Surgeons use #Ilooklikeasurgeon hashtag to protest against profession's male stereotype

The creator, Dr Alison Logghe, says the old arrogant male stereotype is fading – but admits there aren't enough female surgeons

The #ilooklikeasurgeon hashtag has been used over 12,000 times (Heather Logghe/Twitter)

Thousands of women have taken to Twitter to challenge the stereotypical view that all surgeons are male and arrogant.

Using the hashtag #ilooklikeasurgeon, surgeons around the world have posted selfies of themselves to highlight that there is no such thing as a stereotypical “male” surgeon and women were just as capable.

It was inspired by a blogpost and hashtag #Ilooklikeanengineer started by a female engineer Isis Wenger after a recruitment poster she appeared in was mocked online by people who did not believe an attractive women could be an engineer.

The engineer hashtag also spawned #Ilooklikeaphysicist and #Ilooklikeaprofessor.

It first appeared last week, posted by a resident surgeon Heather Logghe from North Carolina and has now been used over 12,000 times:

Speaking to the BBC, Dr Logghe said: "The old stereotype [of a surgeon] is an all-knowing arrogant man who operates very well but can often be heartless, not only with co-workers but with patients too."

She said this is slowly changing but women are still underrepresented in surgery.

But plenty of women are getting in on the act:

Men were even getting involved by tweeting their support: