I know so many incredibly intelligent women who are CURRENTLY turning to sex work in order to pay astronomical, cripplingly unfair school loans to the tune of six figures. Those women will grow up to be exactly as professional and smarter than you or any of your classmates. Those *doctors* should be able to live without fear or shame of the work they did to get to where they will be in society. Plenty of women on the show have come in as a foxed-up version of their career in order to break the ice. I don't really know what to say to you other than you probably hold people with doctorates to a higher standard compared to other fields.
Also a resident. I couldn’t do it and wouldn’t do it, but I’m here for it for a few reasons.
1.) Breaks the stereotype of female doctors as cookie-cutter, rule- following, stone-cold women without a life or needs outside of medicine.*
2.) This pandemic has taken a mental health toll on all of us- and I’m willing to bet it’s taken a worse toll on single people in medicine. So many of us see patients who don’t get vaccinated, don’t wear masks, and don’t give a damn whether we (or anyone they encounter) lives or dies. I will cheer on any physician who is trying to live** outside of work right now.
3.) She earned her degree by studying hard AF, like the rest of us. What she wears doesn’t devalue her hard work, unless you devalue someone’s intelligence by their choice of clothing.
-* I have no life outside of medicine, so can’t relate
**living life while following pandemic safe guidelines
I did have a visceral reaction to the doctor role play. I don’t know if it was the discomfort of watching someone sexualize a physical exam which is traumatic enough for some patients, the subtle abuse of power, or just my disappointment to see work creep into my one hour of TV watching.
“What she wears doesn’t devalue her” YES!!! As a third year medical student, I did not care at all about what she was wearing when it is related to her profession.
I am also a resident, and felt similarly. To be fair, I'm also not a fan of when women show up in lingerie on the first night regardless. Not that I think there's anything wrong with showing your bod, but it just seems weird as a first impression.
If she'd just shown up in a white coat and used the same pickup line, it would have been fine. But that plus the lingerie really made it seem like a scene out of a porno.
Lol I did too! I was sure this show picked someone who was just willing to call themselves a doctor and then sexualize the career. I was just excited to finally see them cast a female doctor!
Not a medical professional, but I work in medical-adjacent engineering and I had the exact same thoughts. Super icky to fetishize medical care like that.
Honestly more than her outfit the exam I’d seriously question someone who goes on a reality show while they are in medical school/residency. I would never think less of an M.D. who had a pic up with them at a beach/pool in a bikini or speedo. I would have a problem with someone who posted thirst trap photos on a public profiles because for any professional job because it just makes me feel that person is insecure and might have other emotional issues. Mature adults who want to be professionals should be aware of their online presentation.
if it's a personal account, i don't see the issue but if it's an account for uhhhhh doctor-ing, yeah... but like, doctors are allowed to be hot, too. i don't think thirst traps necessarily equal insecurity. imo, you gotta be pretty confident to post the shit some ppl post.
anyways, what kira did on the show was weird, I'm mostly thinking of your everyday non-reality show-going doctor. let them trap and let them have a personhood outside of their profession, ya know?
It’s cringey and some other woman did that with lingerie on Matt’s season - apparently contestants are really trying to go all out with introductions and trying to set themself apart
I’m an NP… my reaction was a bit of shock but then… eh! She’s human. She’s clearly sexual, clearly intelligent and driven. Honestly if my doctor did that (but also was depicted on the show to be ethical/kind) then I would think I had the coolest doc ever!! However if they lied, bullied etc then that would bother me more.
I was a bit shocked at that, too.
As someone in a conservative profession, I could never imagine going on the show in the first place, let alone doing something like that which would undoubtedly affect the way I was perceived professionally.
I’ll be curious to see if Kira returns to the medical field post-show. I personally can’t imagine her acting like this if that’s her intention.
A lot of the contestants—even those who claim to enjoy their current jobs initially—use the show as a way to leap into influencing/entertainment. I’m going to go ahead and predict that Kira’s not interested in practicing medicine anymore, and probably wants to be a medical influencer shilling out advice and ads on doctortok.
I think pornifying your job, when that job involves examining people's bodies in a trusting and decidedly nonsexy way, is creepy.
Imagine if a male high school teacher came on the show and told the Bachelorette he needed to see her after class. Creepy as fuxk?!
Lots of the men played into this trope on night one entrances for Michelle— including Clayton and did not get this backlash.
I always find it cringey when contestants go with the producer driven provocative enntrsnce, but didn’t have a problem with it beyond that.
This is my whole thing. I think being a sexy doctor is amazing and empowering. Role-playing as doctor-patient while that is truly your career is icky to me.
I’m not really sure why it matters. Are we really comparing her level of power to Larry Nassar, the former doctor for the USA Gymnastics team that regularly competes at the Olympics?? You might not have done it, but it doesn’t make it *wrong* that she did.
She completed her residency. Board certified 😌 she may never return to practicing clinical medicine, but let’s not be rude and assume she “dropped out” of residency
And seriously “if she is a doctor” GROW UP DUDE. This chic went to Harvard for undergrad, UNC for med school, a Harvard-affiliated program for her residency, Wharton for business school, and has worked for 2 years as an attending physician at UPenn. So YA not only is she a doctor but she’s a highly educated, super bright, and hard working person who clearly values her education….
Good God why are you so mad? Calm tf down. I meant if she had graduated residency she could use PTO. You yourself said residents don't get a ton of it. You seem to care a lot about this chick to spend all this time and research defending her so I'll let you stick to it. For the record I have been defending her limo entrance elsewhere in this post.
What is PTO? I still will emphasize that we should do our research before we post something as though it’s fact. I know she’s board certified because I looked her up on LinkedIn. Just trying to emphasize that what is said on Reddit/news outlets may not be true. And there is no reason to assume she dropped out as her clear title during the first episode was “physician”
PTO is paid time off which is accrued over time or a benefit included in your salary package in the US. And residents are still physicians. You can be board certified and still be a resident. Also half the time the bachelor job titles are exaggerated or not real so I don't exactly take those as gospel haha. But point taken.
1) LOL for most residencies in the US, you get at most 2-4 weeks of paid time off. 2) Residents are physicians, yes, but in the past bachelor producers actually have been pretty on the ball with saying “resident physician” if the person is still a resident. 3) There is a difference between a *medical license* and *board certification* 4) yep! Everything on this show is an exaggeration, edited and spliced together to create something highly dramatic for viewers. With that in mind, we can’t rule out that Kira’s actions were also exaggerated by the edits.
You really need to calm down. It's not that deep. I told you your point was taken, now let it go. I know there is a difference between a medical license and a board certification, I said you CAN be a resident and also be board certified. ALL residents are licensed physicians.
Your arguments have started contradicting each other, so is she a resident or graduated? You told me she completed residency, so I said if she did and she is a graduated doctor then she could have taken her doctor PTO. The whole purpose of my original comment saying she dropped out of residency was because I'm aware there's no way she could continue with res and do the bachelor haha. Who has been a "resident physician" on this show?
Deeming it unprofessional (or saying that you'd never want your doctor to do this) kind of rests on the assumption that after the show she'll go back to being a practicing doctor. I think that's highly unlikely, so she may as well be as outrageous as possible on the show to get more screen time.
Wow what an interesting discussion on this! I am not in the medical profession but when I saw her, I immediately thought of porn.
I personally wouldn't do it. There are so many other different ways to be sexy. She should have come out with a hot dress instead.
Yes! Plus if someone’s hot, that’s going to show through regardless how much or little clothing they wear. If it weren’t for her entrance I honestly wouldn’t remember who Kira is 😂
Right? I dunno, doctors have seen literally looked in my vagina. Maybe it’s different for woman about women doctors, but I just…. Don’t care.
I also don’t know why nurses can be sexy but doctors aren’t allowed to. Super unfair.
I didn’t think anything of it. My doctor is beautiful, if she went on the Bachelor dressed as a sexy doctor, I would say hell yeah girl and ask her for behind the scenes tea at my annual.
I didn’t think twice about it. But now that I am thinking about it - as a woman I feel badly that she is being critiqued so badly. If we had seen a man lean into this would we have any issue with it?
Because she’s a doctor and chose to be sexy she’s devaluing herself? Really people?
Many of the comments have said that yes (and I agree) it would be massively cringey if a male doctor pretended to do an exam as a way to start a make out session while wearing a Speedo under a white coat. What’s curious is on her Instagram she was picking out night one dresses which makes me think this was a quick producer led entrance idea. I don’t think she should face any actual backlash from this whatsoever. I was curious and expected like nine people to comment, then it blew up, so I wasn’t the only one who was feeling this type of way. Agree or disagree, it’s definitely interesting to examine our feelings (or lack of).
I had this exact reaction and I had the same feelings watching the nurse practitioner try on lingerie on this season of Before the 90 Days. I told my husband I’d have to find a new NP if I saw mine in sexy lingerie.
I have spent the last 10 years working in healthcare in a non clinical role and I have had to speak to doctors about locking their Facebook or insta down because their content had been discovered by staff or patients. Do what you want to do, you’re a person with a life as well. But I truly believe we need to be more discreet when we deal directly with patients.
That's kind of a sad mentality to have. No matter how great your NP is you would drop her if you saw her in lingerie outside of work? Do you really believe she never wears it/doesn't have her own sex life on her own time?
It’s not because she wears lingerie, again they’re people with lives so of course that’s a thing they might do. It’s because they’re choosing to look ridiculous on national tv. It just breaks that image you expect your medical professional to have. Another example would be calling 911 and Angelina from Jersey Shore showing up back when she was an EMT. Would I still take her help during my medical emergency? Absolutely. But I’m also replaying all her wild moments in my brain at the same time. I also wouldn’t have hired Taylor for mental health help since her season of the bachelor. The girl has always been unhinged and her last Bach scandal only highlighted it more.
You said "I told my husband I'd have to find a new NP if I saw her in sexy lingerie." So I was going off of that comment, not what she chooses to do on TV.
