11/07/2025
Why are you wearing those old pink shoes? They’re scuffed up, and don’t exactly match. Aren’t you a plastic surgeon? Why don’t you get some new shoes?
When I was just a young general surgery resident, we had scheduled educational conferences every Wednesday morning. Professional attire was required. I’d show up extra early, round on my patients by myself, then with my chief resident or maybe my staff, before arriving to conference. One Wednesday, after conference, I was called into the Program Director’s office. This is much like getting called to the principal’s office. I wondered what for? Was I not doing a good job taking care of my patients? Did someone from another department have a complaint about my communication regarding shared patients? Was I not adequately prepared for my Morbidity and Mortality conference presentation? When I got to the PD’s office, I was told that someone had complained about my shoes, saying they were distracting, and I was no longer allowed to wear them to the hospital. Seriously?! They met professional attire guidelines, which was that they were close toed. But I guess taking great care of my patients and looking good doing it was too much for somebody. I was too naïve then to realize that I was a target just because I was a woman in a man’s world. I never found out who complained, and I never wore the shoes again…until my general surgery residency graduation. And again at my plastic surgery graduation. And again today at the ribbon cutting for my very own solo private practice. These shoes may not be the most comfortable or stylish, but they are my small voice of defiance. Even though I (we) have had to play by different rules, today I am claiming victory, and wearing my pink shoes.
