Standards & Expectations

Standards & Expectations 

For IMGs, many of which are not native English speakers, there is already a gap between them and a US patient. While there has been an increasing growth of minorities in the United States, in addition to normal medical cultural competency, it is import for foreign IMGs to consider the American standards and expectations of medical professionals. IMGs need to become accustomed to understanding that America, for a country founded and largely populated by immigrants, it can be very culturally sensitive. IMGs can be more aware of these standards and thus can prevent these cultural expectation gaps from being severely detrimental to a medical student’s career possibilities.

As most realize, Americans can be quite superficial in their way of thinking, and medical services are no different. An American Medical patient expects his medical professional to look that way, and American business professional attire may differ severely from what is an acceptable dress code abroad. In the United States, Doctors are expected to wear more than just a lab coat to signify they are doctors. Medical professionals are expect to dress in what is known as “business professional attire.” Business professional attire for males is a button down shirt with a tie, suit pants or slacks, and closed toed shoes; females should wear a blouse with a skirt or suit pants with closed toed flat shoes. In certain clinics or hospital settings it is required for doctors to wear scrubs with tennis shoes; however if you are uncertain, business professional attire is always acceptable.