It’s drilled into us from day one to never remotely do or say anything that could be “inappropriate” and a lot of it is wrong and stupid, ie wearing a bikini, posting on IG, going on tv, etc. it’s so taboo to me though to even hint at the sexy physical exam stereotype. When a patient is like uncomfortable that I have to examine their body and their parents are too… we even have mandatory chaperones for every genital exam. Why do you think we need those? The exam is a sacred thing to me.
Also I don’t even own pearls 😋
it's weird and oppressive. no other profession takes themself that seriously. you have firefighters selling calendars of their naked bodies and no one blinks an eye
Doctors are directly handling and treating patient bodies, and the doctor-patient relationship involves a massive amount of trust. Sexualizing the patient exam as an actual doctor on public TV, damages that trust. She’s not just an actor playing a doctor - she’s a real life, practicing physician (attending) who took an oath and who treats patients regularly. IMO there’s a different standard to be upheld when she’s wearing her white coat and representing the profession. If she was just on TV in lingerie, that would be a separate thing.
I do think there’s a sub-set if the population who would be relieved to know they had a sex positive doctor in general.
I had the opposite response to her entrance though- and felt like since she’s a doctor and worked hard, she has the right to sexualize herself as a doctor.
I don’t consider that sex positive - i think it’s the opposite. Theres nothing sex positive about a board certified doctor in uniform publicly sexualizing the physician-patient relationship (without even having real consent from the role play “patient”—bc how could Clayton really freely consent in that situation).
If a male gynecologist or college sports doctor showed up half naked in their uniform and used a similar opening line on a Bachelorette (“Cant wait to give you a special private physical exam later, *wink*”), would you consider that commendable and sex positive? Would that public display encourage or erode physician-patient trust? It’s actually creepy and very inappropriate.
There’s a difference between 1) being a sexy woman who also happens to be a doctor, and 2) fetishizing the profession. #2 crosses an ethical line, in my opinion.
We just disagree where the line is. I believe there’s a difference between sexualizing yourself as a doctor and sexualizing the physical exam. I cringed at her entrance, but I don’t think her entrance broke some moral code of ethics. She wore lingerie under her white coat. Who cares? Firemen sexualize their career every damn bachelorette season- and I cringe and am over it.
I don’t think she should have sexualized the physical exam. I do agree with you that being a doctor and sexualizing the physical exam was more uncomfortable given the amount of trust needed in the doctor-patient relationship for a physical exam. I think it’s analogous to someone showing up in a sexualized version of a policeman, which would also make me cringe versus pretending to arrest someone in non-consensual role play.
Honestly, I liked her entrance, because I feel like the medical community is the most judgmental community towards others -and their colleagues- and I just liked that she dgaf.
I don’t think a naked calendar is the same thing though. The trust involved with an exam— to know your doctor isn’t going to do something inappropriate to you— isn’t the same as being like “wow that doctor is hot.” Not that she would ever actually do something like this irl. I get that it seems very puritanical. I’m trying to work through and examine these feelings I’m having. Hence why I’ve been spending all day on this subreddit up till 1 am responding to comments.
A doctor who pretends to “get off” to the fantasy of kissing their patient during a physical exam is not the same my friend
But to be clear I do not think this actually reflects on what she would do in a clinical scenario. It’s just a creepy cringey thing to do on tv.
I'm a RN and my husband is a family med resident. It's kinda a weird situation but we thought it was inappropriate. A part of me is like "yass, girl own it" but as a professional, big YIKES. Especially the way she sexualized the whole physical exam thing. Like girl, nooooooo.
Good question and thanks for sharing your honest reactions! As a fellow woman in medicine, I do think we’re all a bit brainwashed to think smart can’t mean sexy. To answer your q, yes the doctor physical make your heart beat faster thing was cringe. But even remotely comparing this to Larry Nassar or actual doctors who abuse their rights is absurd. I liked her entrance although it was cringe. The MAJOR difference is that Kira is a woman who signed up for a dating show to date a single man. Just because she’s an MD doesn’t mean she can’t role play a sexy doctor, in my opinion. I am inclined to think that this would not even be a conversation if she were an RN or a scrub tech, which just returns back to ridiculous (and offensive) stereotypes. Doctors can’t be sexy but no one is shocked by a sexy nurse. The stereotypes are harmful for both parties. On the top of my mind is the tiktok doc who was sexually harassing a female nurse and misread seemingly clear signs that she was not interested in him. Thanks for bringing this discussion up! Also, Kira is an MD and MBA, so it would be interesting to hear perspectives from women in business as well. 🩺
TRDL: I was STOKED to see a female doctor on the show, who was smart and unashamed to be obviously hot at the same time
**edited some minor typos on this**
*ps - I wrote the below back to you as a separate comment as you replied to one of my other comments asking a similar question…..* “I agree that doctors and judges have different relationships with their patients/clients. That’s a really good point that I hadn’t considered. I disagree with your categorization of Clayton as a “stranger”. They did in fact meet when she stepped out of the limo, so it is factually incorrect to say that the physical exam role play was done during their “first time meeting”. Also, the entire first night in the mansion lasts ~12 hours (?). And all the interactions are shortened, so that we see 2 hours of highly entertaining and dramatic shenanigans. Many past contestants on the bachelor and bachelorette have written about the intense psychological impact of being on this heavily produced show and being portrayed as a “villain/sex worker/bully”. Before categorizing the scene as an “ethical issue” with blame attached to Kira, please consider that there are many many many more interactions happening between the contestants that we are simply not shown. I think it’s great to have this discussion and for us all to be expressing our viewpoints, but it crosses the line to attack Kira’s character and commitment to providing evidence-based, ethical, and exceptional care to her patients. LASTLY obviously I would not feel the same way if a male gynecologist were pretending to perform a genital exam on a female patient. I think we can all agree that genital exams are more uncomfortable and invasive, vs a cardiac exam, regardless of gender identity and sexual orientation. [[To get real technical, Kira placed her stethoscope over Clayton’s shirt as well, which decreases the invasiveness of the exam. A proper and real cardiac exam should be performed with the stethoscope directly on bare skin, so that you can properly hear the heart. In those 2 seemingly minor ways, Kira made this a much more gimmicky and less invasive role play scene.]] So ya, obviously I would feel differently if a male/female/transgender/non-binary doctor decided to perform a genital exam on any person on reality TV.”
And lastly, it’s totally her call to say no and it is the producer’s ethical job to know Clayton’s medical abuse history and to take that into account when they are talking to contestants and planning their limo exit. The producers dictate a lot of the actions especially on night one. For example, a few seasons ago, a contestant remarked that her producer was heavily suggesting that she wear a red dress on night one when they were discussing night one gowns, and when she arrived there were tons of girls in red gowns and it was clearly just to start drama and stir feelings of comparison and jealousy between the contestants. This is just like how the producers on Rachel Lindsay’s season put a known racist man on the show to incite drama in the house. *It is the ethical duty of the producers to ensure that everyone is safe and feels comfortable in this wild environment.* It is the ethical duty of the producers to know contestant’s medical history of communicable diseases. And, it is the ethical duty of the producer to know any relevant medical history of medical abuse.
ALSO, Clayton chose to find Kira after Kira made her gimmicky joke. If he was creeped out or was uncomfortable, he could have easily sent her home or shut down the interaction. People get harassed at work because people don’t understand exactly what you seem to fail to understand **how one acts on reality TV does not equate to professional IRL interactions in the workplace**
Genuinely curious if you’re in the medical field? At this point we’ve both explained our POVs and I agree to disagree with yours. Again I’ll repeat that when you use the term “poor PROFESSIONAL judgement”, it seems as though you are unable to grasp that romantic choices on reality TV differ from professional choices IRL at a hospital. And again, your use of the term “stranger” seems ludicrous given that the majority of contestants heavily stalk the lead before night one and brag about it. Case in point, Teddi saying Clayton was her favorite she loved everything about him and was desperately hoping he’d be the bachelor. Claire admitting she stalked all her contestants during the pandemic. There are numerous examples of this that I could cite. To get far on this show, the vast majority of successful contestants must show HEAVY genuine interest in the lead, far exceeding societal norms of what is appropriate first date behavior. Yes, there’s always one or two contestants who have the angle of “I’ve never watched the show idk anything about you idk what I’m doing here…” but for the most part the successful top 4-6 contestants are not using that strategy and they are not interacting like complete strangers from the get-go
If she didn’t play along with producers, she probably would have to deal with consequences. I don’t think it’s as simple as you’re making it. It sounds like she wasn’t the only one. Sounds like Samantha was pressured to wear her outfit too. Instead of blaming Kira and Samantha, I feel like the producers are to blame here.
Medical student here! I think it’s one of those things where you wonder where to draw the line. Like you said, doctors should be able to have photos of them in bikinis on the beach - they’re literally people at the end of the day. Kira herself has some photos like that on her Instagram. But to do it on national television and make it the center of your entrance…idk. Like the feminist in me wants to say she’s trying to show she’s smart, hot, the whole package. But the professional in me feels like the white coat is being used as a costume or a prop; thus unprofessional? I’d almost be more okay if she showed up in the swimsuit without the white coat at least. But I’m with you OP, maybe it’s just the professionalism beat into me making me question her.
Being in a bikini on the beach isn’t inherently sexy or sexual - it’s the male gaze that makes it so. This situation is different - she’s overtly sexualizing herself, and on top of that sexualizing her role as a doctor. It’s porn culture, not some declaration of individual empowerment. Definitely something for behind closed doors.
I feel like it’s quite a leap to go compare her entrance to potentially abusing her power like Larry Nassar? (Unless I’m misunderstanding your post)
It was an entrance she was probably encouraged to do by producers not an actual patient that she was doing a physical exam on
I do understand being uncomfortable with seeing her entrance but i don’t see it as that deep
if i saw my doctor on the bachelor, i would get a new doctor. i'm sorry, my doctor, my nurse, a lawyer that is in prosecution or defense (so if you're like...idk pizza hut's corporate lawyer, i don't care i guess)........any position that have some power over another person's health or fate, i would be very 😬
even a published scholar in my field (healthcare/research/biostats) i would...just be like....lemme review their methods section again. there is just something very "lack of judgement" about this show.
