional appearance of both genders.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Most of the answers of the volunteers involved using white clothes or white coat, and in many situations the percentages of preference referred for these styles were close. Physicians and students preferred physicians wearing surgical scrubs for emergency visits, and doctors with informal style for discussing psychological problems with male professionals. Patients most often chose white clothing in response to questions. Regarding male professionals, all three groups reported high degree of discomfort for the use of shorts and bermuda shorts, multiple rings, facial piercing, sandals, extravagant hair color, long hair, and earrings. For females, high levels of discomfort were reported to shorts, blouses exposing the belly, facial piercing, multiple rings, extravagant hair color, and heavy makeup.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Brazilian patients, physicians, and medical students form a better initial impression of physicians using clothing traditionally associated with the profession and exhibiting more conventional appearance. The use of entirely white garments appears to be a satisfactory option in this country.
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brasil.
authors.forename: Cláudia Leiko
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Yonekura
authors.forename: Lucas
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Certain
authors.forename: Suen Ka Kee
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Karen
authors.forename: Guilherme Augusto Sousa
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Alcântara
authors.forename: Lucas Gaspar
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Ribeiro
authors.forename: Antonio Luiz
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Rodrigues-Júnior
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Baddini-Martinez
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001290:Attitude; D001938:Brazil; D003020:Clothing; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010361:Patients / Q000523:psychology*; D010465:Perception; D010819:Physician's Role; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D010820:Physicians / Q000523:psychology*; D012737:Sex Factors; D013240:Stereotyping; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Clothing; General practice; Medicina geral; Professional practice; Prática profissional; Vestuário