Los Angeles-based medical apparel company Figs has come under fire for a website ad featuring a woman in pink scrubs and a DO name tag holding a Medical Terminology for Dummies book upside down, reports ABC News.
Some members of the medical community have called the video, which has now been removed from the Figs website, misogynistic and disrespectful to female medical professionals.
"We are outraged that in 2020, women physicians and doctors of osteopathic medicine are still attacked in thoughtless and ignorant marketing campaigns," the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine said in an Oct. 13 news release. "A company like Figs that asks us to spend money on its product should be ashamed for promoting these stereotypes. We demand the respect we've earned AND a public apology."
The "blatantly misogynistic" ad is especially harmful to female physicians, who experience sexism and have to "constantly validate" themselves, Stephanie Markle, DO, an intensive care physician and surgeon at Kalamazoo, Mich.-based Ascension Borgess Hospital, told ABC News.
"A lot of you guys have pointed out an insensitive video we had on our site — we are incredibly sorry for any hurt this has caused you, especially our female DOs (who are amazing!)," the company tweeted Oct. 13. "FIGS is a female-founded company whose only mission is to make you guys feel awesome."