Professionalism in medicine includes attire, which shapes perceptions of trust, authority, and credibility. Although physician attire has been studied extensively, expectations for osteopathic medical student attire on rotation remain underexplored. This study characterized preceptor preferences regarding student attire and assessed its influence on professionalism and patient trust. RVU preceptors (n=3,434) were invited to participate in a cross-sectional, anonymous Qualtrics survey. The final analytic sample included 162 clinicians (4.7% response). Respondents rated appropriateness and importance of attire combinations and appearance elements using 5-point Likert scales. Associations were analyzed using Goodman–Kruskal’s γ and chi-square tests. Respondents were primarily male (68%), White (75%), ages 35-64, with DO (43%) and MD (57%) degrees. Business attire was rated most appropriate (M = 4.06), with primary care providers rating it higher than specialists (p=0.022). Business attire with white coat received similar endorsement (M = 4.01). Casual attire was inappropriate (M = 1.47). Ratings of white coat with scrubs varied by specialty (p=0.033). MDs viewed white coat with scrubs more favorably than Dos (p < 0.0001). Name badge visibility was the most important element (80.1%). Older clinicians (p ≤ 0.007) and males (p ≤ 0.0048) differed in their views of conservative appearance elements. Most agreed that attire influences patient trust (89.3%) and perceived professionalism (86.9%). The single institution, voluntary reliance on self-reported perceptions limit generalizability. Preceptors prioritize core professionalism expectations, but favor specialty-specific guidance over rigid standardization. Explicit, context-sensitive attire guidance is critical to clinical onboarding and professionalism curricula to strengthen professional identity formation and student readiness.
