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It depends on the informal code in your practice. Look around and see how others dress. If your specialty and practice site has many other women at various stages of their careers, then see what they do. If the practice is almost all men then try to draw your inferences from the level of formality and style you see from them.
As Kamban points out, the expectations might unfairly be different for men than women. You need to feel your way into this.
At my place showing up in scrubs means you anticipate doing at least some procedures that day. Some people who do procedures but not all day long always dress formally, change into scrubs for a case, then change back until the next case.
I have zero fashion sense, but among the residents, I think scrubs all day is far more common among the men than the women. I don't know why. None of the attendings would dare tell people how to dress so I assume this is by choice.
Among the attendings, across the hospital, scrubs all day is far more common among men than women. But there are far more men that women in heavily procedure-oriented fields. I don't know whether there would still be a difference if one were to take into account the specialty effect.
The people in leadership positions who are often in meetings overwhelmingly show up in formal business attire- suits and ties for the men, whatever is equivalent for women. Even the surgeons do this. My place is very much on the formal side.
Where I did my residency, wearing a white coat over scrubs would lead people to ask whether you had a audience with the queen.
You should have a starting idea of how others dress from visiting. When in doubt be a bit more dressy than whatever you take to be the norm. Then adjust as you settle in. There is always a range and some people prefer to be dressier than "required". Free country and nothing wrong with that.
It could be limiting to be too casual for your workplace. But everything depends on the local norms.
As Kamban points out, the expectations might unfairly be different for men than women. You need to feel your way into this.
At my place showing up in scrubs means you anticipate doing at least some procedures that day. Some people who do procedures but not all day long always dress formally, change into scrubs for a case, then change back until the next case.
I have zero fashion sense, but among the residents, I think scrubs all day is far more common among the men than the women. I don't know why. None of the attendings would dare tell people how to dress so I assume this is by choice.
Among the attendings, across the hospital, scrubs all day is far more common among men than women. But there are far more men that women in heavily procedure-oriented fields. I don't know whether there would still be a difference if one were to take into account the specialty effect.
The people in leadership positions who are often in meetings overwhelmingly show up in formal business attire- suits and ties for the men, whatever is equivalent for women. Even the surgeons do this. My place is very much on the formal side.
Where I did my residency, wearing a white coat over scrubs would lead people to ask whether you had a audience with the queen.
You should have a starting idea of how others dress from visiting. When in doubt be a bit more dressy than whatever you take to be the norm. Then adjust as you settle in. There is always a range and some people prefer to be dressier than "required". Free country and nothing wrong with that.
It could be limiting to be too casual for your workplace. But everything depends on the local norms.
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