Photo: Instagram @bikinimed
Doctors in bikinis flood social media with selfies in protest against a study that deems it ‘unprofessional’ to share such photos.
+ Click here to see images of the doctors in bikinis
Doctors have flooded social media with photos of themselves in bikinis after a study conducted by three men suggested that such images are “unprofessional” and “inappropriate.”
The article, published in the Journal of Vascular Surgery at the end of 2019, sparked a strong reaction within the medical community, which found the study ‘disturbing.’
Titled “Prevalence of Non-Professional Content on Social Media Among Young Vascular Surgeons,” the study analyzed the social media profiles of 235 medical residents; to do this, the researchers created fake profiles to view each person’s personal photos.
According to the publication, doctors who share images in “provocative poses wearing bikinis/swimwear,” consuming or holding alcoholic beverages, or expressing controversial political views are deemed “potentially unprofessional.”
The study, perceived as offensive by doctors of both genders, did not specifically refer to female doctors, but the outraged community accused the study of perpetuating “sexism” in the profession.
Doctors flooded social media with pictures of themselves in swimwear, and doctors also shared images featuring alcoholic beverages using the hashtag #MedBikini to clearly show that their personal lives and activities outside of work do not affect their professionalism.
The strong criticism of the publication led the study’s author, Dr. Jeff Siracuse, to go on social media to apologize for the wording of the article.
“Our intention was to make surgeons aware so that they could personally decide what might be easily accessible for our patients and colleagues to see on social media,” he said.
“However, this was clearly not the outcome. We recognize that the definition of professionalism is rapidly changing in medicine and that we need to support our trainees and surgeons as our society changes, without it appearing to be a judgment.”
Photos: Instagram @bikinimed. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
