How conservative does interview attire have to be?

[HomeSkool]

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I couldn't agree more with LizzyM.

Look, it hasn't been that long since I was a premed (started med school in 2005) and I was an absolute master at overanalyzing every minute detail of every interaction and fretting my way into a state of panic. Seriously, if I got a dollar for every little thing I worried about unnecessarily, I'd have been able to retire, like, MS-3 year. So believe me when I say I understand the overanalytical Olympics that many premeds go through. Please also believe me when I say that you don't need to worry so much. Those of us who interview applicants are human: we put our pants on one leg at a time, we sleep lying down (except for a few who hang upside down like bats), and we think like normal, responsible, professional humans. For interviews, you don't need to look like you're attending a funeral, but you also shouldn't look like you think it's a fashion show. If your clothes are what stands out to us, you're doing it wrong. BUT...that doesn't mean you need to be so homogenous that you're just another face in an identical black suit. "Appropriate Professional Attire" is not defined so narrowly. Wear the dark blue suit with the brown shoes. Wear the gray suit with the matching flats.

For what it's worth, my attire choices at various interviews along the way:
-Med school: pinstriped slate gray suit, white shirt, mid-blue tie, black socks and shoes
-Residency: scrubs for one interview (they interviewed me immediately post-call), Army class A uniform for the other (the Army only has two anesthesiology residencies, and I was accepted by the one that interviewed me in scrubs)
-My current job: medium gray suit, white shirt, lavender tie, black socks and shoes

Not a fashion show, not a funeral.

Sent from my Pixel 2 using SDN mobile

 

[Laterthansooner]

Really? I'd say med school interviews are way more serious than job interviews.

Most jobs interviews I've been on, I wore black pants with a trendy printed blouse, and got hired. Didn't even wear a suit jacket... except for the times I wore a trendy, light gray suit with narrow/skinny legs and aqua pinstripes. I honestly felt overdressed even in that, which doesn't meet business professional by any stretch of the imagination. It depends on your field, I suppose.

I agree with this. I worked in corporate America for many years before making the switch to medicine, and while I always wore professional dress both at the office and at interviews, I felt like I had to dress more conservatively for med school interviews than I ever had in Fortune 500.

Edit: I think it may be different for men than women.

 

[Saifa]

I am thankful that we are seeing more blue suits and brown shoes than the funeral processions that used to pass through campus three times per week.

The black suit/white shirt/red tie look is so jarring you look like a stock photo. Break that s**t up.

 

[TeddyBears]

Might find this thread helpful: Women's Interview Clothing #3!

 

[LizzyM]

The black suit/white shirt/red tie look is so jarring you look like a stock photo. Break that s**t up.

And the skinny ones look like a thermometer.

 

[RNthenDoc]

The black suit/white shirt/red tie look is so jarring you look like a stock photo. Break that s**t up.

And the skinny ones look like a thermometer.

I'm curious what you would do in my situation: I only own a black suit.

 

[LizzyM]

I'm curious what you would do in my situation: I only own a black suit.

Well, if it is all that you have and you can't get anything else before your next interview, you will need to wear what you have. Go with a tie that is something other than red (or black-- of course).

 

[Saifa]

I'm curious what you would do in my situation: I only own a black suit.

Just find a Goodwill/Salvation army and go to town. Rich people throw stuff out all the time. All my best ties were $1.

Honestly my only acceptance (not counting shoes) the most I paid for anything I was wearing was the $15 socks.

 

[cactusman]

Literally everyone in this thread forgot about the golden rules of social success.
1. Be attractive
2. Don't be unattractive

Fwiw my school has plenty of students that wore suspenders, cuffkinks, flashy suits etc to interview day. The only had one thing in common and that is rule 1.

I can't believe people just wear their kinks on their sleeve at an interview.

 

[Saifa]

I can't believe people just wear their kinks on their sleeve at an interview.

My guess is people are showing up to these things with unfetished business.

 

[DokterMom]

But people from this era are a large part of the ones judging admission into medical school. Just because fashion is dynamic doesn't mean that the norms expected by admissions members is. Brown shoes have been historically informal for several hundred years.

