Guaged ears at interviews?

[Cotterpin]

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I'm not sure what kind of earring you are using, but I don't think pliers would be necessary?

It's very similar to this:

Trying to get it out by hand has never worked for me.

 

[starlite911]

It's very similar to this:

Trying to get it out by hand has never worked for me.

If you go to a tattoo shop, they have this little tool that they can use to untwist it. I don't know the protocol of going to a different place than where you got it done, but I think it's worth a shot versus taking pliers to your own ear 😱

 

[gyngyn]

If you go to a tattoo shop, they have this little tool that they can use to untwist it. I don't know the protocol of going to a different place than where you got it done, but I think it's worth a shot versus taking pliers to your own ear 😱

"Don't take pliers to your own ear." Advice I never thought I'd be agreeing with!

 

[Doug Underhill]

If the physician you're interviewing with has to take time out of the interview to stitch up your torn ear after you took pliers to it, the interview didn't go well.

 

[Cotterpin]

If you go to a tattoo shop, they have this little tool that they can use to untwist it. I don't know the protocol of going to a different place than where you got it done, but I think it's worth a shot versus taking pliers to your own ear 😱

Well, more to the metal ring in my ear than the ear itself. And, like, needle nose pliers, not side cutters or something. That's what someone told me I was supposed to do back in the day when I got the piercing. Also, it doesn't twist. There's no twisting involved in this ring.

 

[NotASerialKiller]

If the physician you're interviewing with has to take time out of the interview to stitch up your torn ear after you took pliers to it, the interview didn't go well.

But if you have to stitch up your own ear in front of them there could be some bonus points there.

 

[starlite911]

Well, more to the metal ring in my ear than the ear itself. And, like, needle nose pliers, not side cutters or something. That's what someone told me I was supposed to do back in the day when I got the piercing. Also, it doesn't twist. There's no twisting involved in this ring.

are you sure the little ball doesn't untwist? that's how my earring like this is, so if that's not how yours works, I have no clue, sorry

 

[Cotterpin]

are you sure the little ball doesn't untwist? that's how my earring like this is, so if that's not how yours works, I have no clue, sorry

No, it doesn't untwist at all. I've been fidgeting with it for 15 years. It seems to be held in with tension.

 

[ridethecliche]

"Don't take pliers to your own ear." Advice I never thought I'd be agreeing with!

I once ripped off a brace wire (more like a retainer) with a pair of pliers because it was loose and the orthodontist couldn't see me that day and I was catching a flight for a few months abroad the next morning.

I should go tell him that I'm going to be a doctor. He's going to get a good laugh out of it.

 

[Syns]

@ridethecliche

I have a similar experience.

In college, I learned pretty quickly that my teeth were an obvious tell-tell that I did not belong among my middle,upper-middle, upper-class peers. I saved up money to get braces. They have to insert small rubber spacers between your molars in order to make room for the required mounts. The dentist, IMHO, never told me how uncomfortable and painful my night would be. When I returned two days later asking for new spacers, he had trouble believing what I was telling him, "I took them out!". It seems effective bilateral communication is imperative to compliance. *shrug*

 

[Psai]

My hair is a bit longer on the top, but the same length on the side. Thoughts?

View attachment 194225

if you look like that you should have no problem

 

[oOKawaiiOo]

if you look like that you should have no problem

THANKS! But im def going to trim down on the top.

 

[nwts]

@ridethecliche

I have a similar experience.

In college, I learned pretty quickly that my teeth were an obvious tell-tell that I did not belong among my middle,upper-middle, upper-class peers. I saved up money to get braces. They have to insert small rubber spacers between your molars in order to make room for the required mounts. The dentist, IMHO, never told me how uncomfortable and painful my night would be. When I returned two days later asking for new spacers, he had trouble believing what I was telling him, "I took them out!". It seems effective bilateral communication is imperative to compliance. *shrug*

Totally off-topic, but I hated how the assistants at my orthodontist's office told me that the spaces would just cause pressure, not pain. They move your teeth a pretty large distance in a short amount of time. Your teeth become very, very sore. This is pain. That is not just pressure, that is pain. It really bothered me how they tried to tell me something wouldn't hurt even though I was obviously going to find out in a matter of hours.

Lesson I learned: if/when I become a doctor, don't lie to patients about whether or not things will hurt.

 

[Cytokine2014]

I like body mods. And I think that "professionalism" as a concept is classist. But you can only make change from inside, so there's not much to do but accommodate until you get a chance to advocate for something better.

 

[Salt Salt]

I guess I agree with the advice not to wear them to the interview, but I just wanted to throw my hat into the ring as someone who finds the comments that gauges are ugly, "un-hot", or suggest impaired judgment to be very unfair. I just wanted you to know that, OP.

 

[Gastrapathy]

I'm not pre-med (I'm pre-dental) but I just wanna say I think Yall are overthinking this stuff! Look nice, but look like YOURSELF! don't feel like you need to take out diamond studs in your ears/cut your hair/look like someone you're not! Your personality and individuality is what makes you interesting and memorable 😀

It would be nice if this were true.

 

[username456789]

I'm not pre-med (I'm pre-dental) but I just wanna say I think Yall are overthinking this stuff! Look nice, but look like YOURSELF! don't feel like you need to take out diamond studs in your ears/cut your hair/look like someone you're not! Your personality and individuality is what makes you interesting and memorable 😀

It makes sense that your username/avatar is something out of fantasy land.

Although, perhaps an ostrich would be equally fitting.

 

[KinesiologyNerd]

I'm not pre-med (I'm pre-dental) but I just wanna say I think Yall are overthinking this stuff! Look nice, but look like YOURSELF! don't feel like you need to take out diamond studs in your ears/cut your hair/look like someone you're not! Your personality and individuality is what makes you interesting, memorable, and rejected 😀

FTFY #RealWorldProbs

 

[ShadyLane]

It's very similar to this:

Trying to get it out by hand has never worked for me.

I've had these before. They're captive bead rings - a pain in the butt to take out, but you just have to pop the bead out. I would go to a piercer if you're struggling for >20 minutes.

 

[Spector1]

I'm not pre-med (I'm pre-dental) but I just wanna say I think Yall are overthinking this stuff! Look nice, but look like YOURSELF! don't feel like you need to take out diamond studs in your ears/cut your hair/look like someone you're not! Your personality and individuality is what makes you interesting and memorable 😀

Adcom might disagree.

 

[Cotterpin]

I've had these before. They're captive bead rings - a pain in the butt to take out, but you just have to pop the bead out. I would go to a piercer if you're struggling for >20 minutes.

I will probably go to a piercer. Like I said, I've been struggling with thing for 15 years. It's not just gonna pop out. I did a little research online and, lo and behold, the piecer is going to take it out with pliers! Just like how I thought. I might just grab some needle nose pliers and do it myself. All you gotta do is put the pliers through the center of the ring and open them. It's not like I'm gonna rip my ear off.

 

[medic86]

I have never felt the need to post on this website but today I make an exception. As someone who just got my first tiny earlobe piercings at the age of 22, I am not particularly passionate about body modification. But the tone of presumption and judgement in this thread makes me very uncomfortable. I totally agree that personal aesthetics should be left out of professional settings, and OP should dress accordingly for his interview and medical career. BUT, what is with these assumptions about a person's character and their intentions just be cause they share in unconventional body aesthetics? We already live in a world where your appearance and possessions predisposes you to certain prejudices and privileges. People as highly educated as we are should probably be aware of the trappings of those quick and often false conclusions. It sort of makes me wonder what kinds of people I will be working with in the future, like are you gonna judge a patient as a social deviant and unable to make good decisions because in their private life they've got a couple of gauges and tattoo?

What you're describing will NEVER change (not that I agree with it, or anything).

Sorry to burst your bubble.

 

[username456789]

I have never felt the need to post on this website but today I make an exception. As someone who just got my first tiny earlobe piercings at the age of 22, I am not particularly passionate about body modification. But the tone of presumption and judgement in this thread makes me very uncomfortable. I totally agree that personal aesthetics should be left out of professional settings, and OP should dress accordingly for his interview and medical career. BUT, what is with these assumptions about a person's character and their intentions just be cause they share in unconventional body aesthetics? We already live in a world where your appearance and possessions predisposes you to certain prejudices and privileges. People as highly educated as we are should probably be aware of the traps of those quick and often false conclusions. It sort of makes me wonder what kinds of people I will be working with in the future, like are you gonna judge a patient as a social deviant and unable to make good decisions because in their private life they've got a couple of gauges and tattoo?

It all boils down to the fact that it is perceived as unprofessional and, in my personal opinion, looks ridiculous anyway. Regardless, you are flaunting the fact that you are unable to make good decisions when it comes to understanding the social norms and mores of the society to which you want to gain acceptance.

You can be as individual and unique as you want, but you can't dictate how the majority views these choices.

 

[NotASerialKiller]

It all boils down to the fact that it is perceived as unprofessional and, in my personal opinion, looks ridiculous anyway. Regardless, you are flaunting the fact that you are unable to make good decisions when it comes to understanding the social norms and mores of the society to which you want to gain acceptance.

You can be as individual and unique as you want, but you can't dictate how the majority views these choices.

Complete nonsense. It's not about what the majority thinks of gauged ears (which I don't think for a second is what you stated), it's about the expectation that you present yourself in an aesthetically conservative manner in an interview. Very plain to see in what women wear to job interviews vs. upscale restaurants. It's just the setting, not what most people think of a man with pierced ears, which is incredibly common now.

 

[masaraksh]

I don't know about anyone else but I always question the decision making capacity of people who have them

I find that there is a direct correlation with size of the ear guages and peoples ability to make and serve me coffee.

 

[ridethecliche]

I've never found simple gauged ears to look unprofessional. It's when they're huge, have random **** in them, etc that they start to look off.

I guess I'm not in the majority here though, but I like them and I'd have them if not for the backlash...

I think the same for sleeves though, which is why my tattoo isn't visible when wearing scrubs. This will hold true for the next one, whenever I choose to get it.

 

[medic86]

I've never found simple gauged ears to look unprofessional. It's when they're huge, have random **** in them, etc that they start to look off.

I guess I'm not in the majority here though, but I like them and I'd have them if not for the backlash...

I think the same for sleeves though, which is why my tattoo isn't visible when wearing scrubs. This will hold true for the next one, whenever I choose to get it.

I'll probably just wear an undershirt. My fake half sleeve is only to my elbow, but if I end up getting one of those pesky hospital-issue scrub tops with ridiculously short sleeves, everyone will see it.

 

[SliderK]

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[VlLLVGE]

Perhaps, OP, once you jump through the social norm hoops of getting into medical school and becoming a physician, you can become the alternative physician that alternative patients will feel more comfortable with! I'd imagine other body-modified folk would feel more comfortable with a like-minded physician, to look on the bright side.

 

[username456789]

Threads like these always being out the SJWs.

Ah, college students.

 

[username456789]

Complete nonsense. It's not about what the majority thinks of gauged ears (which I don't think for a second is what you stated), it's about the expectation that you present yourself in an aesthetically conservative manner in an interview.

The two things are inexorably intertwined. That, I assumed, was self-evident. Apparently not.

 

[timsk]

I've always thought i've had such great success with working with marginalized populations (injection drug users and other severe addictions, homeless, sex workers, native populations, LGBT, HIV/AIDS, psychoses and other severe mental illnesses, prisoners etc) in clinical and research environments in part because of my unconventional appearance. That is, 5 years of dreads, (maintained) beard, many piercings (including those RIDICULOUS 3/4" gauged earrings that apparently make me unbangable and destined to make you coffee), a few tattoos, and an affinity for black clothing.

No one is arguing that you have to dress the part, but the righteous indignation that some of you are expressing that some people with your same aspirations dare to look differently than you, is surprising considering the nature of this forum. As a member of the LGBT community, I am always flummoxed when opponents to my equality use arguments that they seem to that were used in favor of maintaining bans on interracial marriage. At the risk of sounding hyperbolic, I am getting a similar sensation when reading the arguments put forth here and seeing the similarities to the arguments made against women having the audacity to wear slacks and pants instead of dresses.

And can we please be honest...i've seen how most of you pre-meds dress. I don't think any of you are in the position to critique other's fashion! 🙂

And as someone else said, change has to be made from the inside. So let's all acquiesce the conservative dress code of medicine, and then shake things up once we are all successful doctors!

 

[Cotterpin]

There's nothing offensive about saying you think gauged ears are unattractive. It's an opinion.

 

[SliderK]

.

 

[timsk]

It's certainly your right to have that opinion. And holding the opinion in and of itself is not offensive. It's just presumptuous to share your opinions about whether you find it *attractive* when it wasn't called for. I'm surrounded by things I find distasteful, as i imagine you are. And that's okay. But when you start calling people out on it, then it becomes an issue of questionable judgment. Just ask any woman how they feel when their attire, facial expressions, or body shape is constantly commented on, out of the blue, by men in all settings.

 

[Cotterpin]

As a woman, I do know how it feels. People are gonna state their opinions about this stuff. Especially if you're going to choose to make unusual choices about your appearance. Be prepared for people to give unsolicited opinions.

 

[MrLogan13]

I'm not pre-med (I'm pre-dental) but I just wanna say I think Yall are overthinking this stuff! Look nice, but look like YOURSELF! don't feel like you need to take out diamond studs in your ears/cut your hair/look like someone you're not! Your personality and individuality is what makes you interesting and memorable 😀

That's a sure fire way to bomb an interview. Fair or not, people judge based on appearance.

 

[timsk]

Well then (sorry for assuming you were not a woman...)

Of course I expect others to state their unsolicited opinions. And of course i've done it before as well. But just because others do it, doesn't mean we should not try to avoid doing so ourselves. I'm not trying to sound naive to how the world works...i've certainly had my fair share of criticism. And it honestly doesn't bother me. But we, my fellow premeds, can do better! It's those stodgy adcoms that we outta be concerned about.

Juust kidding any adcoms that see this, i totally appreciate you and any unsolicited comments you may make about my appearance!

 

[NickNaylor]

Threads like these always being out the SJWs.

Ah, college students.

Triggered! TRIGGERED! STOP MARGINALIZING ME!

 

[ridethecliche]

Triggered! TRIGGERED! STOP MARGINALIZING ME!

I see you've improved your troll game while I've been traveling. Good job.

I'm sure we're going to see you speaking to microaggressions soon as well, right?