Can I become an MD with a full sleeve of tattoos?

[Harry J. Potter]

Hello,

I am a prospective medical student that is currently serving in the U.S. military. I am completing my undergraduate degree in biochemistry as I work as a military member. I have a full sleeve of tattoos that do not go below the wrist. I have a double armband on the other arm as well. All my tattoos can be covered with long sleeves. None of my tattoos are on my hands, face, or neck. I am very passionate about becoming a medical doctor but I am concerned about my tattoos. I even went as far as tried getting consultations to get them removed. I know some hospitals have tattoo policies and this worries me.

Thank you,

Dante

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[gopher1997]

I have talked to a pediatric oncology nurse as well as a emergency room PA, and the nurse told me that visible tattoos in her hospital were frowned upon and you just had to make sure they were covered. The ER PA told me that you see health practitioners with tattoos all the time. I would imagine the consensus on tattoos probably varies by specialty (i.e. ER medicine vs. pediatrics).

As long as you are able to cover them, I wouldn't be worried. Tattoos are still seen as taboo by some, but I think they are starting to become more accepted as time moves on.

 

[Tabiyou]

yes.

 

[CatDad26]

Hello,

I am a prospective medical student that is currently serving in the U.S. military. I am completing my undergraduate degree in biochemistry as I work as a military member. I have a full sleeve of tattoos that do not go below the wrist. I have a double armband on the other arm as well. All my tattoos can be covered with long sleeves. None of my tattoos are on my hands, face, or neck. I am very passionate about becoming a medical doctor but I am concerned about my tattoos. I even went as far as tried getting consultations to get them removed. I know some hospitals have tattoo policies and this worries me.

Thank you,

Dante

You're totally fine. Just understand when you rotate in surgery you wont be able to wear long sleeves under your scrubs - so dont be shocked if some older conservative physicians say anything to you. I have a half sleeve and want to go into surgery so I am sure some physicians I rotate with will have something to say about it. Ultimately there are no rules against them and by the time we are attendings they will be much much more common.

Try to go to any ER in the country and not find a nurse or PA with visible tattoos.... its unlikely you will

 

[OchemOficionado]

Yup.

 

[Aloe paleo]

I've never seen a doctor with a full sleeve before but i'm sure they exist

 

[BUSM24Student]

While I'm not a doctor, I can say that the 3 hospitals that I've worked at have all been very relaxed about tattoos. The hospital I currently work at has zero problems with visible tattoos. On any given day I walk by hospital staff and doctors with visible tattoos. I actually have two visible tattoos and the only things the doctors I work with have said is that they like them and find them unique. For the most part, when I meet with patients I usually have a white coat on so my tattoos can't be seen. I can only really speak about the hospitals I work at, but from my experience, no one cares that much.

 

[Engrailed]

maybe not a face tattoo

 

[deleted996731]

Only if it’s a sick sleeve

 

[Harry J. Potter]

I have talked to a pediatric oncology nurse as well as a emergency room PA, and the nurse told me that visible tattoos in her hospital were frowned upon and you just had to make sure they were covered. The ER PA told me that you see health practitioners with tattoos all the time. I would imagine the consensus on tattoos probably varies by specialty (i.e. ER medicine vs. pediatrics).

As long as you are able to cover them, I wouldn't be worried. Tattoos are still seen as taboo by some, but I think they are starting to become more accepted as time moves on.

Thank you for the reply!

 

[Harry J. Potter]

Only if it’s a sick sleeve

I think it is pretty cool, thank you!

 

[Harry J. Potter]

maybe not a face tattoo

I agree and I wouldn't personally get one. Although, I don't think it should dictate the type of doctor you'll be.

 

[AMCASTuesdays]

Not a doctor just a premed with a lot of hidden tattoos who regularly battles needle fever.

I've been told that it depends on the place, and that the climate is getting better about tattoos. A lot of doctors I've worked with also have hidden tattoos and they have said as long as you can cover it up you're fine. Really hoping I end up at a place that is lax (you know, 10 years from now) because I want a sleeve sooo badly

 

[Harry J. Potter]

Not a doctor just a premed with a lot of hidden tattoos who regularly battles needle fever.

I've been told that it depends on the place, and that the climate is getting better about tattoos. A lot of doctors I've worked with also have hidden tattoos and they have said as long as you can cover it up you're fine. Really hoping I end up at a place that is lax (you know, 10 years from now) because I want a sleeve sooo badly

I totally want to get more tattoos but I'll probably wait until after medical school. Thank you for the contribution.

 

[Harry J. Potter]

Yup.

