Appearance

[PreMedHead]

I'm already relatively young for being a junior in college, but the problem is that I look even younger. Freshly-shaven, i look like I'm 15.

Does a younger appearance (in your opinion) affect what interviewers think about you? I personally know I would not want to be treated by someone who looks like they're 19 by the time they're out of med school.

Would it be better to let the stubble grow out for a bit for the interview to look a bit older? or will that just look sloppy?

I know I still have some time to think about this, but I just wanted to get opinions now.

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[HumidBeing]

I'm personally familiar with that problem. My answer is that it would look sloppy, like you got up late & didn't take time to shave.

 

[notdeadyet]

Would it be better to let the stubble grow out for a bit for the interview to look a bit older? or will that just look sloppy?

If you look like you're 15 yo clean shaven, you'll look like a 15 yo with stubble.

Go clean shaven (unless you normally have a beard anyway). Interviewers aren't looking for weathered faces, they're looking for mature individuals. What you've done with your life and how you carry yourself is a lot more important than how old your face looks.

 

[Lecter]

 

[moe_4eva]

Lecter, I really do hope you spent time on doing that. Thanks for making me laugh when I'm running on 3 hours of sleep in the last 3 days.

 

[MilkmanAl]

Here's another vote for clean-shaven. Showing up without shaving (or neatly trimming your facial hair) shows that you don't care about the interview. Not good.

 

[Omashu]

I vote for go clean shaven too. I'm applying this upcoming cycle and never been on an interview yet but I'm assuming that some/most of the adcoms will be in their 30's,40's, 50's, & 60's.... Anyone who's younger than them they will consider as a baby. Just make sure that you show up looking respectable, going with stubble may project a negative view on you.

 

[bodonid]

I have the same problem, and my father was the worst, from what I can tell in pictures. Fortunately for you, youth probably correlates with attractiveness, and that is a bigger plus than the appearance of inexperience is a minus, unless you are 18 when you apply or something.

The problem with treating patients is different than getting into medical school though. My father had such a hard time trying to convince people he was a doctor that he actually grew a full beard, and strangely most of the questions went away after that.

But I think you would want to look *clean shaven* for interviews. Just my opinion.

 

[In Vino Veritas]

Interviewers aren't looking for weathered faces, they're looking for mature individuals. What you've done with your life and how you carry yourself is a lot more important than how old your face looks.

 

[PreMedHead]

thanks everyone!

 

[TheRealMD]

I have the same problem, and my father was the worst, from what I can tell in pictures. Fortunately for you, youth probably correlates with attractiveness, and that is a bigger plus than the appearance of inexperience is a minus, unless you are 18 when you apply or something.

The problem with treating patients is different than getting into medical school though. My father had such a hard time trying to convince people he was a doctor that he actually grew a full beard, and strangely most of the questions went away after that.

But I think you would want to look *clean shaven* for interviews. Just my opinion.

No one finds me very attractive. Your hypothesis fails!

 

[CubaLibre]

i'll get IDed at the movies every once in a while haha. hasn't been a problem

 

[BoxingTheStars]

i'll get IDed at the movies every once in a while haha. hasn't been a problem

same here. the guy asked me if I was 17... i said no, but i was 6 years ago. when i tell people i recently graduated, they often assume it's from high school. i'm a girl though, but it hasn't had a negative impact on the app process for me. OP: another vote for clean-shaven.

 

[BigRedder]

I would agree that you should go however you normally are, as long as it is clean and professional. I have a short beard, but it is certainly not stubble. Stubble looks good because it's "sexy", but that's mostly because it makes you look badass. I imagine that's not what you're going for...

 

[notdeadyet]

Stubble looks good because it's "sexy", but that's mostly because it makes you look badass. I imagine that's not what you're going for...

If the OP looks 15 clean shaven, I'd wager he doesn't look "badass" with stubble.

 

[pride4jc727]

Remember that medicine is a conservative profession; thus, it requires a conservative look, even if you makes you look babyface. And as people said before, looking young is synonymous with energy and vitality. As for the pictures below: