The first time I walked through a hospital in my ill-fitted scrubs, I felt an odd mix of pride and hesitation. The fabric was light but carried a heavy history. One wove with stories of people who looked nothing like me. For generations, the image of a surgeon, a doctor, or any authoritative figure in medicine was portrayed as a man. While scrubs are meant to make us all look the same, they can’t hide the quiet truth that women are still fighting to be seen.
Scrubs have the ability to equalise; in the operating theatre, they erase the distinction of class, background, and personality. Scrubs are good at forming materialistic equality among a team, but it is hard to hide that the gender dichotomy in those theatres is overwhelmingly male. For aspiring future surgeons, seeing a woman behind the scalpel does wonders for ambition. Representation in scrubs goes beyond what we wear; it’s a symbol of possibility for many young women.
When a young medical student sees a surgeon, perhaps with her hair tucked under her scrub cap, sleeves rolled up to her elbows, confidently leading a team. They don’t just see a surgeon; they see the possibility of what they could be.
Representation in scrubs is not just about numbers, it’s about normalisation. It’s seeing women not as an exception in the operating room but as equals. It’s about challenging the narrative that to lead in medicine, you need XY chromosomes.
Each woman in scrubs carries the visibility that countless others fought for. She stands as proof that feminists and authority can coexist. That compassion and competence aren’t opponents. That surgical strength does not have to look like masculinity.
When women are visible in medicine, in scrubs, on ward rounds, and behind scalpels, we change the narrative for everyone who follows. Students feel empowered to take up space without apology, and colleagues are reminded that excellence has no gender.
Representation in scrubs is not a trend; it’s a sign of changing times. One day, a female in the operating theatre won’t be the exception, but the norm.