Sweet!

 

[Harry J. Potter]

I've never seen a doctor with a full sleeve before but i'm sure they exist

I've never seen it in person. Although, I have seen photos of doctors with several tattoos. (Google Search)

 

[Harry J. Potter]

While I'm not a doctor, I can say that the 3 hospitals that I've worked at have all been very relaxed about tattoos. The hospital I currently work at has zero problems with visible tattoos. On any given day I walk by hospital staff and doctors with visible tattoos. I actually have two visible tattoos and the only things the doctors I work with have said is that they like them and find them unique. For the most part, when I meet with patients I usually have a white coat on so my tattoos can't be seen. I can only really speak about the hospitals I work at, but from my experience, no one cares that much.

I know that several hospitals have policies for tattoos. Most of the time I heard they are barely enforced and only if they are offensive. Is this true for your hospital or is there no specific tattoo policy?

 

[Biscuitboy11]

Recently worked with Harvard surgical resident with near-sleeve; former Military helicopter pilot. Good guy, good surgeon. Hasn't hurt his career so far.

 

[BUSM24Student]

I know that several hospitals have policies for tattoos. Most of the time I heard they are barely enforced and only if they are offensive. Is this true for your hospital or is there no specific tattoo policy?

At one of the hospitals I used to work at there was technically a policy against it but nobody ever said anything. At my current hospital I remember briefly searching through the employee handbook about tattoos and not being able to find anything. I will say that the majority of people I see with tattoos aren't doctors but there are a few doctors that have tattoos visible when their white coats are off.

 

[Orangekiwi]

I agree and I wouldn't personally get one. Although, I don't think it should dictate the type of doctor you'll be.

Getting a face/neck tattoo knowing the sociocultural beliefs surrounding them and how unprofessional they look shows a clear lack of judgement IMO and I would not want that person to be my doctor.

 

[electropartyogram]

Getting a face/neck tattoo knowing the sociocultural beliefs surrounding them and how unprofessional they look shows a clear lack of judgement IMO and I would not want that person to be my doctor.

You would judge a 35-40 year-old based on a decision they made when they were 18-20? That sounds unreasonable. Having permanent ink on your skin does not affect or alter one's ability to perform a task, regardless of the location of the tattoo.

Sure, there is a social stigma against ace/neck tattoos. I myself would be apprehensive about receiving surgery from said individual but if I am receiving surgery from them, they are obviously employed and competent enough to do the surgery, so the tattoo does not impact their ability, it impacts the perception and close-minded opinions of others may have.

 

[u_raptor]

I saw a m1 or m2 at UVA during interviews with both of his arms fully covered! Maybe cover them up a bit during interviews, but I don't think it will be the thing to keep you out of med school

 

[tessellations]

The conservatism in medicine when it comes to appearance has always bugged me. Seeing ADCOMs on here be like "you have a tiny piece of metal in your nose, instant reject," makes me really sad. Like ok, I'll take out my tiny nose stud to please you on the interview if I must, but jeez, it will 100% not affect my ability to care for my patients.

My philosophy with body mods is to hide it for the interview and then see what you can get away with showing once you're in.

 

[jamaica jan sun princess]

I volunteer in the ER at small hospital in the rural southeast and I'm pretty sure every nurse in the department has at least one tattoo.

 

[IsleyOfTheNorth]

You would judge a 35-40 year-old based on a decision they made when they were 18-20?

Yes. It reflects their decision making ability, forward thinking/impulsiveness, understanding of social norms, etc.

Like it or not, a person's appearance reflects their choices and therefore their personality.

 

[AMCASTuesdays]

The conservatism in medicine when it comes to appearance has always bugged me. Seeing ADCOMs on here be like "you have a tiny piece of metal in your nose, instant reject," makes me really sad. Like ok, I'll take out my tiny nose stud to please you on the interview if I must, but jeez, it will 100% not affect my ability to care for my patients.

My philosophy with body mods is to hide it for the interview and then see what you can get away with showing once you're in.

well the good news for any 8 year olds on this site is that by the time they get to medicine none of us will seem to care about their sleeves or piercings very much... hashtag wish it were me (edit: tried to actually hashtag this and got censored haha unfortunate order of letters)

 

[electropartyogram]

Yes. It reflects their decision making ability, forward thinking/impulsiveness, understanding of social norms, etc.

Like it or not, a person's appearance reflects their choices and therefore their personality.

And how many surgeons still go to work every day with multiple DUIs or ex-wives? Again, you want to judge someone's choice decades ago when in reality they have had time to mature and have a better understanding of life?

