In our college, there was a big controversy regarding doctors being clean shaved. The rule of law here is you come to the teaching hospital clean shaved and in formal wear (unlike elsewhere, It is not mandatory for clinicians to wear scrubs here) and you can go in any appearance to the college where the theory classes are held. The central arguement that was made here is that patients feel much more comfortable talking to a doctor that has a very formal appearance and permitting them to have a beard will mean 100 doctors in 100 beard styles. However, this law is not aplicable to nurses and other staffs.
I think it's quite ridiculous. A doctor's appearance has no affect on how well he or she will do their job, so to enforce such a law for the men when it comes to their beards is just ridiculous.
*I must admit that I do have a beard, so I may be a little biased
A large majority of the doctors around here, typically are clean shaven. If they do have facial hair, it is usually just a minimal amount, like a mustache. I have yet to see surgeons have facial hair, due to the type of job they are employed to do. Meanwhile, the typical family doctor I have seen here, will generally vary on having facial hair or not, based on whether or not they are employed in certain public offices that require having to be clean shaven.
It's half and half here. A lot of the doctors aren't clean shaven. The doctors here are different religions and from different countries. Most of the indian doctors here have beards and aren't clean shaven. But the english doctors are usually clean shaven or have a bit of stubble.
How your facial hair is among doctors (or other professions operating on the trust of their clients) isn't really an issue in Norway. Some doctors have facial hair, others don't, and I don't think any Norwegian would be sceptical of either. They are trained professionals, and should be treated thereafter - no matter how they look. I kind of see the formal wear thing though, because it is a small indicator that a doctor with a shirt that's tucked in and ironed might be a bit more attentive to details than one with a stained shirt with buttons that are unevenly buttoned.
