gauged ears, take them out or wear clear jewelry during interview?

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zipideedoodah

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My ears are gauged (size 2) and I was wondering whether it would be better to take them out completely during my interview or wear clear glass jewelry that are not as noticeable. Thoughts???
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I would get glass plugs that have the bulb-shape on the outside rather than flat and try to find a conservative color, but not clear. 2 is too big to take them out completely, and clear glass will only bring attention to it, in my opinion.
 
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zipideedoodah said:
My ears are gauged (size 2) and I was wondering whether it would be better to take them out completely during my interview or wear clear glass jewelry that are not as noticeable. Thoughts???
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I think you're better off with jewelry in than not...given that it seems a gauge that size is going to be obvious either way. You're probably better off wearing the jewelry and owning it than leaving it out.
 
zipideedoodah said:
My ears are gauged (size 2) and I was wondering whether it would be better to take them out completely during my interview or wear clear glass jewelry that are not as noticeable. Thoughts???
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Although our experience with with gauges is small, the only successful candidate wore nothing in the holes.
 
I can honestly say I've never seen an interviewee with gauged ears. Having anything that large in your ears would definitely stand out and in a bad way. Im not sure how it would look without anything in it, but I would imagine that is the least bad way to go.
 
I saw a girl on an interview with gauges in her ears. No idea how successful she was. She tried to match the color to her skin tone, but they were still pretty obvious.
 
that's what I meant too.....but a bulb-shaped outer part instead of a flower. They have all kinds. My girlfriend has ones that look like pearls....you'd have to be inspecting pretty close to realize they were plugs.
 
Ohhh - oops. Yeah, I think clear would look better than empty in a size 2.
 
The smallest plugs that can pass as earrings would be optimal. If there is no way it can pass for an earring, I think I'd leave them empty. Someone above posted a link to flowers -- although they'd hide the holes more in passing, I think they draw more attention such that the gauged lobes are more likely to be noticed.

On top of this, I would seriously consider removing the gauges and letting the holes shrink, and I would definitely not progress to any larger gauge. If you think this is a concern now, it's only going to be worse when you go to interview with residency programs.
 
Size 2 is rather large, so I think it will draw attention either way. How does the lobe look without the plug in? Is the hole super noticeable? I'm leaning towards suggesting the clear plug, because it might look weird without it.

I agree with the above - let the holes shrink.
 
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Is there really that much bias to gauged ears? I've known people who had no problem getting into residency but I'm not sure their gauge.

It never dawned on Me that it's something to worry over.
 
phoenx said:
Is there really that much bias to gauged ears? I've known people who had no problem getting into residency but I'm not sure their gauge.

It never dawned on Me that it's something to worry over.
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Medicine is still a very conservative industry since it is professional services. It would be the same for law or finance.
 
I would consider gluing them shut for the interview
 
phoenx said:
Is there really that much bias to gauged ears? I've known people who had no problem getting into residency but I'm not sure their gauge.

It never dawned on Me that it's something to worry over.
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I think it really depends what field you're going into and where you're trying to go (regionally or specific programs), but it's never bad to come across as very professional.

Also, while it's lovely to think that everybody will judge us based on our merits, the truth is that first impressions matter and can be hard to break. Some attendings are less wonderful than others, and the last thing you want is to be deprived of your ability to shine and get the evaluation/grade you deserve b/c the instructor couldn't see past your body modifications. One of my close relatives who just *hates* smoking, tattoos, and piercings is a program director -- given the heated arguments we've had where I try to convince him that there are people who remain intelligent and worthwhile in spite of subjecting themselves to these things, I have no doubt that he could not look past any of those when forming his opinion about a residency candidate.
 
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pietachok said:
I think it really depends what field you're going into and where you're trying to go (regionally or specific programs), but it's never bad to come across as very professional.
Also, while it's lovely to think that everybody will judge us based on our merits, the truth is that first impressions matter and can be hard to break. Some attendings are less wonderful than others, and the last thing you want is to be deprived of your ability to shine and get the evaluation/grade you deserve b/c the instructor couldn't see past your body modifications.
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True. We had a very qualified candidate for Radiology ( Steps >260) who didn't match. The only identifiable issue was the size of his gauges. They were around 6mm...
 
The suggestions on here (except for the gluing shut advice) are good short-term solutions for interviews.