Reminds me of a discussion on the Women's Interview Attire thread regarding nail polish. The applicant was advise to wear a "neutral" color nail polish, by which we old fogey's meant "clear to shell pink". As a much younger woman with fashion sense reflecting the 21st century, the applicant was leaning toward charcoal grey to match her suit. For us fogey's, charcoal on the fingernails is not a neutral!

The post advising applicants to evaluate whether their attire would "inspire confidence in an elderly WASP" is right on target...

 

[BombsAway]

For your december interviews

 

[DokterMom]

In one of my sociological theory courses we read a cool paper on fashion; it's dense and long but some of you might be interested! It's fairly old, but IIRC, I liked it (this is from a course I took ~1-2 years ago). I've attached a picture of the abstract and the actual article. Have fun folks, highly recommended and serious look at a theory on changes in fashion (cited by 2126 people according to google!).

Article: http://sites.middlebury.edu/individualandthesociety/files/2010/09/Simmel.fashion.pdf

A VERY interesting article, particularly in how it signals a lack of freedom (while ostensibly highlighting individuality) and reflects personal subjugation to societal norms. I found it particularly stunning that the article could have been written so long ago yet still reflect modern truths so piercingly. Excellent work --

 

[BBBH2017]

Realistically though... Like not through the "sdn mindset" blinders... How much if at all is an applicants attire brought up in discussing admissions. I'm obviously not an ADCOM but my guess would be not too often. Is medicine about whether someone wore brown or black shoes, or is it about helping/serving others?

 

[el_duderino]

Realistically though... Like not through the "sdn mindset" blinders... How much if at all is an applicants attire brought up in discussing admissions. I'm obviously not an ADCOM but my guess would be not too often. Is medicine about whether someone wore brown or black shoes, or is it about helping/serving others?

As someone who has interviewed medical school applicants as part of the medical school admissions process, I can say without hesitation that an applicant's attire is absolutely a part of my assessment. Clothing choice and fit reflect significantly on my assessment of the applicant's judgment.

It's not about whether you wore brown or black shoes, but it does say a lot about your ability to make appropriate decisions, exercise good judgment, think outside oneself, and understand and appropriately relate to other people.

 

[LizzyM]

As someone who has interviewed medical school applicants as part of the medical school admissions process, I can say without hesitation that an applicant's attire is absolutely a part of my assessment. Clothing choice and fit reflect significantly on my assessment of the applicant's judgment.

It's not about whether you wore brown or black shoes, but it does say a lot about your ability to make appropriate decisions, exercise good judgment, think outside oneself, and understand and appropriately relate to other people.

Agreed. It doesn't come up in conversation or in the written report of the interview but I do believe that there is an implicit bias that operates based on how someone is dressed. We can get a negative vibe or, in some cases, we can be overly sympathetic to the person who comes in dressed very casually with a story of lost luggage.

 

[Goro]

As someone who has interviewed medical school applicants as part of the medical school admissions process, I can say without hesitation that an applicant's attire is absolutely a part of my assessment. Clothing choice and fit reflect significantly on my assessment of the applicant's judgment.

It's not about whether you wore brown or black shoes, but it does say a lot about your ability to make appropriate decisions, exercise good judgment, think outside oneself, and understand and appropriately relate to other people.

Alas, this is why all interviewees come dressed like they're going to funeral.

Except at @gyngyn 's school.

 

[BBBH2017]

All fair answers, it just seems to me like we (as premeds) WAY over analyze our attire at interviews. If i was an adcom... i would rather see future doctors in khakis and a button up... like they are in office.

 

[LizzyM]

All fair answers, it just seems to me like we (as premeds) WAY over analyze our attire at interviews. If i was an adcom... i would rather see future doctors in khakis and a button up... like they are in office.

My wish would be we escort them all to a locker room and issue scrubs and booties. That would level the playing field. 😉

 

[676188]

Realistically though... Like not through the "sdn mindset" blinders... How much if at all is an applicants attire brought up in discussing admissions. I'm obviously not an ADCOM but my guess would be not too often. Is medicine about whether someone wore brown or black shoes, or is it about helping/serving others?

