Acceptable Hairstyles & Interviews

[Supafly MD]

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Does anyone know if the admission committee has any aversions to unique hairstyles(eg. bright red hair, braid extensions, ponytails on male applicants ect.)?
Are these ok as long as they look neat and well kept? I mean we ARE in 2002.

Need some advice!

 

[Resident Alien]

Please! 🙄

 

[tBw]

Originally posted by Veggiegirl:
•Does anyone know if the admission committee has any aversions to unique hairstyles(eg. bright red hair, braid extensions, ponytails on male applicants ect.)?
Are these ok as long as they look neat and well kept? I mean we ARE in 2002.

Need some advice!•••

Well, this may be 2002, but this is also med-school...not renowned for non-conformism. I think there probably is more lee-way than there used to be in appearance but it depends how you want to be remembered by the interviewing committee. To give two examples (imagine same person different outfits):

Scenario 1:

Committee member 1: "Sarah Ferguson, who was she?"
Committee member 2: "Friendly girl, 32 MCAT, talked about her experiences in a hospice"

Scenario 2:

Committee member 1: "Sarah Ferguson, who was she?"
Committee member 2: "Fire-engine red hair, in braids, and a nose ring. Some t-shirt about 'Meat is Murder'. We spent most of the interview discussing how she thinks she might relate to her patients dressed like that..."

OK, extreme examples but...they interview a lot of people. If you go in with bright red hair, they will first remember you as the girl with bright red hair...but it's up to you...I personally will not wear my eyebrow or tongue piercings to interviews...however, these are reasonably quick to add/remove as opposed to a hairstyle and I figure that I don't normally wear the clothes I will wear to interview anyway - so if I'm already doing 'costume' for them, why would I blow it on one small detail.

 

[Amy B]

Regardless of 2002, The commitee is looking at you in the stand point of being future colleagues. During an interview you want to be without a doubt as conservative and professional as you can possibly be.

 

[jase133]

I don't want to sound condescending or anything of that sort, but here's my advice from my failures of last year.

Dress yourself respectfully, but don't fret over 'little' issues such as how you wear your hair. Just make sure they can clearly see your face.

Concentrate most of your attention on your actual interview and you should be fine.

G'luck

 

[gizzdogg]

how do you think adcoms respond to applicants with shaved heads (male applicants of course), assuming clothes and grooming are up to par?

 

[jase133]

As long as no ear rings, okay?

 

[kutastha]

This topic always befuddles me. You are applying for medical school - this is a professional occupation. This is a time where you need to present yourself in the best way possible, not make a statement about your independent youth. Adcoms are not looking for self-expression, they're looking for someone who will make a good physician someday. Your interview is your first impression. You need to make it a good one. The year doesn't matter. Doctors are professional adults regardless of what year it is.

Andrew

 

[altaskier]

I think that as long as you perm it, you'd be ok!

 

[skelly99]

I don't think that it matters all that much. I'd probably stay away from the mullet however. 😎

Just my 2 cents.