If I were the OP, I would be saving up for plastic surgery in the long-term to give your ears a more "normal" and "healthy" appearance.

I am not trying to be rude or insensitive, but you do not want to stand out in medical school or in a work environment, especially in a conservative field such as medicine. I would also not be surprised if patients and/or superiors had a hard time taking you seriously because of this body modification that ultimately altered your appearance.

I would be giving different advice if you were living an "alternative lifestyle" where body modifications are perfectly acceptable.

Appearance can be everything, even if that is a very vain thing to say.
 
thanks for everyone's feedback. I think I'm going to wear the clear ones. I think it'd be too distracting to not wear anything in them. Honestly a 2 gauge is really not that big.
 
It's just big enough to be noticeable if you take them out, unfortunately. I think it really is too bad that this field is still so ultra-conservative. What a dumb, arbitrary thing to care about.
 
The hospitals I've worked at have had a no-visual-tattoo policy as well as bias towards non-traditional jewelry/earring choices. Stretched ears generally fall in the same body mod category as tattoos.
 
I do not mean to be insensitive, but anything that deviates form the norm, including living an "alternative lifestyle" by doing body modifications (very minor to extremely hardcore), that alter you appearance, is not going to be respected or appreciated in medicine.

Do not expect to be taken seriously in any professional field, especially medicine when you have decided to make any visible body modification, and not make an attempt to "fix" your look or eliminate the modification, as best as possible, to be mainstream.
 
yehhhboiii said:
how is it ultra conservative
it looks ridiculous and i totally judge people who have them
what do you think patients are going to think? "hey this guy put these huge holes in his ears. he sure looks like a guy with great judgment and i'm going to trust him with my life now"
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You're entitled to your opinion and I completely respect that. Here's mine: the fact that you seem quick to assess people based off of appearances tells me a lot about what kind of doctor you'd probably be. I personally would rather have a doctor who I would feel comfortable confiding in, who I can ask questions without feeling inadequate, and who I feel wasn't judging me. But that's just me 😉
 
You will be judged by your appearance and how you present yourself. Be prepared to lose respect from superiors and lose any chance of high regards of you as an individual, as you made the choice to do this body modification.

You get judged by your GPA, MCAT, ECs, hardcore, just like any other applicant who applies to medical school. Then, you have to go to an interview, if you have adequate credentials. If you are not inline with the mission of the medical school and what the AdComs want as a student to represent their institution, by what goes on in the interview, you just lost your spot at medical school, no matter how great your credentials are.

Just remember, you cannot "appeal" or dispute your way out of this if you ultimately do not get accepted, even with the best credentials, in real life, and at the end of the day, you either fit in to the medical school's mission and the AdComs want you as a student--or you don't.
 
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gyngyn said:
True. We had a very qualified candidate for Radiology ( Steps >260) who didn't match. The only identifiable issue was the size of his gauges. They were around 6mm...
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Medicine is run by "the old boys network" pretty much old conservative white guys. Nothing much you can do about that. What I don't understand is how this process is really, really, really, judgmental, you have to jump through 100 hoops just to practice medicine, yet people accept foreigners with just a bachelors and nurses practicing all the time.
 
moco89 said:
You will be judged by your appearance and how you present yourself. Be prepared to lose respect from superiors and lose any chance of high regards of you as an individual, as you made the choice to do this body modification.

You get judged by your GPA, MCAT, ECs, hardcore, just like any other applicant who applies to medical school. Then, you have to go to an interview, if you have adequate credentials. If you are not inline with the mission of the medical school and what the AdComs want as a student to represent their institution, by what goes on in the interview, you just lost your spot at medical school, no matter how great your credentials are.

Just remember, you cannot "appeal" or dispute your way out of this if you ultimately do not get accepted, even with the best credentials, in real life, and at the end of the day, you either fit in to the medical school's mission and the AdComs want you as a student--or you don't.
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Obviously I will be judged, that's the purpose of an interview. I understand how the process works thank you very much, no need to be condescending. Not once did I deny the possibility of being rejected due to appearance. I wasn't trying to start some debate on the population of close-minded/judgmental pre-meds and physicians, or "alternate lifestyles" (that was hard to type without laughing). I was merely asking for opinions on what I should do with my ears during the interview. I wasn't asking for opinions about gauged ears in general. But thank you to certain people who are reminding me of one the reasons I wanted to be a physician... to overcome some of these stereotypes. Some people have got to pave the way I guess.
 