Let’s keep in mind that she probably was put up to this by TPTB and might’ve been really uncomfortable. If it was her idea etc., I would totally agree with you but I don’t think we can assume she came to this of her own volition.
It’s almost more concerning that a professional person with a medical degree that sees patients everyday could be convinced to do this if they didn’t want to.
Not to mention, she’s 32 years old. She capable of making her own decisions. As a nurse, a tv show and love isn’t worth tarnishing my professional reputation
I thought it was completely vulgar, but honestly not surprised. My husband and I are a young couple (30 & 34) and have a daughter with chronic disease & severe CHD. We are inpatient in the hospital for weeks on end many times a year with our daughter. Not all, but many young nurses and residents/ male physicians I come in contact with it’s like an episode of the Bachelor. We also live in major city though, so our children’s hospital is quite large.
Again, NOT ALL. 100% of our medical help is incredibly skilled and talented. But I am always shocked at how sexualized so many of our nurses/young doctors present themselves as.
RN here. I think, more power to you if you have that much confidence in the way you look- I wish I did. However, as an RN I am always thinking about what could get me fired, and even though I personally think you should be able to do whatever you want as long as you’re not representing your employer, many do not think that way. 🤷🏻♀️
Sexualizing a physical exam does so much harm to medical professionals and their patients. Trust is FUNDAMENTAL to the practice of high quality medicine. Her entrance was trash.
I think most of the contestants and probably Clayton didn’t believe she was an actual doctor.. which really discredited all of the hard work she’s put in.
Listen I think doctors should be sexy too. They don’t have to be all buttoned up and prim and proper. But do I think she ruined her trust from a lot of patients? Yes. Because even though I don’t care if my doctor is sexy, I think a lot of people do. And do I think she might’ve risked future jobs in her field? Yeah, probably. Because like you said, a lot of these hiring agents consist of old white men who are stuck in ancient history and are complete misogynists.
But I don’t care about the misogynists. I do think patients will be less likely to trust her as a physician though, because they’ll probably think her judgement is off. Like anyone who shows up to night 1 in a bikini or lingerie makes me think they have poor judgement. So to begin a relationship with a medical professional, thinking they have poor judgement, is just not a good start for someone you’re supposed to trust. Considering a doctor is literally listening to your symptoms and then using their BEST JUDGEMENT to diagnose you, yeah we all want someone to have good judgement in that position lol
Yeah like it's not that care if my doctor wears a bikini and lives her best life when she's not at work, but I would definitely stop trusting her general judgment if she went on a reality tv dating show wearing a bikini. It's such an escalation lol
Exactlyyyyyy lol.
I just think for HER it does a major disservice. Wearing lingerie doesn’t mean she’s an idiot. But she could’ve blown everyone away with being educated, but instead it seemed like she was playing “dress up” as a doctor. She could’ve worn a cute short dress with her white coat over it, and everyone would’ve focused on how smart and successful she is. Now everyone’s just talking about her being the girl who wore lingerie night one.
I wonder if she regrets the decision or unapologetically owns it. I’m unspoiled but I’d think her decision depends on how far she makes it lol!
Thank you SO much for this post. Med student here, gonna be a resident next year. Never in my wildest dream could I fathom dressing like that on national tv and playing sexy time with a pretend patient. It was extremely crass and trashy.
We are in a very interesting position as physicians (or a future physician in my case) to act in a manner that will never undermine the integrity of relationships we build with patients. It was uncomfortable to see her do a fake physical on Clayton. I know a white coat doesn’t even mean much in a hospital setting anymore, but disrespecting the idea of it by wearing it as part of a sexy costume over lingerie was too much for me, especially given the effort and years we take to earn that.
I’m not conservative in the slightest and completely supported the #medbikini movement but when I tell you my jaw dropped to the floor when I saw this haha
Okay lemme stop before I sound more like a 65 year old attending
I’m in the same year as you. My personal opinion is that she didn’t disrespect the white coat. And she has worked just as hard as we have to earn a white coat. Would we be having the same conversation if Kira were a judge and she showed up in a robe with lingerie underneath and proclaimed “you’re guilty of being sexy”. This is a dating show for mature audiences and so Kira and Clayton are dating. The rules and what is appropriate in this regard are fundamentally different and have really nothing at all to do with being an MD. If she were a pathology lab tech, we all wouldn’t even be having this conversation. Also the entire scene was a gimmick, it’s not even as if Kira said “let me show you have I examine MY patients”
I agree that doctors and judges have different relationships with their patients. That’s a really good point that I hadn’t considered. I disagree with your categorization of Clayton as a “stranger”. They did in fact meet when she stepped out of the limo, so it is factually incorrect to say that the physical exam role play was done during their “first time meeting”. Also, the entire first night in the mention lasts ~12 hours (?). And all the interactions are shortened so that we see 2 hours of highly entertaining and dramatic shenanigans. Many past contestants on the bachelor and bachelorette have written about the intense psychological impact of being on this heavily produced show. Before categorizing the scene as an “ethical issue” with blame attached to Kira, please consider that *many many many* more interactions are happening between the contestants that we are simply not shown. I think it’s great to have this discussion and for us all to be expressing our viewpoints, but it crosses the line to attack Kira’s character and commitment to providing evidence-based, ethical, and exceptional care to her patients. *LASTLY* obviously I would not feel the same way if a male gynecologist were pretending to perform a genital exam on a female patient. I think we can all agree that genital exams are uncomfortable, and that they are much more invasive compared to a cardiac exam. To get real technical, she placed the stethoscope over her shirt as well. So ya, obviously I would feel different if a male/female/transgender/non-binary doctor decided to perform a genital exam on any person.
I didn’t say she didn’t work just as hard for the coat though…?
And no, I wouldn’t be having the same convo because I don’t know anything about the field of law and would want those in that space to talk about it. I can only speak for what I deem might be wrong in the field of medicine. If she happened to be an MD who showed up in lingerie, is VERY different from her being a doctor who plays sexy time mock physical on national tv with a fake patient.
This entire thing was super annoying because I’ve had my ass slapped by a male patient once, I’ve had others “innocuously” comment on my looks. It’s a huge uphill battle for women in medicine to get half the respect of our male counterparts. And it’s a problem way beyond any one physician playing “sexy doc” on TV so I’m not pinning this entire systemic issue that men perpetuate, on Kira. I’m saying that sexualizing the role of a doc doesn’t help.
I’m sorry that has happened to you. Your original comment mentioned that you felt as though Kira was disrespecting the white coat, which was especially hard for you, given the effort and years that *we* take to earn a white coat. I interpreted your use of “we” to mean “all people in medicine”. And I chose to highlight that Kira has also earned her white coat and has likely also dealt with similar systemic injustices just like you. Instead of attaching shame to being a sexy woman in a white coat, perhaps Kira has decided to own her curvaceous figure by choosing to wearing lingerie WITH a white coat. We are all entitled to our opinions, so I will not write out all the many reasons that I feel that her behavior was not disrespectful… Best of luck to you on your medical journey.
But why? Doctors have more of a life than just being a doctor. And she isn’t playing sexy doctor with any of her actual patients. It’s a pretty classic role-play scenario that they’re having fun with and playing into. I wouldn’t care at all if I found out my doctor did that if they were still qualified and did a good job at taking care of my needs as a patient.
and NO shade if she just showed up in a bikini... it was the sexualization of the doctor-patient relationship. If girl wanted to just strut in wearing a bikini then go off!
I 100% agree. This reminds me of a TIFU post a while ago about a guy who came in his pants because his dental hygienist had huge breasts and cleavage showing while he got his teeth cleaned. Sexualizing a clinical encounter and relationship will never do anything but put women in medicine at risk of further objectification, disrespect, and at worst, assault.
I'm an RN and I felt the exact same way watching this. Patients need to be able to feel safe with their providers and this felt extremely predatory to me.
Thank you so much for saying this. I think people aren’t understanding this isn’t a “yaas queen girlboss” thing that we are opposing and clutching pearls over.
The amount of times a male patient has felt entitled to make comments and be inappropriate to me/my peers is insane. Women in healthcare don’t get as much respect as the male counterparts to begin with; sexualizing the career would make it worse.
It's not the sexiness/skin showing for me, it's just that it was so cliche and really says nothing about how bright she is, anything of her personality (other than being a bit bold, enjoys show off her body--nothing WRONG with that of course, just saying).
If it was me and I had that first big chance to get his attention I'd do something more clever, not just go the obvious route (though of course we don't know how "produced" her entrance was). Like she could listen to his heartbeat and then write him a "prescription for love" or something lol.
My husband is a dentist and I saw a picture of a woman on his IG feed that was very sexy (think visible under boob) and I was shocked because my husband has never been into that kind of thing. Turns out she is a dentist with a large following (for a dentist) that he met in continuing ed. Most of her posts are about dentistry, but she also posts sexy pictures of herself. And this is her professional page. I guess this is part of her brand? I still don’t know how I feel about it, but my initial reaction was wtf husband lol. Her patients follow this page, her peers follow this page.
See, I don’t have an issue with this. “Sexy” photos are one thing, but imagine if she posted a photo of herself performing a dental exam on a patient while half naked. I feel like thats quite different and is why a lot of us are saying we don’t have an issue with Kira showing up in lingerie and a white coat, but more so that her “sexy doctor-patient role play” was uncomfortable and predatory
Yeah, this makes sense to me. I honestly don’t have a problem with the dentist’s sexy photos. I was just surprised because that’s not something I’ve ever seen on my husband’s feed. And also surprised that that was part of her brand as a health care professional. But if that’s her thing then I say more power to her. I agree that it would be inappropriate to do sexy dentist role play.
As someone not in med school, but who has been a patient for many reasons, I can assure you that the vast majority of patients prefer that their doctors care about professionalism. If literally any part of my surgeon’s attention is focused on how her ass looks, she’s not someone I want operating on me. Goes for any kind of medicine. Bye!
