Appropriate dress during rotations for a guy

[bluechipper]

Do I really need to wear white shirt/tie to rotations? And which rotations will I be wearing scrubs in? And is it a good idea to buy your own scrubs? Thanks for the help, I start next week and still haven't gone shopping for anything to wear.

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[Winged Scapula]

It really depends on the rotation, the hospital and the attending.

For example, some surgical rotations allow scrubs to be worn at all times, and others only when you are in the OR or trauma bay. Most schools provide scrubs for their students and generally restrict "outside" scrubs from being in the OR.

Most likely when in clinic, regardless of rotation, you are expected to wear a collared shirt and tie. You may be able to wear scrubs for surgical clinic, during an EM rotation, etc. But I wouldn't assume so.

Its best to wear street clothes the first day until told otherwise and ask your upperclassmen what is expected at your hospital, for each rotation.

 

[fakin' the funk]

Do I really need to wear white shirt/tie to rotations?

First of all, where'd you get "white" from?

The answer is "yes, some of the time." ALWAYS wear shirt and tie at the beginning of the rotation until you see what the residents, attendings, and other students are doing. And wear nice stuff - don't look like a scrub.

On many rotations, especially outpatient like FM, and some inpatient like peds or psych, the standard dress is either dress shirt w/o tie, or even more casual, like polo+khakis. But as always, start with formal and work your way down.

And which rotations will I be wearing scrubs in?

Surgery, Labor/Delivery, Gyn surgery. You get the idea - OR-based rotations. At the hospital I'm at, the on-call resident (+/- student) from any discipline wears scrubs the entire time they're on call.

And is it a good idea to buy your own scrubs?

Absolutely not - though if you're crafty you'll be able to acquire a few pairs.

Thanks for the help.

No problem. I think hospital dress code is the one place where girls have it easier than guys 😀

 

[MrBurns10]

I agree with the previous posters...err on the same of too formal and always ask attendings/residents what is the acceptable attire on the rotation. Scrubs might be okay for anesthesiology grand rounds, but they don't usually fly for surgery, for example. Unfortunately, when you start wearing scrubs, you'll never want to go back to dress clothes again.

 

[jocg27]

No problem. I think hospital dress code is the one place where girls have it easier than guys 😀

hm..can't tell if you are joking...I am a guy, and girls clearly have it a million times harder. You can tell because such a large proportion of girls who are typically very nicely dressed make so many missteps. Seriously I think a lot of girls do a terrible job dressing for rotations. A guy can look like an idiot dressing for rotations too, but they are usually the same ones who dress wrong outside of the hospital as well.

I dunno, just my thoughts...I may get some nasty flames I suppose, but we'll see...

 

[Winged Scapula]

hm..can't tell if you are joking...I am a guy, and girls clearly have it a million times harder. You can tell because such a large proportion of girls who are typically very nicely dressed make so many missteps. Seriously I think a lot of girls do a terrible job dressing for rotations. A guy can look like an idiot dressing for rotations too, but they are usually the same ones who dress wrong outside of the hospital as well.

I dunno, just my thoughts...I may get some nasty flames I suppose, but we'll see...

I agree. When I was a resident, I NEVER had to talk to a male student about what as appropriate dress for the hospital, but had to on several occasions with the female students. Males typically don't have nearly as many choices and they have more working role models to emulate. Some of the female students didn't seem to realize that belly shirts or miniskirts weren't quite appropriate professional work wear.🙄

 

[doctorp82]

female students didn't seem to realize that belly shirts or miniskirts weren't quite appropriate professional work wear.🙄

Part of the patient-interactive visual co-assessment?

To the OP: One of your safest bets is to emulate your attendings and residents. Start with shirt and tie and white coat, and deformalize from that as you observe it in your superiors. Some will prefer you always have the white coat, others may let you get by without. You may want to wear it for keeping stuff in pockets like pocketbooks and such, or feel no need. Since it's warm out, you might be able to go with a polo depending on the clinic atmosphere, or even tieless.

 

[ForbiddenComma]

Yes, to echo what has already been said: I always dress how my attending dresses.

It's better to be overdressed than underdressed, but even then... you don't always want to be "showing up" that family doctor who wears jeans to the clinic, by wearing slacks and a tie.

And as far as scrubs go, once again, emulate your surgical attendings... and steal them from the surgical locker room

 

[joe6102]

hm..can't tell if you are joking...I am a guy, and girls clearly have it a million times harder. You can tell because such a large proportion of girls who are typically very nicely dressed make so many missteps. Seriously I think a lot of girls do a terrible job dressing for rotations. A guy can look like an idiot dressing for rotations too, but they are usually the same ones who dress wrong outside of the hospital as well.

