Interview attire for cold states

[NP545]

Does it matter which winter jacket you wear to the interview? (ex: Northface denali vs generic triple layer winter jacket) Does the northface look classier to them?

For a male, are you still expected to wear a suit, dress shirt, etc or will the winter jacket reduce the need for a blazer/suit? (I'm assuming no, but just checking)

Should I wear a watch? Normally I don't, but should I wear a watch to the interview just to look classy?

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[StayCoolIceCube]

Does it matter which winter jacket you wear to the interview? (ex: Northface denali vs generic triple layer winter jacket) Does the northface look classier to them?

For a male, are you still expected to wear a suit, dress shirt, etc or will the winter jacket reduce the need for a blazer/suit? (I'm assuming no, but just checking)

Should I wear a watch? Normally I don't, but should I wear a watch to the interview just to look classy?

Northface is NOT classy here. Wear a peacoat over your suit jacket. Watches aren't necessary but if you want to wear one, go with an analog watch, as digital might beep during your interview and also generally doesn't look as nice.

 

[itsthat1guy]

Northface is NOT classy here. Wear a peacoat over your suit jacket.

+1, a North Face is definitely not appropriate to wear with business attire, peacoat or something similar is the way to go, and you definitely still need to wear a suit jacket.

 

[PreMed015]

How strange will it look walking into an interview without a peacoat in <30 degrees? I'm a southern boy, so buying one would be quite pricey and somewhat unnecessary (until I receive an acceptance in the NE, of course).

 

[Winged Scapula]

I'm not sure where north face jackets are considered classy or a classier than anything else.

Pea coats are casual wool coats (obviously not as casual as a winter sports or puffer coat).

The appropriate formal dress coat for an interview is knee length or slightly longer made of wool/cashmere.

If buying a coat specifically for the interview, a longer dress coat is the way to go.

Otherwise the same rules apply: you must wear a matched suit with jacket and pants. Although a watch is not mandatory, it is more troublesome to see a candidate looking at their phone than a watch because the former can be assumed to be checking email or text.

 

[Old&InTheWay]

You'll take off your coat when you come in the building and hang it in a closet as soon as your arrive at the admissions office, well before you talk to people who may be judging you. Seriously, I saw lots of people on interviews wearing non-formal winter coats and no one batted an eye. The schools I toured in cold places didn't have us walking around outside during the tour. I wish I had worried less about this at the time as I don't think it matters much at all. Don't go out and buy a coat you'll never wear again. Just my $0.02

 

[DoctorSynthesis]

You already have a suit jacket why do you need another jacket?

 

[Old&InTheWay]

You already have a suit jacket why do you need another jacket?

You have obviously never experienced New England in the winter.

 

[Ismet]

Oh god do not wear a NorthFace.

Invest in a good wool coat. A peacoat is more casual but I think it's fine.

You'll take off your coat when you come in the building and hang it in a closet as soon as your arrive at the admissions office, well before you talk to people who may be judging you. Seriously, I saw lots of people on interviews wearing non-formal winter coats and no one batted an eye. The schools I toured in cold places didn't have us walking around outside during the tour. I wish I had worried less about this at the time as I don't think it matters much at all. Don't go out and buy a coat you'll never wear again. Just my $0.02

The tour at my school goes outside to get to the simulation center (about a 5 block walk) and while we don't interview in the worst part of winter, it can still be bitterly cold in December. I've never read/heard/seen anyone making a comment about an interviewee's coat, but it's a small good impression you can make.

You already have a suit jacket why do you need another jacket?

Good luck surviving 0 degrees or colder in your suit jacket.

 

[DoctorSynthesis]

You have obviously never experienced New England in the winter.

I love New England in the winter stop being a wimp

I have seen people in t-shirts in new england winter.

 

[allantois]

You can always get a coat for the interview and then return it afterwards

 

[Winged Scapula]

You can always get a coat for the interview and then return it afterwards

You could or, assuming your weight doesn't significantly change, consider it an investment that you'll wear to other formal occasions including social and professional ones.

As Ive stated before I still have the long black cashmere coat my father bought me when I was in college when he refused to let me wear a puffer coat to the ballet.

 

[ithd]

No one cares what kind of jacket you wear. You wear whatever you have to in order to stay warm on the trip to the admissions office, take it off and hang it up, and put it back on when you leave. Plus, on student tours that go outside, the tour guides are not the ones evaluating you and have absolutely no say.