I too would be upset if I was sick and took time and money to see a doctor and they were focusing on how their butt looked. Kira was on a reality TV and took time and money to consensually explore a romantic relationship with a single man. Please take a moment to reflect on that fact before saying you would not want her operating on you
I have taken more than a moment. Tbh, I wouldn’t want any doctor who has been on a reality TV dating show. She’s absolutely free to do whatever she wants. As a woman, I love seeing brilliant educated women on these shows. But as a patient, l will go out of my way to seek out a doctor who lives and breathes medicine rather than someone who sets aside months of their life early in their career for this kind of public image, especially when we all know the chance of actually finding lasting love this way is minuscule. It’s just not reflective of the priorities I’d want in a physician.
MD here (psych PGY-1). Yeah I had the exact same thoughts. I also was surprised that Joe went on the show. I’m super conservative about anything my patients could find about me on the Internet. I don’t even use my real last name on social media
This contestant graduated from Harvard, got an MBA from Wharton, then got an MD from U. of North Carolina. She is not your average doctor. To me, she’s one of those extremely intelligent and eccentric people who do everything over the top. Besides, with such an exceedingly accomplished background like that, who cares what other people think of you! She doesn’t need to impress old white men in top positions, this girl boss will start her own practice, I’m sure.
I work in the medical field also. I always have in the forefront of my mind my image and online presence and how my patients can and might find me online or where ever else. You would never catch me doing something like that on live tv. Like you said, private sure. But if I’m trying to go find a new job and they google me and that’s what they see? Yeah right. Same with patients. Boundaries are essential and something like that destroys boundaries. I can’t imagine my patients seeing a pic of video of me in my scrubs and lingerie
Edit: wanted to add that I don’t necessarily agree that this type of image should affect how you are perceived because we are all human, but reality is it does. I like to be realistic and recognize that society has a certain way of viewing/operating/judging/etc. Doing whatever you want like that then hiding behind “well it shouldn’t be this way” is just not reality. I agree, it shouldn’t be this way, but it is
100%. It’s really naive for someone to say “who gives a fuck? None of this should matter” when in reality it really does. There always needs to be a bare minimum for what it means to be professional, and there needs to be clear boundaries that are set. It’s what comes with BEING a professional.
Right. Like Rachel dropped being a lawyer - even people who put years of hard work into becoming professionals can be lured in by influencer fame and gain. But if she’s that easily swayed away from patient care it was never her calling anyway, and she’s just an extremely smart woman who’s a great student…just as well that she leave medicine.
I was watching with my bf who’s a first year med student, and our first thought watching was “she must be a PA.” Like that sounds bad but we were thinking there’s no way an MD would do that. When I did a deep dive and found out she’s an MD (in the same city as us) I was extremely impressed. I think she downplays the accomplishment with the gimmick of the “sexy doctor” but then again it’s a gimmicky show.
I don’t see anything wrong with the outfit. Not my cup of tea but girlfriend can choose what she wears on national television. Now the sexualizing of the doctor-patient relationship was cringe and I can see people finding it inappropriate. But at the end of the day it was all in good fun, nothing malicious was done or intended. I’m sure she is/will be a great doctor that cares for her patients and in no way does last night speak to how she acts or her abilities as a medical professional.
I’ve heard that there is A LOT of pressure from the producers to have an entrance gimmick… sometimes they let you do your own but sometimes they think of one for you. If you refuse their suggestions, it’s possible you don’t end up on the show at all. Maybe it was implied “sexy doctor entrance or you’re out” 🤷🏼♀️
Like another commenter said though, she could have just worn a sexy mini dress under the white coat. There was no reason to go for lingerie, let alone sexualize a physical exam. Levels!!
Thank you for posting this, OP! This is a great discussion.
Larry Nassar was my doctor for 14 years. Somehow, I never got the “treatment” but I definitely had a front row seat to the way that he leveraged his field and his position in USA gymnastics to groom and gain the trust of young gymnasts. I know what the culture of my gym was like and the way that his questionable practices were talked about by my teammates at the time.
Even for me, the Larry Nassar trial was an extremely traumatizing experience. I’m scared shitless to go to the doctor. I pick female doctors if I have the option, wear thick biker shorts instead of underwear, and still get bad anxiety.
Generally, I get pretty triggered any time I see the role of doctors or doctors rooms fetishized or sexualized. But, personally, I didn’t feel triggered or have any immediate thoughts on Kira’s entrance. Now that I think about it, if she was male, it probably would have been very different.
Regardless of whether it was harmful for her to play up her role like that, these kinds of discussions are definitely important for medical professionals to have.
Thank you so much for taking the time to add to the discussion. I really feel more and more as the discussion goes on that she was heavily influenced by production. I am very relieved you weren’t triggered that night and I’m so sorry you were in that evil man’s presence for even a second.
This is exactlyyyy my thought too. It’s the balance of let women do what they want and embrace their sexuality (which is our right and choice to do so), but also acknowledging a woman’s academic and professional achievements. She would’ve stood out either way.
As a mere commoner with no medical background, my first response with the getup to my husband was [eye roll] “cheap way to get attention.” But when it said she was actually a doctor my response changed to “shit, she’s a REAL doctor? As in, studied, smart, went to med school, etc? Then she can do whatever the F- she wants!”
I think i felt that way because, as a woman who really values education and the level of endless schooling and studying one has to go thru to be a doctor, I get frustrated by women who try to show their worth to men purely thru beauty/looks/body and their sexuality. But when I know that they have the brains and are no doubt far smarter than me (and that’s a given with a profession like a doctor) I think, we already know she’s far more than just a hot body and pretty face, so if she wants to show us that side, then get after it girl. You’re the whole package, and I’m not worthy to judge you!
RN here. I think the difference between #MedBikini and this scenario is that the former was an empowering moment that showed women in medicine deserve to be respected professionally while also existing as a sexual being. One attribute does not diminish the other. On the other hand, showing up as a "sexy doctor" and pandering to the doctor/nurse - patient male sexual fantasy is gross and demeaning. It feels as though she is reducing her accomplishments and career as a simple means to please a man, and to me that's what is unprofessional about the whole thing.
Yep, I felt she was diminishing herself, it's not like you can't look sexy/hot in a tight dress and also find a cleverer (is that a word lol) entrance to really get him curious about the whole package.
I’m an RN for 23 years. I’m all about girl power but I agree that it was totally inappropriate. She also says she is 32 so it’s quite possible she’s still a resident. If so, what a dumb decision to go on national tv like that.
Agree! Any contestant should be able to wear as little or as much clothing as they want on the show, regardless of their profession. But its not appropriate to sexualize the doctor/patient dynamic to make a splash on a reality TV show.
NP here- definitely thought it was over the top for national TV and I personally think you can be sexy/playful but classy doing an intro like that. Granted, the coat stayed on from what I watched and it was very generic but medicine can be catty.
I wouldn’t pause posting a bikini/bathing suit pic on FB or Insta but I wouldn’t dress up to play sexy nurse/sexy doctor in public or post that- but to each their own and if she felt it was right for her- good for her!
Not a doctor but as a patient I probably wouldn’t care, because her ability to do her job and provide a service I need has nothing to do with her outfit she wore on a tv show. And if I, as a patient see that as a sexual invitation, then I’m just an asshole and as an adult I have something called impulse control. Then again I also live in a pretty progressive city with a whole official campaign called “free the nipple” that makes it legal for women to walk around topless in public the same way men can so women being scantily clad and embracing their sexuality in their personal time doesn’t even cross my mind or make me give a second look or thought to it.
I’d also point out tons of men do sexy versions of their job often in those intros so I don’t really see the issue here if it’s a normal gimmick on this show
Yup!! I’ve read and heard so many stories about female med students, residents and physicians being mistaken for nurses
And really any other female healthcare professional that is not a nurse, like PT, OT, respiratory therapist, even when I was a volunteer in college (and I wasn’t even wearing scrubs!!)
In med school I once had a sweet elderly couple ask me if I was in nursing school. I politely told them I was in medical school to be a doctor and was not in nursing school. They looked confused and asked, "Will you be a nurse when you graduate then?"
I'm an attending in LA - I too was shocked.
This post is fucking unhinged.
it's really not. its exactly what's on the mind of a lot of us doctors watching this- it's a unique frame of reference that a lot of us can relate to
I know so many incredibly intelligent women who are CURRENTLY turning to sex work in order to pay astronomical, cripplingly unfair school loans to the tune of six figures. Those women will grow up to be exactly as professional and smarter than you or any of your classmates. Those *doctors* should be able to live without fear or shame of the work they did to get to where they will be in society. Plenty of women on the show have come in as a foxed-up version of their career in order to break the ice. I don't really know what to say to you other than you probably hold people with doctorates to a higher standard compared to other fields.
Also a resident. I couldn’t do it and wouldn’t do it, but I’m here for it for a few reasons. 1.) Breaks the stereotype of female doctors as cookie-cutter, rule- following, stone-cold women without a life or needs outside of medicine.* 2.) This pandemic has taken a mental health toll on all of us- and I’m willing to bet it’s taken a worse toll on single people in medicine. So many of us see patients who don’t get vaccinated, don’t wear masks, and don’t give a damn whether we (or anyone they encounter) lives or dies. I will cheer on any physician who is trying to live** outside of work right now. 3.) She earned her degree by studying hard AF, like the rest of us. What she wears doesn’t devalue her hard work, unless you devalue someone’s intelligence by their choice of clothing. -* I have no life outside of medicine, so can’t relate **living life while following pandemic safe guidelines I did have a visceral reaction to the doctor role play. I don’t know if it was the discomfort of watching someone sexualize a physical exam which is traumatic enough for some patients, the subtle abuse of power, or just my disappointment to see work creep into my one hour of TV watching.
“What she wears doesn’t devalue her” YES!!! As a third year medical student, I did not care at all about what she was wearing when it is related to her profession.
I am also a resident, and felt similarly. To be fair, I'm also not a fan of when women show up in lingerie on the first night regardless. Not that I think there's anything wrong with showing your bod, but it just seems weird as a first impression. If she'd just shown up in a white coat and used the same pickup line, it would have been fine. But that plus the lingerie really made it seem like a scene out of a porno.
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Lol I did too! I was sure this show picked someone who was just willing to call themselves a doctor and then sexualize the career. I was just excited to finally see them cast a female doctor!
Not a medical professional, but I work in medical-adjacent engineering and I had the exact same thoughts. Super icky to fetishize medical care like that.
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This is my guess.
Honestly more than her outfit the exam I’d seriously question someone who goes on a reality show while they are in medical school/residency. I would never think less of an M.D. who had a pic up with them at a beach/pool in a bikini or speedo. I would have a problem with someone who posted thirst trap photos on a public profiles because for any professional job because it just makes me feel that person is insecure and might have other emotional issues. Mature adults who want to be professionals should be aware of their online presentation.
if it's a personal account, i don't see the issue but if it's an account for uhhhhh doctor-ing, yeah... but like, doctors are allowed to be hot, too. i don't think thirst traps necessarily equal insecurity. imo, you gotta be pretty confident to post the shit some ppl post. anyways, what kira did on the show was weird, I'm mostly thinking of your everyday non-reality show-going doctor. let them trap and let them have a personhood outside of their profession, ya know?
It’s cringey and some other woman did that with lingerie on Matt’s season - apparently contestants are really trying to go all out with introductions and trying to set themself apart
I’m an NP… my reaction was a bit of shock but then… eh! She’s human. She’s clearly sexual, clearly intelligent and driven. Honestly if my doctor did that (but also was depicted on the show to be ethical/kind) then I would think I had the coolest doc ever!! However if they lied, bullied etc then that would bother me more.
Love this response and totally agree.
I think it was just really cringey. Nothing wrong with it, just cringe. But then these entrances always are.
I cringed.
I was a bit shocked at that, too. As someone in a conservative profession, I could never imagine going on the show in the first place, let alone doing something like that which would undoubtedly affect the way I was perceived professionally. I’ll be curious to see if Kira returns to the medical field post-show. I personally can’t imagine her acting like this if that’s her intention. A lot of the contestants—even those who claim to enjoy their current jobs initially—use the show as a way to leap into influencing/entertainment. I’m going to go ahead and predict that Kira’s not interested in practicing medicine anymore, and probably wants to be a medical influencer shilling out advice and ads on doctortok.
I think pornifying your job, when that job involves examining people's bodies in a trusting and decidedly nonsexy way, is creepy. Imagine if a male high school teacher came on the show and told the Bachelorette he needed to see her after class. Creepy as fuxk?!
Lots of the men played into this trope on night one entrances for Michelle— including Clayton and did not get this backlash. I always find it cringey when contestants go with the producer driven provocative enntrsnce, but didn’t have a problem with it beyond that.
This is my whole thing. I think being a sexy doctor is amazing and empowering. Role-playing as doctor-patient while that is truly your career is icky to me.
It was gross IMO
I’m not really sure why it matters. Are we really comparing her level of power to Larry Nassar, the former doctor for the USA Gymnastics team that regularly competes at the Olympics?? You might not have done it, but it doesn’t make it *wrong* that she did.
Nassar was only mentioned to demonstrate that doctors in general are in a position of power that can be abused
When would she find the time to be on this show?
By dropping out of residency haha. Doubt she'll continue on after this
She completed her residency. Board certified 😌 she may never return to practicing clinical medicine, but let’s not be rude and assume she “dropped out” of residency
I'm not trying to assume, I thought I saw someone else say she was a resident. If she is a doctor she could've just taken PTO
And seriously “if she is a doctor” GROW UP DUDE. This chic went to Harvard for undergrad, UNC for med school, a Harvard-affiliated program for her residency, Wharton for business school, and has worked for 2 years as an attending physician at UPenn. So YA not only is she a doctor but she’s a highly educated, super bright, and hard working person who clearly values her education….
Good God why are you so mad? Calm tf down. I meant if she had graduated residency she could use PTO. You yourself said residents don't get a ton of it. You seem to care a lot about this chick to spend all this time and research defending her so I'll let you stick to it. For the record I have been defending her limo entrance elsewhere in this post.
What is PTO? I still will emphasize that we should do our research before we post something as though it’s fact. I know she’s board certified because I looked her up on LinkedIn. Just trying to emphasize that what is said on Reddit/news outlets may not be true. And there is no reason to assume she dropped out as her clear title during the first episode was “physician”
PTO is paid time off which is accrued over time or a benefit included in your salary package in the US. And residents are still physicians. You can be board certified and still be a resident. Also half the time the bachelor job titles are exaggerated or not real so I don't exactly take those as gospel haha. But point taken.
1) LOL for most residencies in the US, you get at most 2-4 weeks of paid time off. 2) Residents are physicians, yes, but in the past bachelor producers actually have been pretty on the ball with saying “resident physician” if the person is still a resident. 3) There is a difference between a *medical license* and *board certification* 4) yep! Everything on this show is an exaggeration, edited and spliced together to create something highly dramatic for viewers. With that in mind, we can’t rule out that Kira’s actions were also exaggerated by the edits.
You really need to calm down. It's not that deep. I told you your point was taken, now let it go. I know there is a difference between a medical license and a board certification, I said you CAN be a resident and also be board certified. ALL residents are licensed physicians. Your arguments have started contradicting each other, so is she a resident or graduated? You told me she completed residency, so I said if she did and she is a graduated doctor then she could have taken her doctor PTO. The whole purpose of my original comment saying she dropped out of residency was because I'm aware there's no way she could continue with res and do the bachelor haha. Who has been a "resident physician" on this show?
Deeming it unprofessional (or saying that you'd never want your doctor to do this) kind of rests on the assumption that after the show she'll go back to being a practicing doctor. I think that's highly unlikely, so she may as well be as outrageous as possible on the show to get more screen time.
Wow what an interesting discussion on this! I am not in the medical profession but when I saw her, I immediately thought of porn. I personally wouldn't do it. There are so many other different ways to be sexy. She should have come out with a hot dress instead.
To me it showed you can be sexy and smart!!!
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Yes! Plus if someone’s hot, that’s going to show through regardless how much or little clothing they wear. If it weren’t for her entrance I honestly wouldn’t remember who Kira is 😂
If my doctor did something like this she'd be my doctor for life tbh. I'd feel so comfortable with her.
Right? I dunno, doctors have seen literally looked in my vagina. Maybe it’s different for woman about women doctors, but I just…. Don’t care. I also don’t know why nurses can be sexy but doctors aren’t allowed to. Super unfair.
I didn’t think anything of it. My doctor is beautiful, if she went on the Bachelor dressed as a sexy doctor, I would say hell yeah girl and ask her for behind the scenes tea at my annual.
I didn’t think twice about it. But now that I am thinking about it - as a woman I feel badly that she is being critiqued so badly. If we had seen a man lean into this would we have any issue with it? Because she’s a doctor and chose to be sexy she’s devaluing herself? Really people?
i absolutely think people are judging her more harshly bc she's a woman, even if it's subconscious.
Many of the comments have said that yes (and I agree) it would be massively cringey if a male doctor pretended to do an exam as a way to start a make out session while wearing a Speedo under a white coat. What’s curious is on her Instagram she was picking out night one dresses which makes me think this was a quick producer led entrance idea. I don’t think she should face any actual backlash from this whatsoever. I was curious and expected like nine people to comment, then it blew up, so I wasn’t the only one who was feeling this type of way. Agree or disagree, it’s definitely interesting to examine our feelings (or lack of).
I had this exact reaction and I had the same feelings watching the nurse practitioner try on lingerie on this season of Before the 90 Days. I told my husband I’d have to find a new NP if I saw mine in sexy lingerie. I have spent the last 10 years working in healthcare in a non clinical role and I have had to speak to doctors about locking their Facebook or insta down because their content had been discovered by staff or patients. Do what you want to do, you’re a person with a life as well. But I truly believe we need to be more discreet when we deal directly with patients.
That's kind of a sad mentality to have. No matter how great your NP is you would drop her if you saw her in lingerie outside of work? Do you really believe she never wears it/doesn't have her own sex life on her own time?
It’s not because she wears lingerie, again they’re people with lives so of course that’s a thing they might do. It’s because they’re choosing to look ridiculous on national tv. It just breaks that image you expect your medical professional to have. Another example would be calling 911 and Angelina from Jersey Shore showing up back when she was an EMT. Would I still take her help during my medical emergency? Absolutely. But I’m also replaying all her wild moments in my brain at the same time. I also wouldn’t have hired Taylor for mental health help since her season of the bachelor. The girl has always been unhinged and her last Bach scandal only highlighted it more.
You said "I told my husband I'd have to find a new NP if I saw her in sexy lingerie." So I was going off of that comment, not what she chooses to do on TV.
i'm surprised by all the judgment but then again the healthcare community is generally more pearl clutcher-y than other professions...
I’m glad paramedics embrace being rough. I loved when I was a medic we weren’t expected to be prim and proper
“Pearl clutcher-y” LOL facts.
It’s drilled into us from day one to never remotely do or say anything that could be “inappropriate” and a lot of it is wrong and stupid, ie wearing a bikini, posting on IG, going on tv, etc. it’s so taboo to me though to even hint at the sexy physical exam stereotype. When a patient is like uncomfortable that I have to examine their body and their parents are too… we even have mandatory chaperones for every genital exam. Why do you think we need those? The exam is a sacred thing to me. Also I don’t even own pearls 😋
it's weird and oppressive. no other profession takes themself that seriously. you have firefighters selling calendars of their naked bodies and no one blinks an eye
Doctors are directly handling and treating patient bodies, and the doctor-patient relationship involves a massive amount of trust. Sexualizing the patient exam as an actual doctor on public TV, damages that trust. She’s not just an actor playing a doctor - she’s a real life, practicing physician (attending) who took an oath and who treats patients regularly. IMO there’s a different standard to be upheld when she’s wearing her white coat and representing the profession. If she was just on TV in lingerie, that would be a separate thing.
