Facial hair during interviews?

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Silver316

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So I have an interview coming up, and I realized the picture of myself I sent with my secondary had a picture of me with my goatee since I look about 4 years younger clean shaven. I keep it trimmed and clean but have heard that it is a standard you should be completely shaven. Is it better to go with the trimmed goatee as the picture I sent or clean shaven?

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The current trends and styles require you to be clean-shaven. There's no way around this. The exception to this is if you are much more aged than the average applicant (50+).
 
You have to shave in a professional setting. : (
 
A little bit of stubble seemed ok when I went to interview.
Some stubble is unavoidable for some people. You need to give the appearance of groomed, and cognizant of social norms.

Or don't be. It's no HAIR off my back. :cool:
 
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I'll be rocking a goatee,

I AM A MAN, I HAVE FACIAL HAIR!
 
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I'm shaving completely even though it makes me look 16 :/
 
I'm shaving completely even though it makes me look 16 :/
yeaaa pretty much me...

download.jpg
 
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You have to shave in a professional setting. : (

...no you don't.

Perhaps for interviews, it looks nicer to be clean-shaven, at the very least you shouldn't have outrageous facial hair or stubble or neck beard. But you don't have to be clean-shaven in a professional setting in general.
 
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The picture I used for applications was a professional head shot wearing a suit and tie, but I had a little bit of stubble which is what I generally do since I look about 14 when I shave. I'll probably shave for the interview, but is stubble in my picture something to worry about?
 
I have a closely-trimmed full beard with the appropriate amount of neck and face shaved. They let me in.
 
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I'm not planning on shaving. I've had a well kept beard for the last few years and I'm not planning on getting rid of it for interviews. The picture I sent in was of me with a beard. I look like I'm 15 when I don't shave and I have tons of scars on my face -> beard.
 
I was playing on going to my interviews with a full (but neatly groomed) beard. It's how I've looked for years, and everyone tells me I look much better with a beard. I don't see why it would be a problem? My beard is like this http://thesanecompanion.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/tumblr_m4ojmhDDCo1rviw4so1_400.jpg Obviously I would not go like this http://cdn.images.express.co.uk/img/dynamic/1/590x/secondary/98042.jpg

That beard is fine, but I will slap you if you wear a tie that skinny to an interview!
 
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I was playing on going to my interviews with a full (but neatly groomed) beard. It's how I've looked for years, and everyone tells me I look much better with a beard. I don't see why it would be a problem? My beard is like this http://thesanecompanion.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/tumblr_m4ojmhDDCo1rviw4so1_400.jpg Obviously I would not go like this http://cdn.images.express.co.uk/img/dynamic/1/590x/secondary/98042.jpg

Personally I don't have a problem with facial hair if it is clearly well groomed. Everyone you encounter might not have the same sentiment

I also couldn't care less if your suit is black, which is apparently a big huge no-no. So maybe I'm not the best source for what men should wear/look like for interviews. :p
 
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I will trim and that's it. I'm not interviewing for the military or the New York Yankees, and even at age 30, I look like a child when completely clean-shaven.

In terms of current accepted trends and styles, I think as long as you're not rocking a handlebar or mutton chops, then no sane person is going to hold it against you for not completely shaving.
 
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That beard is fine, but I will slap you if you wear a tie that skinny to an interview!
Personally I don't have a problem with facial hair if it is clearly well groomed. Everyone you encounter might not have the same sentiment

I also couldn't care less if your suit is black, which is apparently a big huge no-no. So maybe I'm not the best source for what men should wear/look like for interviews. :p

Well I'm a fairly large guy, I don't think I own a skinny tie so I don't think that would be a problem :p. And I never understood the whole suit nonsense. Just wear something that is not crazy hideous (like a green suit), make sure it fits you, and call it a day... If someone is gonna be super anal about what I'm wearing instead of actually getting to know me I'm not to sure if that school would be for me anyway.
 
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I definitely advise shaving it. I have heard a lot of physicians say that it doesn't make you look as professional when it isn't shaved. One even made her practice shave if they wanted to work there. I advise it because no interviewer is going to think you are less professional because you are cleanly shaven; yet, you could have one interviewer think you are less professional because you didn't shave.
 
Well I'm a fairly large guy, I don't think I own a skinny tie so I don't think that would be a problem :p. And I never understood the whole suit nonsense. Just wear something that is not crazy hideous (like a green suit), make sure it fits you, and call it a day... If someone is gonna be super anal about what I'm wearing instead of actually getting to know me I'm not to sure if that school would be for me anyway.

First impressions matter. There's a difference between them being anal and your just not being put together and thinking they're fine. Not directed only at you, but plenty of people think they look great 'because suit' but really everything is a mess.

I almost feel the same way re: people advising everyone to shave. I'm going to ask some of the attendings I work with and go with what they say. My picture has me with a beard so that train's left the station already, but like I said, I've had one for years and work in a hospital and have always kept it professional.

I will trim and that's it. I'm not interviewing for the military or the New York Yankees, and even at age 30, I look like a child when completely clean-shaven.

In terms of current accepted trends and styles, I think as long as you're not rocking a handlebar or mutton chops, then no sane person is going to hold it against you for not completely shaving.

Yeah, I'm a non-trad as well. So it's not like I'm a try-hard for having one.
 
Well I'm a fairly large guy, I don't think I own a skinny tie so I don't think that would be a problem :p. And I never understood the whole suit nonsense. Just wear something that is not crazy hideous (like a green suit), make sure it fits you, and call it a day... If someone is gonna be super anal about what I'm wearing instead of actually getting to know me I'm not to sure if that school would be for me anyway.

I met a kid on the interview trail who wore blue slacks, a yellow dress shirt, a red paisley tie, a hunter green tweed jacket, and brown shoes. No lies. I wonder if he got in.

A suit that fits well is key. Black, navy, grey, charcoal are all fine in my book. I'm not a huge fan of pinstripes but I hear they're fine and I don't care either way. And I know they say to wear a plain shirt and conservative tie, which is really what you should do, but I'm a sucker for the people who are a little more adventurous. There was a guy a couple years ago who wore a turquoise shirt with a black suit, and he's currently a student here. Obviously not generally advisable as it's not going to please everyone, but it fit his personality completely and I thought it was awesome.
 
My thoughts (as I have been asked privately to share them on this topic):

- all of you look like you're 12 to us
- facial hair does not make you look that much older; you still look like a kid
- medicine is conservative; some fields are more conservative than others
- what may fly with one interviewer, may not with another (eg, beards are very rare in surgery, much more common in Peds, Psych and FM)
- stubble is neither "here nor there" and is to be avoided as it looks sloppy and unprofessional
- neatly trimmed beards are acceptable but know that there are some who will disapprove
- if in doubt or don't really care, shave
- strong personal or religious reasons to have a beard mean you should keep it: the look to go for is Ryan Reynolds not Ducky Dynasty or circa 1993-goatee, bro patch
- stop with the, "if they can't accept me the way I am or the way I look and dress, then I don't want to be part of that program". Its immature, self-centered and tells me more about you than any gpa or MCAT score will.
 
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If you're even asking then just shave, you're gut is telling you something.

With that said, there's a guy in my class with a badass beard that makes him look like he's a character from 300. Chuck Norris would salute to this beard, but few people other than him and Chuck can pull that off, so just shave.
 
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There are studies done on the perception of facial hair amongst females, although I can't find substantial evidence in the case of males.
There are some that prefer it, and some that abhor it (particularly the soul patch and goatee). Clean shaven faces would be the safest option here.

However, some may argue that facial hair can enhance the attractiveness of an individual or compensate for some oddly shaped faces. One example being Abraham Lincoln, who looked like a shaven cat when clean shaven. The solution is to be conservative. Nothing too outlandish (like a skinny chinstrap). Just be well groomed is all that matters. You want to look like Jon Hamm, not a convict.


Lastly, I understand the perception that a clean shaven face will make you look juvenile. However, I argue that how you carry yourself and how you communicate bears a greater weight on perceived maturity than facial hair.
 
My thoughts (as I have been asked privately to share them on this topic):

- all of you look like you're 12 to us
- facial hair does not make you look that much older; you still look like a kid
- medicine is conservative; some fields are more conservative than others
- what may fly with one interviewer, may not with another (eg, beards are very rare in surgery, much more common in Peds, Psych and FM)
- stubble is neither "here nor there" and is to be avoided as it looks sloppy and unprofessional
- neatly trimmed beards are acceptable but know that there are some who will disapprove
- if in doubt or don't really care, shave
- strong personal or religious reasons to have a beard mean you should keep it: the look to go for is Ryan Reynolds not Ducky Dynasty or circa 1993-goatee, bro patch
- stop with the, "if they can't accept me the way I am or the way I look and dress, then I don't want to be part of that program". Its immature, self-centered and tells me more about you than any gpa or MCAT score will.
How would the interviewer determine that?
 
- stop with the, "if they can't accept me the way I am or the way I look and dress, then I don't want to be part of that program". Its immature, self-centered and tells me more about you than any gpa or MCAT score will.
I would definitely agree with this sentiment, except for maybe LGBT status, though thankfully it is much less of an issue nowadays.
 
My thoughts (as I have been asked privately to share them on this topic):

- all of you look like you're 12 to us
- facial hair does not make you look that much older; you still look like a kid
- medicine is conservative; some fields are more conservative than others
- what may fly with one interviewer, may not with another (eg, beards are very rare in surgery, much more common in Peds, Psych and FM)
- stubble is neither "here nor there" and is to be avoided as it looks sloppy and unprofessional
- neatly trimmed beards are acceptable but know that there are some who will disapprove
- if in doubt or don't really care, shave
- strong personal or religious reasons to have a beard mean you should keep it: the look to go for is Ryan Reynolds not Ducky Dynasty or circa 1993-goatee, bro patch
- stop with the, "if they can't accept me the way I am or the way I look and dress, then I don't want to be part of that program". Its immature, self-centered and tells me more about you than any gpa or MCAT score will.

This is perfect.

Having said that, I probably shave every 3-4 days. But I'm at a very laid-back institution and already a resident here. Shave for interviews.
 
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I would definitely agree with this sentiment, except for maybe LGBT status, though thankfully it is much less of an issue nowadays.
I thought it would go without saying that I wasn't referring to LGBT, gender, race, etc.

I was referring to comments in this thread and else where about clothing and facial hair and people wanting to wear their cargo shorts and hoodies as some sort of statement about being accepted for who they are.
 
What if we're hiding facial deformities?

I have a large-ish gap from my mouth to my nose and feminine lips. Some well-maintained stubble (clean-shaven neck, patchy parts shaved) adds like 1-2 points to my face; I honestly think I'd leave a better impression with it.
 
What if we're hiding facial deformities?

I have a large-ish gap from my mouth to my nose and feminine lips. Some well-maintained stubble (clean-shaven neck, patchy parts shaved) adds like 1-2 points to my face; I honestly think I'd leave a better impression with it.
You hardly sound deformed; I'll bet you don't look as bad as you think.

I standby by my contention that stubble looks unprofessional but if you're going to be racked with anxiety and lack confidence because of your presumed facial deformity then do what you feel is best.

I think you're overthinking this.
 
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I read some studies that showed that job applicants who are women are more likely to be successful if they wear "minimal, natural-looking" make-up - if you don't wear any, you're assumed to be a slob, but if you wear too much, you're assumed to be vain and superficial. You have to wear just enough so that it looks like you have naturally flawless skin, etc. Not even going into all the ways in which that's bull****, I considered wearing makeup for my interviews to avoid this, and even bought some to practice with beforehand. It never felt comfortable, I never felt like I looked like myself, and I ultimately decided that the potential boost I might get for wearing it wasn't going to compensate for the amount of awkward and uncomfortable that I'm sure I would have been projecting in the interview. I got into my top choice school and was waitlisted at the two others I interviewed at (don't know if I would have been accepted off the waitlist, as the Ontario system kicks you off the waitlist as soon as you accept an offer).

Maybe a similar attitude might apply to facial hair? You might put off some people with it, but if shaving it would make you uncomfortable enough for that to be read in your interview, it might not be worth it. I don't know. I'm not an adcom.