zipideedoodah said:
Obviously I will be judged, that's the purpose of an interview. I understand how the process works thank you very much, no need to be condescending. Not once did I deny the possibility of being rejected due to appearance. I wasn't trying to start some debate on the population of close-minded/judgmental pre-meds and physicians, or "alternate lifestyles" (that was hard to type without laughing). I was merely asking for opinions on what I should do with my ears during the interview. I wasn't asking for opinions about gauged ears in general. But thank you to certain people who are reminding me of one the reasons I wanted to be a physician... to overcome some of these stereotypes. Some people have got to pave the way I guess.
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You are in the wrong field to be breaking stereotypes or trying to influence or "pave the way" to convince other individuals that your appearance is acceptable when they are authority figures--AdComs, resident chiefs, attendings.

I have a circumstance that stands out in a bad way, that I have no control over and is no fault of my own, and I am trying to pursue getting in to medical school. So don't think you are special or something. Your motivation for being a doctor is poor if you are motivated to use your body modifications as an influence for being a doctor.

Don't expect to post in a public forum--and not get unsolicited advice. It's all fair game on SDN.
 
Wear them at your own peril. Most interviewers are perceptive enough to see the "invisible" ones.
 
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moco89 said:
You are in the wrong field to be breaking stereotypes or trying to influence or "pave the way" to convince other individuals that your appearance is acceptable when they are authority figures--AdComs, resident chiefs, attendings.

I have a circumstance that stands out in a bad way, that I have no control over and is no fault of my own, and I am trying to pursue getting in to medical school. So don't think you are special or something. Your motivation for being a doctor is poor if you are motivated to use your body modifications as an influence for being a doctor.

Don't expect to post in a public forum--and not get unsolicited advice. It's all fair game on SDN.
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You're completely right... the medical field isn't looking for diversity at all, I should make a career change. I was under the impression that my reason for wanting to be a doctor (i.e., my "body modifications") was a valid motivation. Physicians should look distinct from patients and not be relatable to the rest of the population. Special? Who me? No.

Here's my unsolicited advice to you: maybe you should work on how you interact with people because you come of as well, let me just say not very "personable".
 
zipideedoodah said:
You're completely right... the medical field isn't looking for diversity at all, I should make a career change. I was under the impression that my reason for wanting to be a doctor (i.e., my "body modifications") was a valid motivation. Physicians should look distinct from patients and not be relatable to the rest of the population. Special? Who me? No.

Here's my unsolicited advice to you: maybe you should work on how you interact with people because you come of as well, let me just say not very "personable".
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That's fine. I appreciate and thank you for your input.

You have a reason for being a doctor, in the first place, or you would have not went through all of the trouble to get the needed credentials for application to medical school. I do not really know what to say, but you have the motivation, so you have your reasons besides your gauged ears/appearance.

Maybe, at some point of time your reasons behind becoming a doctor changed into different reasons.

I do not know how to communicate "body modifications"/appearance/gauged ears/whatever term I should use, I don't know. I do not have any friends with tattoos, piercings, or anything to that sort of similarity.
 
zipideedoodah said:
You're completely right... the medical field isn't looking for diversity at all, I should make a career change. I was under the impression that my reason for wanting to be a doctor (i.e., my "body modifications") was a valid motivation. Physicians should look distinct from patients and not be relatable to the rest of the population. Special? Who me? No.

Here's my unsolicited advice to you: maybe you should work on how you interact with people because you come of as well, let me just say not very "personable".
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I'm all for personal body modification and that people should do whatever they want to themselves (It is a free country) and that they shouldn't be judged by it.

But, with a size 2, you're definitely at a disadvantage for med school interviews; theres no denying it. I would say prepare to defend your gauges because hiding them isn't going to work unless your hair is long enough to cover them. Hope that your interviewer is sympathetic towards them and agree with your stance or stop wearing guages and let the hole shrink. The med school application cycle sucks, but you have to play by their rules. I respect your desire to break the mold, but the admissions committee doesn't see it that way and they have ~5,000 other applicants that have the image that they prefer over yours.

Good luck though and I hope you end up somewhere.
 
darkjedi said:
awfully defensive for someone who should have been expecting some of the responses solicited
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No, I only feel the need to defend myself against the couple of individuals who are judging me by the fact that I have pierced ears and being counterproductive in response to my OP. My intent was to ask what should I do since I only have these 2 options at this point, not to convince people that they should accept my "alternate lifestyle".
 
I am not against gauged ears or body modifications. That is your choice.

There is nothing wrong with me admitting that I have bias, especially as I have no friends who have body modifications.

If anything, look at the posters who are medical students. They will tell you the way it is in medicine, that is for sure. Unfortunately, there is no escaping the hierarchy and the authoritative environment in medical school/training.
 
moco89 said:
I do not know how to communicate "body modifications"/appearance/gauged ears/whatever term I should use, I don't know. I do not have any friends with tattoos, piercings, or anything to that sort of similarity.
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I find this hard to believe! You must have at least one friend with a tattoo lol (even if it's well-hidden).

It's unfortunate that something as small as having slightly gauged ears can become an issue at all. Some of the most intelligent/caring people I know have tattoos and piercings, but like the above posters have stated, you have to play their game.

Good luck for your upcoming interview though 🙂
 
zipideedoodah said:
No, I only feel the need to defend myself against the couple of individuals who are judging me by the fact that I have pierced ears and being counterproductive in response to my OP. My intent was to ask what should I do since I only have these 2 options at this point, not to convince people that they should accept my "alternate lifestyle".
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I wonder if flesh-tone plugs would be less noticeable than the clear?
 
This is all getting a little ridiculous. I know med students with tattoos, I have received my first acceptances and I have tattoos, and I actually had a nice chat with another interviewee in the waiting room (at full volume 😱) about getting work done. Granted I have nothing that shows in a suit, which makes gauges a little different, but I doubt it's really going to get your application thrown out. The idea that everyone with the slightest body modification is pushing an agenda or something is a bit absurd. I say wear clear or black(unpolished) and don't draw attention to it.
 
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moco89 said:
You are in the wrong field to be breaking stereotypes or trying to influence or "pave the way" to convince other individuals that your appearance is acceptable. . .
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No. Zippidedoodah is simply at the wrong point in his/her career in this field to be doing that. There are physicians in a variety of fields and at a variety of more liberal locations or in private practice who do not fit the norm and who have successful careers.

moco89 said:
I have a circumstance that stands out in a bad way, that I have no control over and is no fault of my own, and I am trying to pursue getting in to medical school. So don't think you are special or something. Your motivation for being a doctor is poor if you are motivated to use your body modifications as an influence for being a doctor.
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How in the world are you connecting body modification and your own autoimmune disease? I didn't see Zip claiming to be "special or something," so as one person with severe chronic disease to another, I'm going to say that you sound like you have a chip on your shoulder, and it's leading you to make really bizarre correlations. I'm not sure what "as an influence for being a doctor" means, but if you meant "motivation" when you wrote "influence," I think it is perfectly acceptable for one aspect of an applicant's motivation to come from a desire to become a physician who caters to others like him/herself, even when that likeness is due to an elective lifestyle. People who have body modification face bias when they are patients -- too many physicians will make a lot of assumptions about them -- that they use drugs, are promiscuous, reckless with their body, uneducated, or unintelligent . . . a whole host of unfounded thoughts that impact the care they offer those patients. People who lead alternative lifestyles are attracted to healthcare providers who are able to identify with them.

Also, when condemning the motivations of others here and telling them they're doing it wrong, seriously consider how much insight/hindsight you have -- you're a pre-med who's not yet even dipped his toe into the application or interview process. There are a great many students, residents, attendings with non-traditional piercings and <gasp> tattoos. They just had to be able to (as SweetDee04 pointed out), play the game right at times like interviews, etc. Zip is doing exactly that -- asking for the rules/advice for this part of the game.
 
pietachok said:
No. Zippidedoodah is simply at the wrong point in his/her career in this field to be doing that. There are physicians in a variety of fields and at a variety of more liberal locations or in private practice who do not fit the norm and who have successful careers.



How in the world are you connecting body modification and your own autoimmune disease? I didn't see Zip claiming to be "special or something," so as one person with severe chronic disease to another, I'm going to say that you sound like you have a chip on your shoulder, and it's leading you to make really bizarre correlations. I'm not sure what "as an influence for being a doctor" means, but if you meant "motivation" when you wrote "influence," I think it is perfectly acceptable for one aspect of an applicant's motivation to come from a desire to become a physician who caters to others like him/herself, even when that likeness is due to an elective lifestyle. People who have body modification face bias when they are patients -- too many physicians will make a lot of assumptions about them -- that they use drugs, are promiscuous, reckless with their body, uneducated, or unintelligent . . . a whole host of unfounded thoughts that impact the care they offer those patients. People who lead alternative lifestyles are attracted to healthcare providers who are able to identify with them.