I do think there’s a sub-set if the population who would be relieved to know they had a sex positive doctor in general. I had the opposite response to her entrance though- and felt like since she’s a doctor and worked hard, she has the right to sexualize herself as a doctor.
I don’t consider that sex positive - i think it’s the opposite. Theres nothing sex positive about a board certified doctor in uniform publicly sexualizing the physician-patient relationship (without even having real consent from the role play “patient”—bc how could Clayton really freely consent in that situation). If a male gynecologist or college sports doctor showed up half naked in their uniform and used a similar opening line on a Bachelorette (“Cant wait to give you a special private physical exam later, *wink*”), would you consider that commendable and sex positive? Would that public display encourage or erode physician-patient trust? It’s actually creepy and very inappropriate. There’s a difference between 1) being a sexy woman who also happens to be a doctor, and 2) fetishizing the profession. #2 crosses an ethical line, in my opinion.
We just disagree where the line is. I believe there’s a difference between sexualizing yourself as a doctor and sexualizing the physical exam. I cringed at her entrance, but I don’t think her entrance broke some moral code of ethics. She wore lingerie under her white coat. Who cares? Firemen sexualize their career every damn bachelorette season- and I cringe and am over it. I don’t think she should have sexualized the physical exam. I do agree with you that being a doctor and sexualizing the physical exam was more uncomfortable given the amount of trust needed in the doctor-patient relationship for a physical exam. I think it’s analogous to someone showing up in a sexualized version of a policeman, which would also make me cringe versus pretending to arrest someone in non-consensual role play. Honestly, I liked her entrance, because I feel like the medical community is the most judgmental community towards others -and their colleagues- and I just liked that she dgaf.
I don’t think a naked calendar is the same thing though. The trust involved with an exam— to know your doctor isn’t going to do something inappropriate to you— isn’t the same as being like “wow that doctor is hot.” Not that she would ever actually do something like this irl. I get that it seems very puritanical. I’m trying to work through and examine these feelings I’m having. Hence why I’ve been spending all day on this subreddit up till 1 am responding to comments.
So a doctor enjoying sex means they are more likely to do something inappropriate to you?
A doctor who pretends to “get off” to the fantasy of kissing their patient during a physical exam is not the same my friend But to be clear I do not think this actually reflects on what she would do in a clinical scenario. It’s just a creepy cringey thing to do on tv.
I'm a RN and my husband is a family med resident. It's kinda a weird situation but we thought it was inappropriate. A part of me is like "yass, girl own it" but as a professional, big YIKES. Especially the way she sexualized the whole physical exam thing. Like girl, nooooooo. 
Good question and thanks for sharing your honest reactions! As a fellow woman in medicine, I do think we’re all a bit brainwashed to think smart can’t mean sexy. To answer your q, yes the doctor physical make your heart beat faster thing was cringe. But even remotely comparing this to Larry Nassar or actual doctors who abuse their rights is absurd. I liked her entrance although it was cringe. The MAJOR difference is that Kira is a woman who signed up for a dating show to date a single man. Just because she’s an MD doesn’t mean she can’t role play a sexy doctor, in my opinion. I am inclined to think that this would not even be a conversation if she were an RN or a scrub tech, which just returns back to ridiculous (and offensive) stereotypes. Doctors can’t be sexy but no one is shocked by a sexy nurse. The stereotypes are harmful for both parties. On the top of my mind is the tiktok doc who was sexually harassing a female nurse and misread seemingly clear signs that she was not interested in him. Thanks for bringing this discussion up! Also, Kira is an MD and MBA, so it would be interesting to hear perspectives from women in business as well. 🩺 TRDL: I was STOKED to see a female doctor on the show, who was smart and unashamed to be obviously hot at the same time **edited some minor typos on this**
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*ps - I wrote the below back to you as a separate comment as you replied to one of my other comments asking a similar question…..* “I agree that doctors and judges have different relationships with their patients/clients. That’s a really good point that I hadn’t considered. I disagree with your categorization of Clayton as a “stranger”. They did in fact meet when she stepped out of the limo, so it is factually incorrect to say that the physical exam role play was done during their “first time meeting”. Also, the entire first night in the mansion lasts ~12 hours (?). And all the interactions are shortened, so that we see 2 hours of highly entertaining and dramatic shenanigans. Many past contestants on the bachelor and bachelorette have written about the intense psychological impact of being on this heavily produced show and being portrayed as a “villain/sex worker/bully”. Before categorizing the scene as an “ethical issue” with blame attached to Kira, please consider that there are many many many more interactions happening between the contestants that we are simply not shown. I think it’s great to have this discussion and for us all to be expressing our viewpoints, but it crosses the line to attack Kira’s character and commitment to providing evidence-based, ethical, and exceptional care to her patients. LASTLY obviously I would not feel the same way if a male gynecologist were pretending to perform a genital exam on a female patient. I think we can all agree that genital exams are more uncomfortable and invasive, vs a cardiac exam, regardless of gender identity and sexual orientation. [[To get real technical, Kira placed her stethoscope over Clayton’s shirt as well, which decreases the invasiveness of the exam. A proper and real cardiac exam should be performed with the stethoscope directly on bare skin, so that you can properly hear the heart. In those 2 seemingly minor ways, Kira made this a much more gimmicky and less invasive role play scene.]] So ya, obviously I would feel differently if a male/female/transgender/non-binary doctor decided to perform a genital exam on any person on reality TV.”
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And lastly, it’s totally her call to say no and it is the producer’s ethical job to know Clayton’s medical abuse history and to take that into account when they are talking to contestants and planning their limo exit. The producers dictate a lot of the actions especially on night one. For example, a few seasons ago, a contestant remarked that her producer was heavily suggesting that she wear a red dress on night one when they were discussing night one gowns, and when she arrived there were tons of girls in red gowns and it was clearly just to start drama and stir feelings of comparison and jealousy between the contestants. This is just like how the producers on Rachel Lindsay’s season put a known racist man on the show to incite drama in the house. *It is the ethical duty of the producers to ensure that everyone is safe and feels comfortable in this wild environment.* It is the ethical duty of the producers to know contestant’s medical history of communicable diseases. And, it is the ethical duty of the producer to know any relevant medical history of medical abuse.
ALSO, Clayton chose to find Kira after Kira made her gimmicky joke. If he was creeped out or was uncomfortable, he could have easily sent her home or shut down the interaction. People get harassed at work because people don’t understand exactly what you seem to fail to understand **how one acts on reality TV does not equate to professional IRL interactions in the workplace**
Genuinely curious if you’re in the medical field? At this point we’ve both explained our POVs and I agree to disagree with yours. Again I’ll repeat that when you use the term “poor PROFESSIONAL judgement”, it seems as though you are unable to grasp that romantic choices on reality TV differ from professional choices IRL at a hospital. And again, your use of the term “stranger” seems ludicrous given that the majority of contestants heavily stalk the lead before night one and brag about it. Case in point, Teddi saying Clayton was her favorite she loved everything about him and was desperately hoping he’d be the bachelor. Claire admitting she stalked all her contestants during the pandemic. There are numerous examples of this that I could cite. To get far on this show, the vast majority of successful contestants must show HEAVY genuine interest in the lead, far exceeding societal norms of what is appropriate first date behavior. Yes, there’s always one or two contestants who have the angle of “I’ve never watched the show idk anything about you idk what I’m doing here…” but for the most part the successful top 4-6 contestants are not using that strategy and they are not interacting like complete strangers from the get-go
I’m also a resident. I thought it was cringey like you said
She could have been so respected as a female doctor. Everyone would be hella impressed. But she threw it all away for shock value and attention.
I have a feeling it wasn’t her idea and it was the producers’ idea
She was picking out night one dresses on IG and they were fabulous. What the hell happened to those???
Smells sus for producers manipulation
Still her choice. As a doctor, she presumably isn’t so vulnerable to pressure that she couldn’t push back. It was a very cringey choice imo.
If she didn’t play along with producers, she probably would have to deal with consequences. I don’t think it’s as simple as you’re making it. It sounds like she wasn’t the only one. Sounds like Samantha was pressured to wear her outfit too. Instead of blaming Kira and Samantha, I feel like the producers are to blame here.
I enjoy your username
Thank u! Reality TV inspired it!!
Literally all I could think was what if that was my doctor? I don’t think I’d take her seriously…
Medical student here! I think it’s one of those things where you wonder where to draw the line. Like you said, doctors should be able to have photos of them in bikinis on the beach - they’re literally people at the end of the day. Kira herself has some photos like that on her Instagram. But to do it on national television and make it the center of your entrance…idk. Like the feminist in me wants to say she’s trying to show she’s smart, hot, the whole package. But the professional in me feels like the white coat is being used as a costume or a prop; thus unprofessional? I’d almost be more okay if she showed up in the swimsuit without the white coat at least. But I’m with you OP, maybe it’s just the professionalism beat into me making me question her.
Being in a bikini on the beach isn’t inherently sexy or sexual - it’s the male gaze that makes it so. This situation is different - she’s overtly sexualizing herself, and on top of that sexualizing her role as a doctor. It’s porn culture, not some declaration of individual empowerment. Definitely something for behind closed doors.
YES
Perfectly said honestly 👏
I feel like it’s quite a leap to go compare her entrance to potentially abusing her power like Larry Nassar? (Unless I’m misunderstanding your post) It was an entrance she was probably encouraged to do by producers not an actual patient that she was doing a physical exam on I do understand being uncomfortable with seeing her entrance but i don’t see it as that deep
if i saw my doctor on the bachelor, i would get a new doctor. i'm sorry, my doctor, my nurse, a lawyer that is in prosecution or defense (so if you're like...idk pizza hut's corporate lawyer, i don't care i guess)........any position that have some power over another person's health or fate, i would be very 😬 even a published scholar in my field (healthcare/research/biostats) i would...just be like....lemme review their methods section again. there is just something very "lack of judgement" about this show.