Any thoughts on facial hair for women or people-who-are-assumed-to-be-women? I have very pale skin and clearly visible, dark, long hair covering my chin, jawline, and neck. I was consistently shaving it during my interviews, and have since stopped, and can't really see myself wanting to start doing that every day forever again. I've taken a deferral, so I'm not starting med until the fall of 2015. I'm hoping this won't interfere with my career.
 
Any thoughts on facial hair for women or people-who-are-assumed-to-be-women? I have very pale skin and clearly visible, dark, long hair covering my chin, jawline, and neck. I was consistently shaving it during my interviews, and have since stopped, and can't really see myself wanting to start doing that every day forever again. I've taken a deferral, so I'm not starting med until the fall of 2015. I'm hoping this won't interfere with my career.
Wait, so you are going to dress feminine but don facial hair? Like a conchita wurst sort of thing?

I would just shave it consistently. Knowing that it will make people uncomfortable will also make you uncomfortable.

If you're tired of shaving consistently, then get your hair follicles removed with lasers. : /
 
I read some studies that showed that job applicants who are women are more likely to be successful if they wear "minimal, natural-looking" make-up - if you don't wear any, you're assumed to be a slob, but if you wear too much, you're assumed to be vain and superficial. You have to wear just enough so that it looks like you have naturally flawless skin, etc. Not even going into all the ways in which that's bull****, I considered wearing makeup for my interviews to avoid this, and even bought some to practice with beforehand. It never felt comfortable, I never felt like I looked like myself, and I ultimately decided that the potential boost I might get for wearing it wasn't going to compensate for the amount of awkward and uncomfortable that I'm sure I would have been projecting in the interview. I got into my top choice school and was waitlisted at the two others I interviewed at (don't know if I would have been accepted off the waitlist, as the Ontario system kicks you off the waitlist as soon as you accept an offer).

Maybe a similar attitude might apply to facial hair? You might put off some people with it, but if shaving it would make you uncomfortable enough for that to be read in your interview, it might not be worth it. I don't know. I'm not an adcom.

Any thoughts on facial hair for women or people-who-are-assumed-to-be-women? I have very pale skin and clearly visible, dark, long hair covering my chin, jawline, and neck. I was consistently shaving it during my interviews, and have since stopped, and can't really see myself wanting to start doing that every day forever again. I've taken a deferral, so I'm not starting med until the fall of 2015. I'm hoping this won't interfere with my career.

I think being comfortable and confident with yourself is much more important than doing something different and possibly throwing off your game. Plenty of female applicants don't wear makeup, and that's fine. It depends on what you're comfortable with and what you're used to. I'm personally not comfortable with zero makeup as I naturally have really dark circles under my eyes and no matter how awake I am, I always look super tired without makeup. But I don't consider people who don't wear makeup to be slobs at all.

As for facial hair on women or transgender women, unfortunately that falls outside societal norm and it may affect you negatively in clinical years, even if there is a medical condition to explain it. You have plenty of time to figure out what you want to do with it, but there are multiple options. Perhaps a depilatory cream would work better and last longer than shaving? Talk with your doctor about potential treatments for hirsutism?
 
I won't be "donning" anything. My body grows facial hair unless I remove it. I don't know if there's a medical reason for it or not - I've never really looked into it. None of the other women in my family have facial hair, and I don't experience any of the other symptoms of PCOS.

I used to be very self conscious about my facial hair and tried depilatories, laser treatments, etc. None of them worked long-term, which made me think there must be some hormonal involvement. This was also painful, time-consuming, and expensive. I've found that once I stopped fussing about it and just let it be, I actually like how I look with facial hair.

I can see that there's the possibility that some people may be offended by it, and I think that's going to be a pretty big theme for me in being a genderqueer med student. Huzzah. :rolleyes:
 
I won't be "donning" anything. My body grows facial hair unless I remove it. I don't know if there's a medical reason for it or not - I've never really looked into it. None of the other women in my family have facial hair, and I don't experience any of the other symptoms of PCOS.

I used to be very self conscious about my facial hair and tried depilatories, laser treatments, etc. None of them worked long-term, which made me think there must be some hormonal involvement. This was also painful, time-consuming, and expensive. I've found that once I stopped fussing about it and just let it be, I actually like how I look with facial hair.