 

[BUSM24Student]

Yes. It reflects their decision making ability, forward thinking/impulsiveness, understanding of social norms, etc.

Like it or not, a person's appearance reflects their choices and therefore their personality.

This is a rather cynical point of view. What you're trying to say is that you never made a decision when you were younger that you feel does not currently define who you are? Like I get it, when people see face tattoos they feel a certain way and automatically judge that person. But the decision process that led that person to get that tattoo in the past may not be the way that person thinks today. For example, someone cheating on their SO is deplorable but if they were a skilled surgeon wouldn't you let them perform surgery still, especially if they genuinely seemed to learn from their action and feel bad about it? The difference with a face tattoo is that it's directly visible and it seems like you're giving visibility far more weight than it deserves to have.

Edit: I have tattoos and I'll be honest, I'm not a fan of face tattoos. I do think the decision to get a face tat isn't realistically a smart idea; however, I'm also open to the fact that people can grow, learn, and change and just because you thought it was a good idea today doesn't mean you still think it's a good idea 20 years down the road. The idea that we can judge someone entirely based off the fact that they have tattoos is narrow minded and people should remember that just because you don't like something doesn't automatically make it wrong/bad. Like it or not, the way you speak about others and how quick you are to judge others speaks strongly about your personality.

Edit 2: I also agree that having a face tattoo will likely (definitely) impact your ability to enter the field of medicine, let alone become a doctor because we live in a subjective world. Those with power will make decisions that are always biased and that's just the human experience. The topic that I was responding to, though, was under the assumption that the person with a face tat already was a doctor (I think? Idk I'm getting too deep into this topic and I've already made 2 edits in under 5 minutes...)

 

[Orangekiwi]

You would judge a 35-40 year-old based on a decision they made when they were 18-20? That sounds unreasonable. Having permanent ink on your skin does not affect or alter one's ability to perform a task, regardless of the location of the tattoo.

Sure, there is a social stigma against ace/neck tattoos. I myself would be apprehensive about receiving surgery from said individual but if I am receiving surgery from them, they are obviously employed and competent enough to do the surgery, so the tattoo does not impact their ability, it impacts the perception and close-minded opinions of others may have.

I get what you’re saying, and for a lot of things I would agree with you. However in the end, life is a series of choices and consequences we each get to make. Some people make the choice to get a face tattoo, and that’s fine if that’s what they want! But if you can’t recognize that a consequence of that choice is that you look unprofessional and it will reflect poorly on you in professional environments especially one where you’re expected to make sound judgements about the lives of other people, I don’t know what to tell you. Even at 18 you should be able to recognize that if you make a permanent decision you’ll have to live with permanent consequences. Being a doctor is a privilege not something any of us is entitled to, and getting a face tattoo is a choice that in my opinion is incompatible with that privilege. You’re welcome to disagree, it seems that you do but that’s how I feel about it

 

[82Scout]

Don't be afraid to be yourself man. I'm a veteran and current applicant and I have tattoos that go down my biceps/triceps that are visible in anything but a long sleeve. I work at a SOM currently and alongside physicians and researchers everyday with my tattoo's showing. I have had other clinical jobs and have never been told a thing.

In fact some of my tattoo's are connected to my service and life experiences and they have been conversation pieces at times where people learn a little more about me. As long as your tattoo's are not obscene, vulgar, or offensive then I don't see an issue. Of course there will always be someone who disagrees or judges you, c'est la 'vie. I can promise you that at the end of the day you will receive more respect for standing strong in your beliefs and roots than being a sell out.

 

[deleted1010363]

Hello,

I am a prospective medical student that is currently serving in the U.S. military. I am completing my undergraduate degree in biochemistry as I work as a military member. I have a full sleeve of tattoos that do not go below the wrist. I have a double armband on the other arm as well. All my tattoos can be covered with long sleeves. None of my tattoos are on my hands, face, or neck. I am very passionate about becoming a medical doctor but I am concerned about my tattoos. I even went as far as tried getting consultations to get them removed. I know some hospitals have tattoo policies and this worries me.

Thank you,

Dante

From my experience (and I have tattoos) working in a hospital, most facilities would prefer that you wear a long sleeve shirt or some sort of cover up if you have a full sleeve. Some facilities may not care but just as a rule of thumb, plan to cover them up with a sleeve. But that should not prevent you from becoming a doctor.

 

[RJ McReady]

I have this tattoo which I proudly showed to one of my interviewers...you think it will hurt me?

Redirect Notice

 

[BUSM24Student]

I have this tattoo which I proudly showed to one of my interviewers...you think it will hurt me?