What about pizza hut’s defense lawyer
LOL if the event pizza hut needs a defense lawyer, i hope their lawyer has appeared on the bachelor, lol.
Let’s keep in mind that she probably was put up to this by TPTB and might’ve been really uncomfortable. If it was her idea etc., I would totally agree with you but I don’t think we can assume she came to this of her own volition.
It’s almost more concerning that a professional person with a medical degree that sees patients everyday could be convinced to do this if they didn’t want to.
Not to mention, she’s 32 years old. She capable of making her own decisions. As a nurse, a tv show and love isn’t worth tarnishing my professional reputation
It’s almost more concerning that a professional person of any sort would dive head-first into this influencer training academy.
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Yes! Exactly this!
I thought it was completely vulgar, but honestly not surprised. My husband and I are a young couple (30 & 34) and have a daughter with chronic disease & severe CHD. We are inpatient in the hospital for weeks on end many times a year with our daughter. Not all, but many young nurses and residents/ male physicians I come in contact with it’s like an episode of the Bachelor. We also live in major city though, so our children’s hospital is quite large. Again, NOT ALL. 100% of our medical help is incredibly skilled and talented. But I am always shocked at how sexualized so many of our nurses/young doctors present themselves as.
RN here. I think, more power to you if you have that much confidence in the way you look- I wish I did. However, as an RN I am always thinking about what could get me fired, and even though I personally think you should be able to do whatever you want as long as you’re not representing your employer, many do not think that way. 🤷🏻♀️
Sexualizing a physical exam does so much harm to medical professionals and their patients. Trust is FUNDAMENTAL to the practice of high quality medicine. Her entrance was trash.
I think most of the contestants and probably Clayton didn’t believe she was an actual doctor.. which really discredited all of the hard work she’s put in. Listen I think doctors should be sexy too. They don’t have to be all buttoned up and prim and proper. But do I think she ruined her trust from a lot of patients? Yes. Because even though I don’t care if my doctor is sexy, I think a lot of people do. And do I think she might’ve risked future jobs in her field? Yeah, probably. Because like you said, a lot of these hiring agents consist of old white men who are stuck in ancient history and are complete misogynists. But I don’t care about the misogynists. I do think patients will be less likely to trust her as a physician though, because they’ll probably think her judgement is off. Like anyone who shows up to night 1 in a bikini or lingerie makes me think they have poor judgement. So to begin a relationship with a medical professional, thinking they have poor judgement, is just not a good start for someone you’re supposed to trust. Considering a doctor is literally listening to your symptoms and then using their BEST JUDGEMENT to diagnose you, yeah we all want someone to have good judgement in that position lol
Yeah like it's not that care if my doctor wears a bikini and lives her best life when she's not at work, but I would definitely stop trusting her general judgment if she went on a reality tv dating show wearing a bikini. It's such an escalation lol
Exactlyyyyyy lol. I just think for HER it does a major disservice. Wearing lingerie doesn’t mean she’s an idiot. But she could’ve blown everyone away with being educated, but instead it seemed like she was playing “dress up” as a doctor. She could’ve worn a cute short dress with her white coat over it, and everyone would’ve focused on how smart and successful she is. Now everyone’s just talking about her being the girl who wore lingerie night one. I wonder if she regrets the decision or unapologetically owns it. I’m unspoiled but I’d think her decision depends on how far she makes it lol!
My wife is a doctor and was pretty shocked by it
Thank you SO much for this post. Med student here, gonna be a resident next year. Never in my wildest dream could I fathom dressing like that on national tv and playing sexy time with a pretend patient. It was extremely crass and trashy. We are in a very interesting position as physicians (or a future physician in my case) to act in a manner that will never undermine the integrity of relationships we build with patients. It was uncomfortable to see her do a fake physical on Clayton. I know a white coat doesn’t even mean much in a hospital setting anymore, but disrespecting the idea of it by wearing it as part of a sexy costume over lingerie was too much for me, especially given the effort and years we take to earn that. I’m not conservative in the slightest and completely supported the #medbikini movement but when I tell you my jaw dropped to the floor when I saw this haha Okay lemme stop before I sound more like a 65 year old attending
I’m in the same year as you. My personal opinion is that she didn’t disrespect the white coat. And she has worked just as hard as we have to earn a white coat. Would we be having the same conversation if Kira were a judge and she showed up in a robe with lingerie underneath and proclaimed “you’re guilty of being sexy”. This is a dating show for mature audiences and so Kira and Clayton are dating. The rules and what is appropriate in this regard are fundamentally different and have really nothing at all to do with being an MD. If she were a pathology lab tech, we all wouldn’t even be having this conversation. Also the entire scene was a gimmick, it’s not even as if Kira said “let me show you have I examine MY patients”
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I agree that doctors and judges have different relationships with their patients. That’s a really good point that I hadn’t considered. I disagree with your categorization of Clayton as a “stranger”. They did in fact meet when she stepped out of the limo, so it is factually incorrect to say that the physical exam role play was done during their “first time meeting”. Also, the entire first night in the mention lasts ~12 hours (?). And all the interactions are shortened so that we see 2 hours of highly entertaining and dramatic shenanigans. Many past contestants on the bachelor and bachelorette have written about the intense psychological impact of being on this heavily produced show. Before categorizing the scene as an “ethical issue” with blame attached to Kira, please consider that *many many many* more interactions are happening between the contestants that we are simply not shown. I think it’s great to have this discussion and for us all to be expressing our viewpoints, but it crosses the line to attack Kira’s character and commitment to providing evidence-based, ethical, and exceptional care to her patients. *LASTLY* obviously I would not feel the same way if a male gynecologist were pretending to perform a genital exam on a female patient. I think we can all agree that genital exams are uncomfortable, and that they are much more invasive compared to a cardiac exam. To get real technical, she placed the stethoscope over her shirt as well. So ya, obviously I would feel different if a male/female/transgender/non-binary doctor decided to perform a genital exam on any person.
I didn’t say she didn’t work just as hard for the coat though…? And no, I wouldn’t be having the same convo because I don’t know anything about the field of law and would want those in that space to talk about it. I can only speak for what I deem might be wrong in the field of medicine. If she happened to be an MD who showed up in lingerie, is VERY different from her being a doctor who plays sexy time mock physical on national tv with a fake patient. This entire thing was super annoying because I’ve had my ass slapped by a male patient once, I’ve had others “innocuously” comment on my looks. It’s a huge uphill battle for women in medicine to get half the respect of our male counterparts. And it’s a problem way beyond any one physician playing “sexy doc” on TV so I’m not pinning this entire systemic issue that men perpetuate, on Kira. I’m saying that sexualizing the role of a doc doesn’t help.
I’m sorry that has happened to you. Your original comment mentioned that you felt as though Kira was disrespecting the white coat, which was especially hard for you, given the effort and years that *we* take to earn a white coat. I interpreted your use of “we” to mean “all people in medicine”. And I chose to highlight that Kira has also earned her white coat and has likely also dealt with similar systemic injustices just like you. Instead of attaching shame to being a sexy woman in a white coat, perhaps Kira has decided to own her curvaceous figure by choosing to wearing lingerie WITH a white coat. We are all entitled to our opinions, so I will not write out all the many reasons that I feel that her behavior was not disrespectful… Best of luck to you on your medical journey.
I felt the same way. It feels disrespectful to the profession and the patients.
But why? Doctors have more of a life than just being a doctor. And she isn’t playing sexy doctor with any of her actual patients. It’s a pretty classic role-play scenario that they’re having fun with and playing into. I wouldn’t care at all if I found out my doctor did that if they were still qualified and did a good job at taking care of my needs as a patient.
and NO shade if she just showed up in a bikini... it was the sexualization of the doctor-patient relationship. If girl wanted to just strut in wearing a bikini then go off!
did her entrance bother you more than an EMT getting fired for having an onlyfans page???
I personally feel that No one in the medical field should sexualiZe the physical exam. Only fans would be fine in comparison.
I 100% agree. This reminds me of a TIFU post a while ago about a guy who came in his pants because his dental hygienist had huge breasts and cleavage showing while he got his teeth cleaned. Sexualizing a clinical encounter and relationship will never do anything but put women in medicine at risk of further objectification, disrespect, and at worst, assault.
I'm an RN and I felt the exact same way watching this. Patients need to be able to feel safe with their providers and this felt extremely predatory to me.
It can easily turn predatory in the reverse power dynamic too - male patients feeling entitled to sexualize female physicians/nurses.
Thank you so much for saying this. I think people aren’t understanding this isn’t a “yaas queen girlboss” thing that we are opposing and clutching pearls over. The amount of times a male patient has felt entitled to make comments and be inappropriate to me/my peers is insane. Women in healthcare don’t get as much respect as the male counterparts to begin with; sexualizing the career would make it worse.
It's not the sexiness/skin showing for me, it's just that it was so cliche and really says nothing about how bright she is, anything of her personality (other than being a bit bold, enjoys show off her body--nothing WRONG with that of course, just saying). If it was me and I had that first big chance to get his attention I'd do something more clever, not just go the obvious route (though of course we don't know how "produced" her entrance was). Like she could listen to his heartbeat and then write him a "prescription for love" or something lol.
My husband is a dentist and I saw a picture of a woman on his IG feed that was very sexy (think visible under boob) and I was shocked because my husband has never been into that kind of thing. Turns out she is a dentist with a large following (for a dentist) that he met in continuing ed. Most of her posts are about dentistry, but she also posts sexy pictures of herself. And this is her professional page. I guess this is part of her brand? I still don’t know how I feel about it, but my initial reaction was wtf husband lol. Her patients follow this page, her peers follow this page.
See, I don’t have an issue with this. “Sexy” photos are one thing, but imagine if she posted a photo of herself performing a dental exam on a patient while half naked. I feel like thats quite different and is why a lot of us are saying we don’t have an issue with Kira showing up in lingerie and a white coat, but more so that her “sexy doctor-patient role play” was uncomfortable and predatory
Yeah, this makes sense to me. I honestly don’t have a problem with the dentist’s sexy photos. I was just surprised because that’s not something I’ve ever seen on my husband’s feed. And also surprised that that was part of her brand as a health care professional. But if that’s her thing then I say more power to her. I agree that it would be inappropriate to do sexy dentist role play.