I dunno, just my thoughts...I may get some nasty flames I suppose, but we'll see...

Not a flame, but I do think girls have it much easier. They get to choose what to wear, but guys have to wear a shirt and tie, usually long-sleeve shirt with an undershirt...and the white coat. It's too damn hot for that. Girls can wear any kind of shirt and pants and get away with it.

 

[DOme2009]

Some of the female students didn't seem to realize that belly shirts or miniskirts weren't quite appropriate professional work wear.🙄

where are these girls and why aren't they at the hospitals i'm stuck at? 🙁

 

[deleted87716]

There's no inequality here. It's every bit as inappropriate for guys to wear belly shirts or miniskirts on rotations. 😉

 

[Llenroc]

No you should show up the way you normally dress: low hanging baggy pants with your ass showing in the back, a sideways baseball cap 3 sizes too big, an oversized American football jersey, shoes with untied laces, and a chain wallet hanging close to the ground.

Don't forget your bling. And be sure to mask your BO with copious amounts of AXE.

 

[cdql]

No you should show up the way you normally dress: low hanging baggy pants with your ass showing in the back, a sideways baseball cap 3 sizes too big, an oversized American football jersey, shoes with untied laces, and a chain wallet hanging close to the ground.

Don't forget your bling. And be sure to mask your BO with copious amounts of AXE.

For hot, muggy summer days, the recommendation is to show up butt nekkid.

😉

 

[fakin' the funk]

Not a flame, but I do think girls have it much easier. They get to choose what to wear, but guys have to wear a shirt and tie, usually long-sleeve shirt with an undershirt...and the white coat. It's too damn hot for that. Girls can wear any kind of shirt and pants and get away with it.

This is exactly what I meant.

Guys = dress shirt, probably dress pants, probably nice shoes

Ladies = "top" aka a nicer-looking t-shirt with a guarantee of no tie, nice-ish pants, almost any type of dark shoes

 

[PreMedAdAG]

This is exactly what I meant.

Guys = dress shirt, probably dress pants, probably nice shoes

Ladies = "top" aka a nicer-looking t-shirt with a guarantee of no tie, nice-ish pants, almost any type of dark shoes

I'll definitely give you the shirt category - girls have it easier - but for one moment can we talk about the shoes - it's like a torture device. Women's shoes are either cute and painful - or frumpy and still kinda painful... what we get away with in tops is surely made up for by the level of discomfort by our shoes - oh - and you'll never rival getting menses q monthly, nor pushing out a watermelon through your.....I think the bliss of the ob/gyn rotation will change your mind to just how easy we have it!

 

[mm3781]

Definitely wear shirt and tie unless you are scrubbing in on a case or you are told you can wear scrubs. As for the white shirt,bleh, boring. I don't know where you live, but go to a bachrach, brooks brothers, or large chain like nordstrom (sales are good because it can get expensive real quick) and get some shirt and tie combos that are more colorful. I literally wear a colored shirt that has a white collar/french cuff almost every day (and almost every color you can think of) and I get a lot of compliments from my residents, attendings, and patients. And if you aren't good with picking out clothes, take a girl who dresses well with you to help.

 

[Law2Doc]

This is exactly what I meant.

Guys = dress shirt, probably dress pants, probably nice shoes

I'm not sure I would call it "dress" shirt/pants. In all honesty the tan/khaki chinos, buttondown shirts and comfortable shoes most guys wear with their white coats are what other professions would actually call "casual" (Friday) wear.

At my prior career they would have sent you home to change before seeing clients if you showed up wearing what counts as the norm for guys on rotation. Count your blessings that this isn't a suit and wingtip profession.

 

[raidermedic]

Just wear a button up shirt and a pair of slacks. Tie although probably not sanitary is usually a good idea for the first few days to make a good impression. I usually ditched mine after a bout a week or so on each rotation. Like mm3781 said it's probably a good idea to drop a little money on these clothes. It's not a popular idea in the hospital but dressing nice does make a difference. Luckily since noone will ever mistake a hospital for a GQ magazine you don't have to dress up that much to stand out and impress.

As for scrubs I don't purchase my own scrubs anymore. I just use the hospitals. I have two pair of them at home that I wear to work then swap out at the end of the day. And don't wear your scrubs out in public!