Also, when condemning the motivations of others here and telling them they're doing it wrong, seriously consider how much insight/hindsight you have -- you're a pre-med who's not yet even dipped his toe into the application or interview process. There are a great many students, residents, attendings with non-traditional piercings and <gasp> tattoos. They just had to be able to (as SweetDee04 pointed out), play the game right at times like interviews, etc. Zip is doing exactly that -- asking for the rules/advice for this part of the game.
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Pietachok, you are pretty out there too.

I do not have a chip on my shoulder and I am not making bizarre correlations.

Both apps, in both situations, in their own way, could be tossed in the trash, for different reasons. I guess am resentful because in my situation, I had no choice in the matter.

I have worked my ##$#off to stay in school, and I would be successful academically, if I did not have these problems. I even worked 15-20 hours a week many semesters while having a full course load with these problems. I am doing everything in my power to stay in school and to be successful. I have been forced to decline many opportunities, such as very competitive internships because of my situation. DO NOT GIVE ME @#%$ FOR NOT "DIPPING MY TOES" OR WTF YOU INTENDED ON IMPLYING. You have no idea how hard I have worked to stay in school, show up to lecture, and just try to be the best I can be.

I do not have a medical student's perspective, so lay off. Appearance matters.
 
moco89 said:
Just look at the posts from the medical students, including some that conduct interviews. Overall the reception of the gauged ears is pretty consistent.
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I looked. I am one of them. I see consistent response that these may be hazardous to the OP's application. I see only one person who felt qualified to belittle one of the OP's motivating reasons for going into medicine and saying, he/she was "in the wrong field" and that his/her "motivation for going into medicine is poor."

moco89 said:
DO NOT GIVE ME @#%$ FOR NOT "DIPPING MY TOES" OR WTF YOU INTENDED ON IMPLYING. You have no idea how hard I have worked to stay in school, show up to lecture, and just try to be the best I can be.
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Um. It just means you haven't yet even tried it. It's just a colloquialism.

moco89 said:
I guess am resentful because in my situation
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That was already more than clear.

moco89 said:
I have worked my ##$#off to stay in school, and I would be successful academically, if I did not have these problems. I even worked 15-20 hours a week many semesters while having a full course load with these problems. I am doing everything in my power to stay in school and to be successful. I have been forced to decline many opportunities, such as very competitive internships because of my situation. . . You have no idea how hard I have worked to stay in school, show up to lecture, and just try to be the best I can be.
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Never said anything about any of this. Not one thing. It sucks and it's unfair and it's awful. But it has nothing to do with the OP's problem or anything I said. I understand why you're feeling resentful. I've been in very similar shoes to yours and know it is frustrating and feels like you've been cheated. But it doesn't make decisions like the OP's a personal affront to you. Try the best you can to not allow your situation color the way you interpret completely unrelated statements/issues.
 
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sb247 said:
I'm going to admit that made me chuckle
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+1 for me, too.

Just my $0.02 - agree with the others above who repeatedly note that medicine is still a conservative institution. You are not only judged by your peers, interviewers, and higher-ups, but also your patients. I'm sure there is some geographic areas where body mods are more acceptable (and, again - not trying to overgeneralize, but gauges, more extreme piercings and tattoos would fall into that - I know lots of docs with some tattoos, but probably very few with them on their hands and probably none with neck or face - for comparison). And, sure - maybe this will change over time. BUT, this is an institution that actively debates whether we should wear white coats or what constitutes professional dress. You've (OP) already made your decisions, but I would strongly encourage pre-meds to avoid permanent choices that could be used against them in their career.

EDIT: Tangential but related: One of the dimensions that you'll be evaluated on in every step of your career is "professionalism". Unfortunately, this means different things to different people. But, things like how you dress are, for better or worse, bundled into that concept for many people.

This is a slightly old school observation but I don't see it changing anytime soon - but, there are plenty of excellent candidates turned away every day. Why risk being overlooked on the basis of something so superficial?
 
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