To dress up for doctor’s appointments?

[PollencaCalling]

Really re: classism in medicine!

Unless desperately ill I never go to see a GP/consultant etc without making sure that I’m looking well put together. Of course I’m not talking formal attire - just nice, tidy outfit and good hair/makeup. My opinion is that this way things are taken more seriously, and from experience this has been the case. Spoke about it with a friend earlier who thinks I’m bonkers!

Although it shouldn’t be the case I do think that to some extent I am justified in thinking this. Some doctors certainly do still have a class bias and I have experienced it myself. Took DD to A&E a few years ago and got quite a nasty doctor who implied that she was making it up! Once she took her coat off and revealed a hoodie from her (quite MC grammar school) his opinion of her completely changed and he couldn’t have been more pleasant or helpful. It really bothered me at the time and has stuck with me since

Shortly before the birth of DD I saw a consultant for an ongoing issue that needs to be monitored in pregnancy. Probably looked quite scruffy and tired. The Dr was awful to me- patronising, dismissive and made a dreadful decision re my medication by refusing to listen to me about my medical history (he had only looked at the current blood test results). During the consultation he asked what I did for work. I said 'barrister.' He did a horrible little smirk, I was briefly riled and wondered why, but that was it.

The following week I had a midwife appointment, and mentioned how awful the consultant had been. She looked up his notes from the consultation to find out who it was. I also mentioned that it was my last day of work before mat leave started. What do you do? She asked. Barrister, I replied. Oh that's funny, she said. That consultant has written in his notes that you're a Barista.

Now, obviously there is absolutely no reason why a barista should be patronised and dismissed any more than a barrister should be. But I have to say as soon as I heard that, I was completely unsurprised. This Dr had heard what I had said, and subconsciously his brain had decided that it was more likely I was a silly girl trying to use an unusual word (in English) for 'work in a coffee shop' and mispronouncing it, than it was that I was in fact a barrister. Entirely in-keeping with the disdain with which he spoke to me, and I've always thought it was likely to do with the way I presented myself that day.

This.

I live in gym gear 90% of the time with just a small bit of makeup on to cover my eyebags. If I was going to see a consultant I would put a nicer, more proper outfit on and my ‘full’ face. It’s not my average day to day look.

Of course if you’re going for a procedure they’re going to ask for no makeup etc. That is completely different to an average outpatient consultation.

The evidence would say otherwise. Do some research next time before throwing your unpleasant insults around.

This thread made me reflect on my practice.
Ex-NHS anaesthetist now overseas. I see patients for pre-assessment clinic and also pre-surgery.

I think I may treat very smartly dressed patients differently. Not necessarily better or worse, but I probably do have a different approach.
I generally try to mirror patients behaviour and codeswitch to build rappour, so it realistically does affect how I speak and act.

I don’t think it affects the care in anyone though.

I think you've misunderstood your own 'evidence' if you think a full face of makeup will make a difference.

It may well affect you and your own confidence, it won't change someone's perception of your class. If only it was that easy!

Everyone makes first impressions, no matter their career. Looking better - i.e me putting actual makeup on (my personal definition of full face would still be considered very light makeup for most) often means better care via unconscious bias. It shouldn’t be that way but it is.

@PremiumPercentage
it can work the other way too. I mentioned upthread that a consultant tried to start an academic dick-measuring context with me when he realized my background in statistics. But I've had a lot of interaction with psychiatrists (whilst I was supporting the patient), and several of them seem to take my field as a personal challenge. I'm a Research Fellow in Sociology. And I suppose its fair to say that there is some inter-field suspicion between sociologists and psychiatrists - many sociologists would say that the psych professions medicalise structural problems, for example, and reduce political problems to personal pathologies - but its really nothing to do with my actual area. I work in digital cultures.

I don't wear make up and never have.....have never had poor medical care though. As I said though, if behaving in certain ways makes you feel more confident then that's all good.