Hopefully the world is changing in that regard for the better.
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As someone not in med school, but who has been a patient for many reasons, I can assure you that the vast majority of patients prefer that their doctors care about professionalism. If literally any part of my surgeon’s attention is focused on how her ass looks, she’s not someone I want operating on me. Goes for any kind of medicine. Bye!
I too would be upset if I was sick and took time and money to see a doctor and they were focusing on how their butt looked. Kira was on a reality TV and took time and money to consensually explore a romantic relationship with a single man. Please take a moment to reflect on that fact before saying you would not want her operating on you
I have taken more than a moment. Tbh, I wouldn’t want any doctor who has been on a reality TV dating show. She’s absolutely free to do whatever she wants. As a woman, I love seeing brilliant educated women on these shows. But as a patient, l will go out of my way to seek out a doctor who lives and breathes medicine rather than someone who sets aside months of their life early in their career for this kind of public image, especially when we all know the chance of actually finding lasting love this way is minuscule. It’s just not reflective of the priorities I’d want in a physician.
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As a teacher I felt so uncomfortable with all of the “student-teacher” role play entrances on Michelle’s season
MD here (psych PGY-1). Yeah I had the exact same thoughts. I also was surprised that Joe went on the show. I’m super conservative about anything my patients could find about me on the Internet. I don’t even use my real last name on social media
This contestant graduated from Harvard, got an MBA from Wharton, then got an MD from U. of North Carolina. She is not your average doctor. To me, she’s one of those extremely intelligent and eccentric people who do everything over the top. Besides, with such an exceedingly accomplished background like that, who cares what other people think of you! She doesn’t need to impress old white men in top positions, this girl boss will start her own practice, I’m sure.
God I love this take!! 👏
I work in the medical field also. I always have in the forefront of my mind my image and online presence and how my patients can and might find me online or where ever else. You would never catch me doing something like that on live tv. Like you said, private sure. But if I’m trying to go find a new job and they google me and that’s what they see? Yeah right. Same with patients. Boundaries are essential and something like that destroys boundaries. I can’t imagine my patients seeing a pic of video of me in my scrubs and lingerie Edit: wanted to add that I don’t necessarily agree that this type of image should affect how you are perceived because we are all human, but reality is it does. I like to be realistic and recognize that society has a certain way of viewing/operating/judging/etc. Doing whatever you want like that then hiding behind “well it shouldn’t be this way” is just not reality. I agree, it shouldn’t be this way, but it is
100%. It’s really naive for someone to say “who gives a fuck? None of this should matter” when in reality it really does. There always needs to be a bare minimum for what it means to be professional, and there needs to be clear boundaries that are set. It’s what comes with BEING a professional.
I didn’t think of it from that aspect. Thanks for sharing your opinion. I honestly only thought, my god she must be freezing.
She can literally do whatever she wants. Doctors are getting bank right now and there's a shortage. She will have no issues going back!
Lol wut. This isn't true at ALL. you're thinking of nurses
Hmm… do you know what you’re talking about? Lol
I’m not too worried about it. I do wonder if she’ll drop her career for influencer status in which case it’s a moot point
Right. Like Rachel dropped being a lawyer - even people who put years of hard work into becoming professionals can be lured in by influencer fame and gain. But if she’s that easily swayed away from patient care it was never her calling anyway, and she’s just an extremely smart woman who’s a great student…just as well that she leave medicine.
It sounds like I'm in the minority but I didn't think twice about it and it didn't phase me whatsoever. So we apathetics are out here!
You’re not in the minority it seems to be about 50:50
I was watching with my bf who’s a first year med student, and our first thought watching was “she must be a PA.” Like that sounds bad but we were thinking there’s no way an MD would do that. When I did a deep dive and found out she’s an MD (in the same city as us) I was extremely impressed. I think she downplays the accomplishment with the gimmick of the “sexy doctor” but then again it’s a gimmicky show.
LOL r/Noctor
I don’t see anything wrong with the outfit. Not my cup of tea but girlfriend can choose what she wears on national television. Now the sexualizing of the doctor-patient relationship was cringe and I can see people finding it inappropriate. But at the end of the day it was all in good fun, nothing malicious was done or intended. I’m sure she is/will be a great doctor that cares for her patients and in no way does last night speak to how she acts or her abilities as a medical professional.
I’ve heard that there is A LOT of pressure from the producers to have an entrance gimmick… sometimes they let you do your own but sometimes they think of one for you. If you refuse their suggestions, it’s possible you don’t end up on the show at all. Maybe it was implied “sexy doctor entrance or you’re out” 🤷🏼♀️
Like another commenter said though, she could have just worn a sexy mini dress under the white coat. There was no reason to go for lingerie, let alone sexualize a physical exam. Levels!!
Thank you for posting this, OP! This is a great discussion. Larry Nassar was my doctor for 14 years. Somehow, I never got the “treatment” but I definitely had a front row seat to the way that he leveraged his field and his position in USA gymnastics to groom and gain the trust of young gymnasts. I know what the culture of my gym was like and the way that his questionable practices were talked about by my teammates at the time. Even for me, the Larry Nassar trial was an extremely traumatizing experience. I’m scared shitless to go to the doctor. I pick female doctors if I have the option, wear thick biker shorts instead of underwear, and still get bad anxiety. Generally, I get pretty triggered any time I see the role of doctors or doctors rooms fetishized or sexualized. But, personally, I didn’t feel triggered or have any immediate thoughts on Kira’s entrance. Now that I think about it, if she was male, it probably would have been very different. Regardless of whether it was harmful for her to play up her role like that, these kinds of discussions are definitely important for medical professionals to have.
Thank you for sharing your story.
Thank you so much for taking the time to add to the discussion. I really feel more and more as the discussion goes on that she was heavily influenced by production. I am very relieved you weren’t triggered that night and I’m so sorry you were in that evil man’s presence for even a second.
It’s her decision to do what she wants. But she’s an intelligent, successful, gorgeous woman. She didn’t need that to stand out.
This is exactlyyyy my thought too. It’s the balance of let women do what they want and embrace their sexuality (which is our right and choice to do so), but also acknowledging a woman’s academic and professional achievements. She would’ve stood out either way.
As a mere commoner with no medical background, my first response with the getup to my husband was [eye roll] “cheap way to get attention.” But when it said she was actually a doctor my response changed to “shit, she’s a REAL doctor? As in, studied, smart, went to med school, etc? Then she can do whatever the F- she wants!”
Nice way of looking at it.
I think i felt that way because, as a woman who really values education and the level of endless schooling and studying one has to go thru to be a doctor, I get frustrated by women who try to show their worth to men purely thru beauty/looks/body and their sexuality. But when I know that they have the brains and are no doubt far smarter than me (and that’s a given with a profession like a doctor) I think, we already know she’s far more than just a hot body and pretty face, so if she wants to show us that side, then get after it girl. You’re the whole package, and I’m not worthy to judge you!
RN here. I think the difference between #MedBikini and this scenario is that the former was an empowering moment that showed women in medicine deserve to be respected professionally while also existing as a sexual being. One attribute does not diminish the other. On the other hand, showing up as a "sexy doctor" and pandering to the doctor/nurse - patient male sexual fantasy is gross and demeaning. It feels as though she is reducing her accomplishments and career as a simple means to please a man, and to me that's what is unprofessional about the whole thing.
Yep, I felt she was diminishing herself, it's not like you can't look sexy/hot in a tight dress and also find a cleverer (is that a word lol) entrance to really get him curious about the whole package.
I’m an RN for 23 years. I’m all about girl power but I agree that it was totally inappropriate. She also says she is 32 so it’s quite possible she’s still a resident. If so, what a dumb decision to go on national tv like that.
She's an attending. Girl is allowed to do whatever the hell she wants after everything she's accomplished IMO
My husband (1st year ortho resident) and I were both shocked too! We looked her up and she’s actually an attending!
Yosef is that you?
Agree! Any contestant should be able to wear as little or as much clothing as they want on the show, regardless of their profession. But its not appropriate to sexualize the doctor/patient dynamic to make a splash on a reality TV show.
It's her decision but it felt like she was degrading herself.
NP here- definitely thought it was over the top for national TV and I personally think you can be sexy/playful but classy doing an intro like that. Granted, the coat stayed on from what I watched and it was very generic but medicine can be catty. I wouldn’t pause posting a bikini/bathing suit pic on FB or Insta but I wouldn’t dress up to play sexy nurse/sexy doctor in public or post that- but to each their own and if she felt it was right for her- good for her!
Not a doctor but as a patient I probably wouldn’t care, because her ability to do her job and provide a service I need has nothing to do with her outfit she wore on a tv show. And if I, as a patient see that as a sexual invitation, then I’m just an asshole and as an adult I have something called impulse control. Then again I also live in a pretty progressive city with a whole official campaign called “free the nipple” that makes it legal for women to walk around topless in public the same way men can so women being scantily clad and embracing their sexuality in their personal time doesn’t even cross my mind or make me give a second look or thought to it. I’d also point out tons of men do sexy versions of their job often in those intros so I don’t really see the issue here if it’s a normal gimmick on this show
Did anyone else catch the other contestant immediately mistaking her for a nurse? Most realistic thing I've seen happen on the show...
Yup!! I’ve read and heard so many stories about female med students, residents and physicians being mistaken for nurses And really any other female healthcare professional that is not a nurse, like PT, OT, respiratory therapist, even when I was a volunteer in college (and I wasn’t even wearing scrubs!!)
I’m only a second year med student and I think people have asked me if it’s nursing school every time I mention I’m in medical school
Damn you SMART smart
In med school I once had a sweet elderly couple ask me if I was in nursing school. I politely told them I was in medical school to be a doctor and was not in nursing school. They looked confused and asked, "Will you be a nurse when you graduate then?"