Pink hair?

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RedRobin

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Okay, I have had a streak of hot pink hair for a while that I hid with washable hair dye for interviews. Is this going to be problematic in med school?
I've seen a few discussions about tattoo and was wondering if pink hair is also big of a deal.
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Probably fine the first 2 years*, but you'll be expected to have a relatively normal hair color once you get out on rotations.

*provided your school doesn't have a dress code for the classroom setting
 
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Go all the way pink. Do it.

Seriously why are people who go into medicine such squares? I understand some (read: old) patients may not appreciate a doctor with pink hair, but I think it's pretty unfair that we are expected to give up a good deal of our individuality and basically act as diagnostic machines. I get the whole professionalism argument, but I still am confused why appearing as anything other than 100% clean-cut translates to bad doctor.

Side note: I finally got a haircut today for an interview next week and it's
making me pretty bitter... In case that wasn't obvious :laugh:
 
The med school at my undergrad institution has clinical experience every week the first two years. Get a conservative hair color.
 
Our shields can't repel trolling of this magnitude!
 
RedRobin said:
Okay, I have had a streak of hot pink hair for a while that I hid with washable hair dye for interviews. Is this going to be problematic in med school?
I've seen a few discussions about tattoo and was wondering if pink hair is also big of a deal.
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It's not a big deal. I dyed my hair purple for most interviews and was never even asked about it.
 
patel2 said:
It's not a big deal. I dyed my hair purple for most interviews and was never even asked about it.
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Just because nobody asked about it doesn't mean it didn't make a negative impression.

OP, grow up and lose the pink hair. If you're going to be having early clinical experience, I don't see why you would want to give any patient the reason to even suspect that you might be unprofessional.
 
sgtbrushes said:
The med school at my undergrad institution has clinical experience every week the first two years. Get a conservative hair color.
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Yeah, thats what we have for the first two years.

It is explicit in the student handbook that you can only have natural colored hair. Doesn't need to be your natural color.

Second years also traditionally put on a fashion show for the first years during the first week of school called "what not to wear" and pink hair is specifically pointed out as not okay.
 
Seriously though, as a physician you're going to be held to a higher degree of responsibility and professionalism than most people. While you may think that it's 'edgy' and that you're just harmlessly 'expressing' yourself, when you're a physician different rules apply. Many of the patients that will come to see you will be scared. Many will also have traditional values. To many people having pink hair implies a lack of professionalism, and while it is not your place to judge these people's values, it IS your responsibility to provide them with a comfortable environment in which to heal.

In short, suck it up and put away your pink hair dye for the sake of your patients.
 
OP, if you felt it problematic enough to get rid of the dyed hair during the interview, why would it be any different when you're in school? I am going to echo the sentiment that it's time to be an adult. The same people who interviewed you will be your teachers and attendings in medical school. Some of them may be malignant enough to hold it against you and tank your evaluations come third year.

Dbeast, it doesn't matter what you think in terms of individuality and unfairness. If the attending has a problem with you, for whatever reason, they will hold it over you if they really want to. And there will be plenty of people that will play the game and get better grades because of it.
 
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b-real said:
OP, if you felt it problematic enough to get rid of the dyed hair during the interview, why would it be any different when you're in school? I am going to echo the sentiment that it's time to be an adult. The same people who interviewed you will be your teachers and attendings in medical school. Some of them may be malignant enough to hold it against you and tank your evaluations come third year.

Dbeast, it doesn't matter what you think in terms of individuality and unfairness. If the attending has a problem with you, for whatever reason, they will hold it over you if they really want to. And there will be plenty of people that will play the game and get better grades because of it.
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Maybe I'm totally missing your point, but pink hair and good grades are not mutually exclusive, right?
 
i'm a med student with obvious blue highlights. (my hair was natural for my interviews though). NO ONE has given me a hard time, not professors, not students, no one. here are 2 points of view from 2 different people:

-my advisor thought the blue made me stand out and was my way of expressing myself. she said as long as i keep up my grades and have a professional demeanor, she saw no problems with it.

-we had people with real medical issues come in so we could practice our interview skills. i spoke to 2 patients, one a woman in her early 70s and another a male in his 60s. Neither said anything about my hair but after the interviews i asked them (separately) what they thought of it, whether it was off-putting, etc. the woman said she noticed it right away and thought it was "fun and stylish." she also said that i was pleasant and professional and that if i was her doctor she would trust me completely. the man said he noticed it and it bothered him...until i opened my mouth. he also said i was mature and well-spoken and in the end he didn't care about the hair color anymore.

finally, to the people telling the OP to grow up, you don't even know her! i'm 29, have a masters degree, am engaged, and am buying a condo this summer. i am obviously a mature adult and i don't think the color of your hair makes you any less mature. it's how you conduct yourself and how you carry yourself. OP, unless your school's handbook SPECIFICALLY prohibits unnatural hair colors (mine does not), then keep it if it makes you happy.

just my 2 cents....
 