Redirect Notice

OOOOOOOF opened this bad boi at work

 

[AMCASTuesdays]

OOOOOOOF opened this bad boi at work

Rookie mistake ^

 

[BoolaHI]

Yes. It reflects their decision making ability, forward thinking/impulsiveness, understanding of social norms, etc.

Like it or not, a person's appearance reflects their choices and therefore their personality.

Gosh, that’s a tad dogmatic and draconian. I’ve got two Doctors in the house and between them they have close to 20 tattoos— and they also have degrees from Yale, Hopkins, UCSF and Stanford, as well as two sub specialty fellowships. If that’s impaired decision making and impulsiveness—sign me the heck on.

 

[BUSM24Student]

Rookie mistake ^

I've shown my true colors. I only came here to seek validation from internet strangers on getting my first II :x

 

[TelemarketingEnigma]

The reaction to tattoos will vary by geographic location, patient population, institution, and specialty, but there is no reason why it would prevent you from becoming a physician. I know a number of physicians with visible tattoos, including an EM chief resident with a pretty sick star wars sleeve

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

The conservatism in medicine when it comes to appearance has always bugged me. Seeing ADCOMs on here be like "you have a tiny piece of metal in your nose, instant reject," makes me really sad. Like ok, I'll take out my tiny nose stud to please you on the interview if I must, but jeez, it will 100% not affect my ability to care for my patients.

It's not about your personal ability to care for patients, it's about how those patients view you.. Medicine will always lean towards a conservative appearance because of that fact alone.

No OP, an arm sleeve won't get you rejected.

 

[AMCASTuesdays]

It's not about your personal ability to care for patients, it's about how those patients view you.. Medicine will always lean towards a conservative appearance because of that fact alone.

No OP, an arm sleeve won't get you rejected.

Idk imo its really more on how hospital admins perceive how patients might perceive you if that makes sense lol. Lots of patients have tattoos and patient populations are way more diverse than physician populations in appearance and background. I feel like you’ll have patients obviously who lean toward more traditional presentation but i dont think patients in general lean that way

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

Idk imo its really more on how hospital admins perceive how patients might perceive you if that makes sense lol. Lots of patients have tattoos and patient populations are way more diverse than physician populations in appearance and background. I feel like you’ll have patients obviously who lean toward more traditional presentation but i dont think patients in general lean that way

Depends 100% on the location as to whether or not the majority of patients will lean that way. I agree not all patients care, but that's the catch isn't it... Having a conservative appearance isn't going to turn any patients off from you, but having an "unprofessional" appearance will 100% turn a significant chunk of the patient population off of you...

This isn't really a debatable point.

 

[AMCASTuesdays]

Depends 100% on the location as to whether or not the majority of patients will lean that way. I agree not all patients care, but that's the catch isn't it... Having a conservative appearance isn't going to turn any patients off from you, but having an "unprofessional" appearance will 100% turn a significant chunk of the patient population off of you...

This isn't really a debatable point.

I wouldnt say its necessarily undebatable. There’s always something that a patient can find off putting or untrustworthy about you. Ran patient surveys in undergrad and some people came back saying that they don’t trust physicians outside of their own race. African american hair can be perceived as professional to people who understand how much work goes into it but might be seen as “unprofessional” to another patient, and there’s nothing you can do about either of those.

I think its all about being authentic. Sure with tats, visible or hidden, you’re going to have patients who don’t appreciate them, but just like with anything else you might have patients who find the person you present yourself as to be comforting bc they look the same, or they value the kind of integrity you show by being comfortable with yourself.

I guess its all in your school of thought about how you want to approach this field. Nothing wrong w either but i don’t think you can write off either school of thought about this.

Edit: i fully agree on the fact that it depends on location and context as im sure you can tell

Edit 2: said patients and meant physicians

 

[RangerBob]

No, it will not prevent you from becoming a doctor.

But we are a very conservative profession. I have a physician colleague here with gauges and sleeves, but most in this pretty laid back hospital/city (West Coast, coastal) are wearing button up shirts/polos and slacks/nice jeans. No others have visible tattoos.

Patients will judge you on your appearance. Right or wrong they will assess your competence based on how you dress/look and how you act. You have about 15 seconds or so to solidify their opinion of you.

I would just cover up the tattoos when possible. If they’re obviously connected to your military service you will get more of a pass than most, since most people think very positively about those who served.