 

[Winged Scapula]

, the tour guides are not the ones evaluating you and have absolutely no say.

In schools where the tour guides are current medical students, they may indeed have "a say" as to your admission. That being said, the coat style is not going to be a reason for rejection.

 

[Lysinee]

What about wearing a hat? Is this one professional enough?

 

[altblue]

How strange will it look walking into an interview without a peacoat in <30 degrees? I'm a southern boy, so buying one would be quite pricey and somewhat unnecessary (until I receive an acceptance in the NE, of course).

Just a pre-applicant here, but I bought mine for much less than $100 at Target...

 

[Ismet]

Plus, on student tours that go outside, the tour guides are not the ones evaluating you and have absolutely no say.

That's absolutely not true everywhere.

 

[heavenlyhand]

For anyone who is wondering if they can wear a northface the answer is yes you can. My advisor said it’s fine and they are not going to hold that against you.

 

[makemeadoctordoctordoctor]

Do NOT buy a jacket just for the interview. No one cares what jacket you wear because you take it off as soon as you get inside.

 

[ciestar]

I wore my parka (not a puffy coat, though), it was New Hampshire in the winter, sue me.

 

[Kpw101]

I wore my day to day jacket (with my suit jacket underneath) to most of my interviews and no one really gave me weird looks. I would say a little over half of the people I was with either wore a non-formal jacket or didn't wear a jacket at all.

N=1 but I interviewed at mostly northern schools mostly during the winter and had a successful season. I would've liked to wear a nice pea coat but interview season was already bleeding through my pockets.

 

[Stellaartwa]

I would typically err on the side of formality but after having interviewed this season at a wide variety of schools, I recognize that most of the time you'll take your jacket off before you even see admissions people. None of my tours went outside either. Not having a formal coat definitely shows your age -- it's a professional thing to have and you'll use it the rest of your life if you live in a colder region. If you have the money, get it. If not, it shouldn't break any candidate.

 

[Campana]

If not a pea coat, I suggest all men should

...

I didn't even think much about this - I have a cold weather interview next month and presumed I could use my "nice" pea coat that serves for all the company/client holiday dinners.

Can women get away with a (not long) pea coat?

 

[Mike Bagwell]

99.99% of successful matriculants will already know the answer to a question like this. Something to think about.

 

[Walter Raleigh]

The coat style is not going to be a reason for rejection.

Does that mean you can wear a homemade bearskin coat? Asking for a friend here.

 

[EdgeTrimmer]

My son wore my full length wool coat over his navy blue suit and a scarf for his BSMD interview at BU and one of the interviewers complimented him. May be he was surprised a 17 year old dressing up like that He got the admission but declined to do traditional path.

 

[thumbz]

If you're like my wife you freeze to death as soon as it dips below 30*, so you could rock this bad boy. It's rated to -79*, keeps her warm in the worst of our winter and we can't go further than 10 feet without someone commenting on her coat. Anyone in a really cold state will respect the utility of the coat and not be off put by the outlandish size and color (only buy it in red so when you're in the arctic circle working on a scientific exploration you can be found easily. That's what the coat was designed for after all).

In reality I wear a knee length wool peacoat with my dress clothes - your local thriftshop probably has one or two kicking around. Although up here for (residency) interviews we see people come in in all kinds of coats and I've honestly never once noticed who wore what.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

Whatever you do, don’t do what I did. I went to get my pea coat out of the closet and realized it was wrinkled beyond all hope from not being worn for more than 5 years and being PCSed all over the place.

Well we can’t wear any other coats with our dress uniforms, so I got to walk around outside in 20 degree weather with no coat on. Super awesome.

Figure it out before the day of lol.

 

[Toutie]

You can always go to the 1920s ivy league fashion as below
The 1920s College Kids and the Fur "Pimp Coat" Craze
The 1920s College Kids and the Fur “Pimp Coat” Craze

View attachment 247987

Is that one of your college yearbook photos?

 

[Gilakend]

In my opinion coats are completely unnecessary and annoying on interview days unless it’s a VERY long outside walk and extremely bad weather. I’d rather be cold for the 5 min walk to the building than spend however much on a coat and then have to keep track of it. Obviously if it’s raining get an umbrella but the fancy coats are unecesaary for a med school interview imo.