Doctors Post Bikini Photos To Protest Study That Calls Them Unprofessional

Many medical pros felt that the research shamed female physicians who posted personal pictures on their social media accounts.
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Medical professionals around the world are posting bikini selfies to protest a study that suggests the pics are “unprofessional.”

The study, which appeared in the Journal of Vascular Surgery, suggested that patients may choose their hospital, doctor or medical facility based, in part, on how professional a doctor’s publicly available social media content appears.

The researchers created fake social media profiles in order to study each medical professional’s personal photos and determined that 61 of the 235 medical residents they studied had “unprofessional or potentially unprofessional content,” according to Insider.com.

The study defined “unprofessional behaviour” as drinking alcohol, using profane language, wearing Halloween costumes and sharing bikini photos.

Although the study was published last December, it went viral among medical pros this week, many of whom objected to the way it was conducted.

If you are a true #heforshe then you must speak up against this disturbing study

3 men created fake social media accounts to purposefully spy on applicants

Worse they are shaming our women physician colleagues for wearing bikinis 🤦🏽♂️ #MedTwitter #MedBikini #retraction pic.twitter.com/MvNZoBnok2

— Mudit Chowdhary (@DrChowdharyMD) July 24, 2020

As a result, the hashtag #MedBikini started trending on Twitter as many female doctors posted their own bikini selfies in protest.

Apparently it’s unprofessional for doctors to post social media pics wearing bikinis & drinking alcohol, so here’s me doing both. #MedBikini

Also deemed unprofessional, profanity & political talk but these dudes can fuck off b/c health care should be free at the point of care. https://t.co/Lk99jCRdrD

— Dr. Victoria Dooley (@DrDooleyMD) July 24, 2020

Ha! Found a selfie in a bikini. To the 28 year old “researcher” who says this is unprofessional for women doctors, I’m old enough to be your grandmother. #MedBikini pic.twitter.com/84CKW9nfhz

— Trisha Greenhalgh 😷 #BlackLivesMatter (@trishgreenhalgh) July 24, 2020

I’m excellent at my job, I’m a professional. I’m a doctor. I’m a human. I’m VERY sexually active. If you have a problem with that, there’s the fucking door. Nobody tells me what I can/can’t wear since I’m in healthcare, like this see-through set I’m wearing #MedBikini #medbikini pic.twitter.com/AAq9f5bwIb

— Karen Estefany (@thekinkymedgirl) July 24, 2020

#MedTwitter, do you know what’s unprofessional? Misogyny and sexism.

Do you know what not unprofessional? Enjoying yourself, knowing how to relax and owning your body.

Here I am in a cold waterfall. Placement clothing wouldn’t be very appropriate here.#MedBikini #BodyPositivity pic.twitter.com/iRj9AKHMV8

— Marina (@marinadpol) July 24, 2020

59-year-old Emergency Doc--not quite a bikini but it will have to do. I can still save your life and beat you in arm wrestling. #MedBikini pic.twitter.com/S3qEUZPX0A

— JaneDoeMD (@Caerage) July 24, 2020

It breaks my heart, but this just shows a peak behind the curtain at how behind and backwards the culture in medicine is. Here's a picture of me after finishing my leading Research Thesis on Emergency Vehicle Trauma. Doctors are people too #MedBikini pic.twitter.com/A4zrSYEFNo

— Emily Casey (@emilyscasey) July 24, 2020

Many male doctors also posted swimsuit photos to show their support for the cause.

Although no one will want to see this Dad bod here it is in full support of my female colleagues and this misogynistic study. Without my female mentor in medschool and the one in residency, I wouldn’t be the surgeon I am today. #MedBikini pic.twitter.com/nSlDtA5hTZ

— Anthony Tucker (@AnthonyTuckerMD) July 24, 2020

Just double checking, is this unprofessional? Thanks in advance #MedBikini pic.twitter.com/tK1miSyPne

— Mikey 90s Emocore RN 🏴 (@mikeythenurse) July 24, 2020

Apparently this makes me unprofessional oops 🤷🏽♂️ #MedBikini pic.twitter.com/gZfvkdUo8r

— Majed Abbas (@MajedAbbas24) July 24, 2020

In lieu of posting bikini selfies, other medical professionals posted tweets asking the study be retracted.

This is a call for the retraction of your paper: https://t.co/bsrEDC4QRC. It is highly inappropriate and discriminatory. It does not reflect the values of your institute and that of this profession. #retractthepaper
@BUMedicine @BMCSurgery @JVascSurg

— SluttyMD (@MdSlutty) July 23, 2020

The reaction was so intense that researcher Dr. Jeff Siracuse apologised via a multipart Twitter thread.

He said study’s intent was “to empower surgeons to be aware and then personally decide” what to post on social media.

“However, this was clearly not the result,” he said, adding in another tweet that “we were wrong not to have considered the inherent gender bias and have certainly learned from this experience.”

He added: “I am sorry that we made our young surgeons feel targeted and that we were judgmental.”

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