Not an adcom either, but I think this issue really arises when someone chooses to wear something outlandish to an interview (white catsuit?). If you are appropriately dressed, then what's left to evaluate is your application, demeanor, and interview performance. In this way appropriate attire doesn't really help you, per se, but poor choices in interview clothing can definitely hurt you.

Pre-meds have, like everything else involved in this process, taken choosing interview attire to a new level of neuroticism.

 

[gyngyn]

Interview attire is a situational judgement test.

 

[el_duderino]

All fair answers, it just seems to me like we (as premeds) WAY over analyze our attire at interviews. If i was an adcom... i would rather see future doctors in khakis and a button up... like they are in office.

People do overanalyze it. A lot. Mostly because they think the rules don't apply to them and they want to know whether they can get way with ignoring them.

Wear a suit that fits. Wear nice shoes that go with the suit. Wear a normal color shirt. That's about all there is to it.

 

[Sagebrush]

People do overanalyze it. A lot. Mostly because they think the rules don't apply to them and they want to know whether they can get way with ignoring them.

Wear a suit that fits. Wear nice shoes that go with the suit. Wear a normal color shirt. That's about all there is to it.

And if you feel the need to ask if your interview suit is appropriate, err on the side of dressing for a funeral.

 

[BBBH2017]

My wish would be we escort them all to a locker room and issue scrubs and booties. That would level the playing field. 😉

Haha! I'd certainly be okay with it! At least then nobody would be wearing God forsaken BrOwN sHoEs!!!

 

[BBBH2017]

People do overanalyze it. A lot. Mostly because they think the rules don't apply to them and they want to know whether they can get way with ignoring them.

Wear a suit that fits. Wear nice shoes that go with the suit. Wear a normal color shirt. That's about all there is to it.

Certainly. I, myself dressed conservative (suit, tie, basic undeshirt, etc.) but to me it is hilarious that people actually worry about brown shoes or tie color, etc.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

People do overanalyze it. A lot. Mostly because they think the rules don't apply to them and they want to know whether they can get way with ignoring them.

Wear a suit that fits. Wear nice shoes that go with the suit. Wear a normal color shirt. That's about all there is to it.

And for the love of God, please don’t show up with your suit jacket collar popped.

 

[LizzyM]

And for the love of God, please don’t show up with your suit jacket collar popped.

And snip the label off of the edge of your coat sleeve. That's not meant to be left in place after you purchase your coat (or suit jacket).

 

[kb1900]

And snip the label off of the edge of your coat sleeve. That's not meant to be left in place after you purchase your coat (or suit jacket).

Back when I applied, I recall wearing a new suit for the first time without realizing I didn’t remove the strings that keep the pockets closed.


I think I spent like a full minute with my interviewer looking for a functional pocket in my pants or jacket (there were none)

 

[GenSurgONLY]

You are applying for a job as a medical student. As a student, you will meet with members of the public and engage them in conversations and procedures of a very personal nature. This requires garnering their trust and their cooperation. Dress for that job. If you wore a suit jacket to the hospital/clinic and swapped it in the locker room for a white medical coat, would you wear suspenders and cufflinks?

I'm looking at Meet the Press and thinking that the old fogeys on the panel are dressed the way applicants are wise to emulate.

Well, my husband had an orthopedic surgeon who wore scrubs with his cowboy boots. It actually made me like him more plus he did an outstanding job on my husband’s ACL tear. He was also at a teaching hospital. I mention this because there seems to be a split on “dress attire” as far as working in the hospital goes.

Also, is everyone expected to have money for a suit? Can simply dressing in nice khaki slacks with belt, tucked in polo be fine for men? Or a nice solid color dress and maybe cardigan for the ladies? I am saying from personal experience, that one’s figure can also be a challenge when deciding what to wear. For example, given my bra size, (a nice button blouse) would never work for me. Wore one once during an interview and had some cleavage (which I really tried to hide)but my interviewer was quick to point out my embarrassment (it was the only nice shirt I had at the time).

 

[LizzyM]

Well, my husband had an orthopedic surgeon who wore scrubs with his cowboy boots. It actually made me like him more plus he did an outstanding job on my husband’s ACL tear. He was also at a teaching hospital. I mention this because there seems to be a split on “dress attire” as far as working in the hospital goes.

Also, is everyone expected to have money for a suit? Can simply dressing in nice khaki slacks with belt, tucked in polo be fine for men? Or a nice solid color dress and maybe cardigan for the ladies? I am saying from personal experience, that one’s figure can also be a challenge when deciding what to wear. For example, given my bra size, (a nice button blouse) would never work for me. Wore one once during an interview and had some cleavage (which I really tried to hide)but my interviewer was quick to point out my embarrassment (it was the only nice shirt I had at the time).

An attending can get away with cowboy boots and scrubs. A medical student cannot.

I long for the day s when applicants could wear blue blazers, gray slacks (or skirts) and white shirts with ties. Sometime in the 90s everyone decided that black suits were the only way to dress. Slowly people are coming around to suits in colors other than black but I doubt we will ever get to "casual Friday" style attire for medical school interviews.

If you can't wear a blouse with buttons, wear a shell. There are suits at every price point and there are thrift shops where you can pay pennies on the dollar for a gently used suit. (I know, that's where I acquired many of my interview suits.) This is an expensive process but having clean, well-fitting clothing is not optional and doesn't need to be expensive.

 

[GenSurgONLY]

According to today’s modern society supposedly you can’t judge someone by how they dress. So technically it shouldn’t matter what you wear to the interview right?!

Hahaha! People should not dress like they are going to a cocktail party or to the club. I have actually seen quite a few applicants dress like this. I think what’s considered “Conservative” is pretty Liberal by today’s standard yet you still see some extreme stuff during interviews. I would think applicants don’t do anything near this for medical school...

 

[el_duderino]

Well, my husband had an orthopedic surgeon who wore scrubs with his cowboy boots. It actually made me like him more plus he did an outstanding job on my husband’s ACL tear. He was also at a teaching hospital. I mention this because there seems to be a split on “dress attire” as far as working in the hospital goes.

Also, is everyone expected to have money for a suit? Can simply dressing in nice khaki slacks with belt, tucked in polo be fine for men? Or a nice solid color dress and maybe cardigan for the ladies? I am saying from personal experience, that one’s figure can also be a challenge when deciding what to wear. For example, given my bra size, (a nice button blouse) would never work for me. Wore one once during an interview and had some cleavage (which I really tried to hide)but my interviewer was quick to point out my embarrassment (it was the only nice shirt I had at the time).

Yes, you are expected to have money for a suit. You absolutely cannot show up in a polo.

 

[DokterMom]

People do overanalyze it. A lot. Mostly because they think the rules don't apply to them and they want to know whether they can get way with ignoring them.

Wear a suit that fits. Wear nice shoes that go with the suit. Wear a normal color shirt. That's about all there is to it.

Everyone wants to try to 'stand out' a little bit and that's a bad strategy. It's like the old SDN rule that 90% of personal statements are "unremarkable / fine" and that 10% stand out. Of that 10%, 7% stand out for being awful and only 3% stand out in a good way.

Interview attire is probably the same type of thing. Your job is to be comfortably within the 90%. Aiming for the 3% is much likelier to land you in the 7%.

Also, is everyone expected to have money for a suit? Can simply dressing in nice khaki slacks with belt, tucked in polo be fine for men? Or a nice solid color dress and maybe cardigan for the ladies? I am saying from personal experience, that one’s figure can also be a challenge when deciding what to wear. For example, given my bra size, (a nice button blouse) would never work for me. Wore one once during an interview and had some cleavage (which I really tried to hide)but my interviewer was quick to point out my embarrassment (it was the only nice shirt I had at the time).

Since you mentioned your bra size, I'll assume you're busty? Try a dress suit -- a dress and matching suit jacket. If you're not sure what that is, look at pictures of Dr. Cristine Blasey Ford testifying.