Pediatricians with Tattoos

[FBurnaby]

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I've read threads on med students with tattoos but I'm hoping anyone can share experiences as a pediatrician/pediatrics resident/peds rotations with tattoos. Any experiences?

 

[dpmd]

Some parents might be put off by it, but I doubt kids will care (or they might like them). If you are that concerned about it you could always wear some of those compression sleeves over it (I have seen this required of nursing and other ancillary staff at a few hospitals but don't know if they make the doctors do it too)

 

[NurWollen]

It's probably less common than in, say, EM or anesthesia. But honestly I think it's kind of cool. You'll bring some variety to peds.

 

[FrkyBgStok]

I start peds this summer and i have full sleeves. There are always people who dislike tattoos, but the kids love them and the parents are generally of the accepting age compared to IM. I usually wear long sleeves or compression sleeves and when I wear them, many people see them and say "you have arm tattoos, don't you? that's awesome." In all of 4th year which was entirely peds (except one or two rotations), I haven't had a single problem. Every kid I have ever interacted that saw my tattoos is enamored by them and super excited. Mine are very colorful though.

 

[call me x]

I have visible tattoos on both inner arms and a large one on my foot and I have never had any issues with parents, children, or other docs. I am in NY so perhaps more accepting than some other locations. I did initially cover all of them when I started residency but stopped caring, although I did chicken out for fellowship interviews and covered my foot one and took out 7 of the 9 earrings in my head hah.

 

[FBurnaby]

Thanks for sharing! @FrkyBgStok when you say compression you mean like long sleeve tight under armor? Is that allowed on rotations? Mind sharing more about what exactly the tattoos are?

 

[FrkyBgStok]

My right arm is just abstract art and my left arm is a neural web. If I am on a rotation where I can wear scrubs but not be sterile, I wear scrubs with a long sleeve t-shirt under. If I might need sterility, I wear scrubs with Ink Armor so I throw them on around the hospital or patients and take them off when I go in the OR. If outpatient, I just wear long sleeves. So you can get the under armor if you like that instead of long sleeve t-shirts but you will need removable ones for NICU or surgery based peds rotations. I like the ink armor because you can buy them to match skin color and you can get them in big enough sizes. Plus their stick part works very well.