Tattoos as MD

[cjmurph14]

Has anyone encountered issues with tattoos in med school? I have a tattoo on each forearm and am prepared to cover them. They are not offensive, just curious if any students have run into issues.

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[sillyxwabbit]

Has anyone encountered issues with tattoos in med school? I have a tattoo on each forearm and am prepared to cover them. They are not offensive, just curious if any students have run into issues.

I've needed this answer for some time now! I've been worried since I begun the journey if it would have future repercussions (non-trad army vet)
None are offensive, only visible on forearms, but in all of the places I've worked in the health care field, I've had to cover them up.
Still haven't seen any docs with visible tattoos.

 

[curbsideconsult]

I haven't seen it be a problem for any of the students at my school who have them. They just keep them covered up when seeing standardized patients and go on their way. I also knew of a couple of residents who had tattoos (I'm sure they still have them) and they did the same and it wasn't a problem.

 

[OrthoTraumaMD]

As long as it looks like this.

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[TurtleyReady4Med]

I have them, but not in visible areas. Just cover them up and it is fine. In general avoid face, neck, and hands which are difficult to cover.

 

[Princeton Medical Student]

Helps for when you are applying EM

 

[RNthenDoc]

Every surgery Broski has to get a barbed wire tattoo

 

[getdown]

As long as they're covered up, then it's fine. The older docs tend to be old school, no need to get reamed so early on. You also don't want patients to question your capabilities just because of tatoos.

 

[LuciusVorenus]

I've seen people with tattoos. It also depends on the kind of city you practice in and how conservative it is (or so I hear). I honestly haven't even seen MDs cover up forearm tattoos (I think you're required to have one if you do EM). I DID see an OR nurse cover hers up with paper tape every morning so I can only guess at what it was a tattoo of

 

[sjwheels]

I work in an ER and I know a couple doctors that have them but just cover them.

 

[ekmf27050]

Not an answer to your question, but.

Hypothetically, I had to answer a hypothetical question during a hypothetical MMI at the "debate station" about this-- I had to defend why docs should be allowed to show visible tattoos and piercings at work.

After some meandering logic, I finally settled on the fact that tattooed/pierced patients have just as much right to see doctors that look like them as boomers who might be offended by the non-conservative look I think I used the example of a parent who is a tattoo artist taking their kid to the pediatrician and connecting better if the pediatrician also had visible tattoos...

For the record, surprisingly, accepted.

 

[The Knife & Gun Club]

I think you’re fine, we have a few people in my class with fairly significant tattoos and it’s never been an issue.

One of the residents I work with has knuckle and neck tattoos as well actually...so clearly it CAN be done even with some serious tats.

 

[3toedsloth]

Just don’t get a face tattoo.

 

[Oso]

One of the residents I work with has knuckle and neck tattoos as well actually...so clearly it CAN be done even with some serious tats.

That's pretty sick. What field are they in, out of curiosity?

 

[KnShep]

I am getting ready to accept a part time job at my local hospital and was told they had just changed their policy on tattoos in the workplace, allowing them to be shown so long as they aren’t offensive. Alas I think there is hope!

 

[Foot Fetish]

I heard tattoos like these are really popular in the medical community:

 

[Oso]

I heard tattoos like these are really popular in the medical community:

You heard right.

 

[DrDwayneJohnson]

Helps for when you are applying EM

Turn those forearm tats into sleeves, get at least four patagonias, and confirmed EM match at Carolinas.

 

[The Knife & Gun Club]

That's pretty sick. What field are they in, out of curiosity?

EM. Actually one of the nicest residents I’ve ever met too.

 

[Hopeful101]

Yeah alot of people in EM have tattoos. Emergency rooms are littered with them

 

[DelayedGratification]

 

[TattedMed]

Full arm/leg sleeve. Haven't had any issues.

 

[mellie0]

I think you're required to have one if you do EM

Required to have what?

 

[3toedsloth]

Required to have what?

A “No Ragrets” tattoo.

 

[LuciusVorenus]

Required to have what?

No tattoo? No EM.

 

[892002]

I'm thinking about getting a small wrist tattoo, and was planning on covering it with either a watch or make-up while in the hospital if I have to. Is there any policy against wearing make-up/watches in the hospital/during surgery?

 

[mw18]

I'm thinking about getting a small wrist tattoo, and was planning on covering it with either a watch or make-up while in the hospital if I have to. Is there any policy against wearing make-up/watches in the hospital/during surgery?

You have to scrub that area if you're talking about a surgery rotation, so no watches or makeup in the time you're in surgery. But you also wear a gown and gloves so while you're scrubbing and waiting to be gowned would be when it was most noticeable and nobody would look or care.