 

[kfcchikin]

My uncle was a yale med adcom many years ago and any sign of a tattoo/"abnormal" piercing was an auto-reject and his colleagues felt the same (this came up when he was trying to talk me out of some ear piercing lol)

It depends but medicine is archaic and older physicians likely will care to an extent, but enough to stop you? No

Also younger people will almost always not care but you could (and probably should) cover it around patients because you have no control over opinions of others

African american hair can be perceived as professional to people who understand how much work goes into it but might be seen as “unprofessional” to another patient

I don't think this is a fair comparison...viewing that hair as unprofessional is just blatant racism about something someone can't control. Tattoos are a decision that may make your patient population uncomfortable, however misguided it is, as they are in a vulnerable position regarding their health and expect a stereotypical "prim and proper" doctor appearance. Me or people my age mostly wouldn't care in the slightest. Where I grew up in stick-up-butt New England I guarantee the adults/older people would've been genuinely distrusting of it, which they have a right to be, again as misguided as it is

 

[Tenk]

Just keep them covered and you’ll get in. If you get into EM or ortho you can then not even care about showing them.

 

[AMCASTuesdays]

My uncle was a yale med adcom many years ago and any sign of a tattoo/"abnormal" piercing was an auto-reject and his colleagues felt the same (this came up when he was trying to talk me out of some ear piercing lol)

It depends but medicine is archaic and older physicians likely will care to an extent, but enough to stop you? No

Also younger people will almost always not care but you could (and probably should) cover it around patients because you have no control over opinions of others



I don't think this is a fair comparison...viewing that hair as unprofessional is just blatant racism about something someone can't control. Tattoos are a decision that may make your patient population uncomfortable, however misguided it is, as they are in a vulnerable position regarding their health and expect a stereotypical "prim and proper" doctor appearance. Me or people my age mostly wouldn't care in the slightest. Where I grew up in stick-up-butt New England I guarantee the adults/older people would've been genuinely distrusting of it, which they have a right to be, again as misguided as it is

I disagree just bc from personal experience the result is the same. I also grew up in new england small world and people ive encountered who feel that way abt black hair aren’t waxing philosophical about the dif between choice and inheritance. (Ive been straight up asked why i dont straighten my hair based on misconceptions about black hair). At the end of the day me and the person w visible tattoos are gonna deal with that the same way: with a smile and a joke of some sort lol. My point isn’t so much the semantics its just that there is a very select group of physicians with whom no patient ever has ever found a presentation problem with.

Maybe its just bc i’m already starting from a point where I’m already going to be dealing with presentation issues, but im thinking: Why worry so much and just focus on presenting yourself as you are as well as you can.

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

I wouldnt say its necessarily undebatable.

It's not debatable.
Doctor A: conservative clean cut appearance
Doctor B: Noticeable elective body modifications

Doctor A will turn off less patients than doctor B. End of story. I'm not sure why you are trying to debate this when you have multiple medical students, residents, and attendings all saying the exact same thing.

There’s always something that a patient can find off putting or untrustworthy about you. Ran patient surveys in undergrad and some people came back saying that they don’t trust physicians outside of their own race. African american hair can be perceived as professional to people who understand how much work goes into it but might be seen as “unprofessional” to another patient, and there’s nothing you can do about either of those.

Not really the same. The bolded is the core issue, there is something you can do about elective, visible body modifications. You can't really change african american hair. That's kinda the whole point.

 

[deleted966164]

I personally don’t really have an opinion unless tattoos and/or piercings impede your performance as a doctor. But I heard someone say “if you’re supposed to heal people’s bodies - why did you mutilate yours in the first place.”

 

[ciestar]

I personally don’t really have an opinion unless tattoos and/or piercings impede your performance as a doctor. But I heard someone say “if you’re supposed to heal people’s bodies - why did you mutilate yours in the first place.”

This is the attitude one place I’ve rotated at. Lots and lots of 75+ somethings patients that don’t hold back their thoughts and tell you how they feel about your appearance.

 

[DrStephenStrange]

You would judge a 35-40 year-old based on a decision they made when they were 18-20? That sounds unreasonable. Having permanent ink on your skin does not affect or alter one's ability to perform a task, regardless of the location of the tattoo.

Sure, there is a social stigma against ace/neck tattoos. I myself would be apprehensive about receiving surgery from said individual but if I am receiving surgery from them, they are obviously employed and competent enough to do the surgery, so the tattoo does not impact their ability, it impacts the perception and close-minded opinions of others may have.

What if said tattoo is a swastika? Would that change your mind? Just curious.

 

[ciestar]

What if said tattoo is a swastika? Would that change your mind? Just curious.

Saw a patient’s family member with one once.. so that was nice for the jewish attending