I can see that there's the possibility that some people may be offended by it, and I think that's going to be a pretty big theme for me in being a genderqueer med student. Huzzah. :rolleyes:
I'm very confused. You stated "people-who-are-assumed-to-be-women" so I assumed you were talking about being transgendered. (*The forums are a safe place to talk without resorting to euphemisms as long as you remain anonymous. ;) )

If you are biologically a woman, but simply have facial hair then you're not alone! It's a more common issue than most people would like to admit. Frankly, if it's very thin and not noticeable, then you shouldn't worry too much about it. If it is very noticeable, then consider waxing. It's better than shaving...
 
I am talking about being transgender (not transgendered, it's an adjective, not a verb. People are transgender, they don't transgender :) ).
I was assigned female at birth, my ID has an F on it, and my legal name is a traditionally female name. I am a genderqueer person, meaning that I don't identify as a man or as a woman. However, until recently I was almost always perceived as a woman. (More recently, it's been 50% woman, 50% "what the hell is that?!") This is why I used "people-who-are-assumed-to-be-women". I'm not a woman, but because I am regularly mistaken for one, how women with facial hair are perceived will probably apply to be as well.

I have long, dark, thick, noticeable facial hair that I enjoy and have no desire to remove. It's a part of me that validates how I feel about my gender, and I can't say I miss the constant battle of hair removal.

I really appreciate your feedback, @Ismet and @Holmwood . What I'm trying to figure out is if there will be repercussions for not removing my facial hair.
 
I won't be "donning" anything. My body grows facial hair unless I remove it. I don't know if there's a medical reason for it or not - I've never really looked into it. None of the other women in my family have facial hair, and I don't experience any of the other symptoms of PCOS.

I used to be very self conscious about my facial hair and tried depilatories, laser treatments, etc. None of them worked long-term, which made me think there must be some hormonal involvement. This was also painful, time-consuming, and expensive. I've found that once I stopped fussing about it and just let it be, I actually like how I look with facial hair.

I can see that there's the possibility that some people may be offended by it, and I think that's going to be a pretty big theme for me in being a genderqueer med student. Huzzah. :rolleyes:
I am talking about being transgender (not transgendered, it's an adjective, not a verb. People are transgender, they don't transgender :) ).
I was assigned female at birth, my ID has an F on it, and my legal name is a traditionally female name. I am a genderqueer person, meaning that I don't identify as a man or as a woman. However, until recently I was almost always perceived as a woman. (More recently, it's been 50% woman, 50% "what the hell is that?!") This is why I used "people-who-are-assumed-to-be-women". I'm not a woman, but because I am regularly mistaken for one, how women with facial hair are perceived will probably apply to be as well.

I have long, dark, thick, noticeable facial hair that I enjoy and have no desire to remove. It's a part of me that validates how I feel about my gender, and I can't say I miss the constant battle of hair removal.

I really appreciate your feedback, @Ismet and @Holmwood . What I'm trying to figure out is if there will be repercussions for not removing my facial hair.

I think you will be fine in the pre-clinical years. I can't guarantee that there won't be repercussions in the clinical years, but a lot of that depends on your location and the people you're working with. If you're in a more liberal area like a city or the west coast, I think you would face fewer repercussions than if you were in a more conservative town. If you were rotating at my school, in a major city, I'd say you would be fine for the most part. If you were rotating at the hospital back in my ultra conservative hometown, I would hands down tell you to shave. I know this is not the same thing, but I wear a rainbow caduceus pin* on my white coat to signify that I'm an LGBT ally, and I was told not to wear it on my upcoming rotation at a rural clinic as the docs there may judge me for it. Plus there are old school (not necessarily old) and conservative docs everywhere who may be more judgmental. It sucks that not everyone is tolerant of differences, as I'm sure you're very well aware, and I wish I could tell you that there will be no repercussions. At the very least I would suggest removing the hair when you are interviewing for residencies. You might get some flak for it in clinical evaluations, but like I said, the level of tolerance varies based on where you are and who you work with.


*(yes, i'm well aware that the caduceus is not the correct symbol for medicine. tell that to the people who make the pins.)
 
I disagree. I went without shaving to my interviews and did fine. The same is the case for several classmates. What is important is that your beard looks professionally groomed.
 
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