Well, your sample size is very small with those two patients. haha.

I'm wondering if I should get my ears pierced ^_^ (I'm a dude). I just want some black studs. I saw that study, though, that said about 20% of patients trusted a male doctor w/ an earring. haha.
 
Take it from somebody who used to rock a purple mohawk, there are perfectly good ways of expressing your personality without setting yourself up as a target. Find something that fills your desire for expression while simultaneously complementing your desire to be a doctor, because I think you know that attaining an MD stomps a little streak of pink hair any day.
 
elmnt61 said:
Well, your sample size is very small with those two patients. haha.

I'm wondering if I should get my ears pierced ^_^ (I'm a dude). I just want some black studs. I saw that study, though, that said about 20% of patients trusted a male doctor w/ an earring. haha.
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I have large hoops (.12) that I take out any time I am in a hospital or patient setting.
 
i say leave it. i know a chick with pink highlights and she is hot as ****
 
RedRobin said:
Okay, I have had a streak of hot pink hair for a while that I hid with washable hair dye for interviews. Is this going to be problematic in med school?
I've seen a few discussions about tattoo and was wondering if pink hair is also big of a deal.
Click to expand...

During the first two years depending on your school you may be able to get away with it. But the point is that you are going to look like a joke and no one will take you seriously. Think of medical school as a four year interview. The people you impress or don't impress can have an impact on your future career.
 
dbeast said:
Maybe I'm totally missing your point, but pink hair and good grades are not mutually exclusive, right?
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You are totally missing the point. Like I said, your attendings and upper levels can give you whatever grade they want. If they decide that it's unprofessional to have pink or purple streaks or 8 earrings or whatever, your evaluation will reflect that. And some attendings WILL hold grudges. They may not tell you they don't like it, but you'll see it on your evaluation.

Secondly, you're not being unique or individualistic with the pink streaks or ridiculously long hair. There is a metric sheisse-ton of totally "unique" people who think the same way.
 
You're looking for a way to identify yourself as unique?

url
 
dbeast said:
Maybe I'm totally missing your point, but pink hair and good grades are not mutually exclusive, right?
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You are going to hate third year and your evaluations are going to suck. If you have any aspirations about matching into a competitive specialty, give those aspirations a decent burial and a nice tombstone.
 
I've always found appeals to traditional fashion to be a bit silly. Are any of you going to request that a Muslim woman to take off her Hijab or a Sikh man to remove his Dastar? If not, why can't I dye my hair blue or wear an earring.
 
Pons Asinorum said:
A little false equivalency going on there.
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Clothing is clothing. Someone might wear something because their god tells them to do so, I'll wear something because I think it looks nice. There really isn't a difference when you get down to it.
 
Negrodamus said:
Clothing is clothing. Someone might wear something because their god tells them to do so, I'll wear something because I think it looks nice. There really isn't a difference when you get down to it.
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There is absolutely a differences, both as understood by the law and by common social moires. If Flava Flav works for me, I can order him not to wear a giant alarm clock around his neck and fire him if he doesn't comply. I can't fire him for wearing a discreet Star of David or cross.
 
Pons Asinorum said:
There is absolutely a differences, both as understood by the law and by common social moires. If Flava Flav works for me, I can order him not to wear a giant alarm clock around his neck and fire him if he doesn't comply.
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What if he was a member of Chrono-Keepers and his religion required him to wear large clocks at all times? Why would you afford accommodation for him but not for a Sikh. Wouldn't a Kirpan and a Dastar be equally disturbing to your customers?
 
Negrodamus said:
What if he was a member of Chrono-Keepers and his religion required him to wear large clocks at all times? Why would you afford accommodation for him but not for a Sikh. Wouldn't a Kirpan and a Dastar be equally disturbing to your customers?
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Are the Chrono-Keepers exempt by the IRS? I afford accomodation to a Sikh because regardless of what I, or my customers, think of a dastar-wearing brown dude, if I fire him or ban him from wearing his dastar, I've got a lawsuit that I will lose coming down the pipe.
 
...because why wouldn't a thread about pink hair turn into a religious debate?
 
Mbeas said:
i say leave it. i know a chick with pink highlights and she is hot as ****
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A 20-25 yo with a pink highlight can often look hot as ****, cute, fun-loving. A 26 yo* and older with pink hair usually just looks kind of sad.

Pink hair will unnerve some of your patients. Getting rid of it will be just one of a long line of sacrifices you will have to make over the next few years, and a small one at that. There are plenty of other ways for you to express yourself. Time to put on your big girl pants.




* Ages are, of course, approximate and depend on the person and situation.
 
Pons Asinorum said:
Also, I would assume that you can have pink hair and go DO pretty readily...
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This would make sense. I hear they are somewhat more welcoming towards nontraditional students. 😉

I'm not gonna lie. I would judge a medical student with noticeable pink streaks in her hair negatively, especially if she were on clinical rotations. I would get rid of it.
 
CityLights said:
This would make sense. I hear they are somewhat more welcoming towards nontraditional students. 😉

I'm not gonna lie. I would judge a medical student with noticeable pink streaks in her hair negatively, especially if she were on clinical rotations. I would get rid of it.
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Why?
 
The fact of the matter is that you will probably be judged with pink hair (sad but true) especially as most of your patients would be older. If you dont mind the bias, then keep it. However, I would suggest you go the safer route when your in medical school.
 
Negrodamus said:
Why?
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Because artifically-colored, pink hair is outside the boundaries of commonly-held notions of what constitutes professional dress. For the same reason, you shouldn't show up for your first physical exam training dressed up like Paul Mooney in your avatar. Show up dressed up like Nostradamus/Negrodamus at your own risk. Because that would be unprofessional.
 
elmnt61 said:
Well, your sample size is very small with those two patients. haha.

I'm wondering if I should get my ears pierced ^_^ (I'm a dude). I just want some black studs. I saw that study, though, that said about 20% of patients trusted a male doctor w/ an earring. haha.
Click to expand...

LOL, true about the small sample size. I wasn't trying to imply that pink (or blue) hair will be accepted by all patients just because the 2 I asked about it didn't mind it...I just meant that you never know how people will react to you, and just because a patient is older does not mean he or she will be conservative and hate your hair color.

I should have mentioned that I'm not in my clinical years yet, so while we do have some patient contact, it is minimal compared to spending all day around patients in 3rd year. For 3rd year, yes, I will take the blue out of my hair for sure. I don't think it should be a big deal, but because your grades are determined a bit more subjectively 3rd year I don't want anyone docking me for some innocent highlights.

For those saying that pink hair is not a way of expressing individuality, I respectfully disagree. I for one love fashion, art, and pop culture, so my blue hair is just like another accessory for me. I might choose to rock a funky pair of heels one day. Just because the hair can't be slipped off, doesn't mean it's any less an accessory. I also have tattoos that are very meaningful to me (they are always hidden by clothing as they are on my torso area) and are part of my self expression. Again, accessories.

As for the pierced ears, some of my male classmates have multiple piercings and they usually take them out for patient encounters. The holes in their ears can't be covered, and are still obvious, but I think it's still not a big deal and earrings seem to be more accepted than funky hair colors around here 😛
 
dbeast said:
Maybe I'm totally missing your point, but pink hair and good grades are not mutually exclusive, right?
Click to expand...

Yes, when you're being graded on establishing rapport with patients, developing others trust in your judgment, maintaining professional working relationships across age, cultural, and socioeconomic divides, and being LOOKED to as a leader, pink hair and good grades are mutually exclusive. When you rise to a leadership position, you will begin to understand this.

Compared to the sacrifices we are all going to have to make throughout school, residency, and our professional practices in order to be successful physicians, hairstyles barely even register as an afterthought. You're going to subject yourself to seven to ten years of persistent judgment by others to prove that you have the commitment and sense of priorities required to be entrusted with potentially life-or-death decisions for your patients. If a little streak of pink or blue or whatever in your hair registers high enough on your priority list that you'll risk poor evaluations in order to keep it, then you really need to rethink your priorities.

If, as I suspect, you like unusual hair or clothing because it expresses your individuality, then you are probably sophisticated enough to know that you are not your hair or your clothes. Want to stand out in a crowd? Stand out by out working your peers and tackling tough problems. Don't do it by painting a target on your back.

I don't mean to sound as harsh and condemnatory as I do here, I'm just trying to express this flat out, and it's hard to express this in an even-sounding tone on a forum post. I'm sure you will make a fine doctor. 🙂 Just understand what your personal grooming choices express to those around you.
 
^^ VERY good post.

I'm all about not acquiescing to societal norms. But it seems like some degree of deference is appropriate in a profession like medicine, where trust and professionalism often go hand in hand -- and a large number of your patients and peers judge you by how you present yourself, whether it is fair or not.
 
Because you're going to a school that has set standards and definitions of professional attire during patient contact and you're going into a profession where you ARE judged everyday by people that don't know you. You will be working with attendings that hold absolute power and has set ideas and ways of how they want things done. Unfortunately, you're going into a profession where hierarchy rules and you don't matter. You either play by their rules or you don't play at all. You are NOT special, your opinions don't matter and you're the lowest grunt on the totem pole. The sooner you deal with that the less stressful your 3rd and 4th year clinicals will be.
 
Pink hair is a surefire rejection. However, magenta with streaks of silver will lead to multiple acceptances.
 
You could always use those pink clip-in streaks that are super popular with middle schoolers now and only have them in on your non-professional time. They are actually really cute, stay in all day, and look as natural as a permanently dyed streak. I have bright blue one that I rock as often as possible. Just a 'have your cake and eat it too' approach 🙂
 
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