So I'm caucasian with dreadlocks... advice please

[notburntyet]

Whats a girl to do, cut them?

Probably, but here is my case:

I got a 34 MCAT... so that kind of shows I'm not a stoner or an idiot..

my GPA is good, i've done 'serious scientist' things ..lots of research, bla bla bla...

my whole case is that I want an MD/MPH and practice abroad.. my EC's include working in health clinics in east africa and mexico..

so i'm kind of crunchy, but i have my $hit together.. I almost think my very clean but nappy hair would allow me stand out more...AND, i LOVE them.

Sacrifices are the name of the game, I know, but i wanted to get a feel for what people think, am I branded a pothead or a hippie because of my hair, can't my demeanor and credentials speak for themselves? Decision time is approaching to allow it to grow before interviews..

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[Cerbernator]

bahahaaha bahahahaa bhaahahaah

damnedd hippies!!

 

[IndyZX]

i think it does instantly scream 'pothead'. that sucks though, cause its not really fair.

i dont even know how dreads work though, can you not relax it temporarily? or is it all stuck together? ooh, and another question, how do you clean your hair?

sorry, ive always been curious.

 

[notburntyet]

Ouch

 

[Bright Star]

Hmm maybe you can put your locks up in a way that is a conservative style...I would probably see a hairdresser and see how she can help you style your hair so you don't have to get rid of them but you can still have a suitable style for interviews. I would also chcek out african american hairstyle magazines for styles people w/ dreads are wearing and see if any of those can work for you.

 

[superdevil]

you know the right the to do in this situation is to wash your friggin' hair. think about it this way: what kind of impression do you want to make? walking into a professional interview as a young, un-established med school applicant, your interviewer will probably think, "great, this person would rather make a superfluous statement of individuality than be appropriate for 12 hours. interesting.... "

sorry if that's not the answer you *wanted* to hear, but you have 4 years to wear dreads once you get IN, you know...

 

[diver]

I sympathize. I sadly made the decision to cut my hair prior to interviews. My take is this: The people who interview you do it very quickly and not necessarily fairly. They have to base a lot of their evaluation on gut feel. To give yourself the best chance you should try to avoid offending as many people as possible. This means you have to be conservative. There are going to be some people who think your hair is cool, some who think it is irrelevant, and definitely some who think it is unprofessional.

At least part of this is a real issue. As a physician you have to deal with a wide spectrum of patients. Some patients may associate your hair with the negative stereotypes that you listed in your post and this is going to take away from the repoire you are trying to establish with the patient. From the interviews that I have been to in the last week I believe that this was a big part of what they were trying to determine. How do you present yourself?

Anyway, the bottom line from my perspective is: Cut your hair if you really want to go to medical school.

 

[notburntyet]

hahaaah, thanks Indy for making me not feel like a loser.

Yeah, care for them is tricky, i have special shampoo and combs and stuff and basically scrub my scalp really well in between them. No, they can't be relaxed, i wish, i think they can in black people's hair, but mine is so straight and fine that it's a different story.


Does anyone know ANYONE who got into medschool that had dreads and wasn't black?


Yeah, can pull them back tight and make a bun, it looks practically normal from the front.

I'll probably cut them. I'm just looking for an excuse not to

 

[notburntyet]

I agree diver, i've realized that it is ultimately the patients that I should be concerned about because they are allowed to be and will be judgemental... but i can't help to think i'm paying med school, they are training me to practice, where does my hair factor into that equation??

I know the answer, but I'm still annoyed. I've posed the question to friends and family, but this is the first time i've asked other premeds. in college i've always been 'the girl with dreads' so none of my classmates ever really commented.

 

[Peterock]

Perhaps you can get cornrows to complete your cultural white devil theft. Oh, and I took an African American Studies course my senior year, and I remember that our entire class brought up how they hated white people who had dreads (coicindentally there was a white girl who had dreads that wasn't in class that day).

I don't think that 40-60 year old adults are going to care about your individuality, and I'm sure you have worked very hard over the past four years (at least it sounds like it). Wash them out. Interview, and once you're done, start them again. This doesn't really sound like a problem, just an inconvenience.

 

[CarleneM]

now i have pavement singing "darlin' don't you go and cut your hair" in my head. that's ok though. its a good song.

anyway, I think that as long as you look presentable (including maybe pulling the dreads back and getting a nice suit that you are comfortable in) I feel pretty strongly that you should leave the dreads in. With you world health /MPH interests and experience they aren't going to be surprised if you look a little "crunchy" or "peace corps"-ish, which is what I am sort of picturing. I have interviewed quite a few people for various professional jobs and I can tell you that yes, we look at how someone is put together but it sounds like with them pulled back and with a nice outfit you'll look great. I think that if you had a mohawk or pink hair i'd be singing a different tune but I don't think that clean dreadlocks are gonna keep you out of a school, at least not a school you'd want to attend......


just be yourself and if it is going to be really upsetting to you to cut them, then by all means I'd leave them in. i have blonde hair that I highlight and i realize it has the potentially to give me that "dumb blonde" look but no way am i gonna dye it back to its mousey dirty blonde state for interviews. Its cut and styled nicely and its not worth it to me to compromise. I have faith that my sincerity, passion, etc will speak for themselves in the interview and overshadow any initial impression interviews may have of the blonde thing. I know dreads are little more risky but it sounds like you feel the same way about your abilities so I say keep em!

 

[runner1979]

I'm a strong proponent for individuality etc, but I say lose the dreads for interview season and then, once accepted, regrow. Is this the time you want to push the envelope?

 

[SanDiegoSOD]

I'm going to say pretty much what everyone else is saying, so you can skip this if you're in a hurry.

You will be partially judged by your appearance during your interviews. For some people, if you don't look the part of a doctor, they won't be able to picture you as a doctor, and they will mark you down for that. If your dreads look "unproffesional", then the easy solution is to change them so that they do. I think it's worth jumping through that hoop; what a shame it would be if you are rejected from your top choice in large part due to some old stiff that doesnt like your haircut.

 

[jbish]

i have blonde hair that I highlight and i realize it has the potentially to give me that "dumb blonde" look but no way am i gonna dye it back to its mousey dirty blonde state for interviews. Its cut and styled nicely and its not worth it to me to compromise. I have faith that my sincerity, passion, etc will speak for themselves in the interview and overshadow any initial impression interviews may have of the blonde thing. I know dreads are little more risky but it sounds like you feel the same way about your abilities so I say keep em![/QUOTE]


I know this isn't really on topic with the original post, but I had bleach blonde hair and quite a resume for ditzy blonde (beauty pageants, ballet, musical theater) and got into 6 of the 9 med schools I interviewed at, so don't necessarily think your hair will work against you. I have to say, though, that I wore my hair in a bun for every interview and wore my spiffy skirt-suit and heels so I looked pretty conservative.

 

[Medikit]

Easy quick fix for your problem: Quit having nasty hair.

Once you are accepted you can wear dreads as long as you like until you realize how stupid you look.

 

[rockstar2525]

Easy quick fix for your problem: Quit having nasty hair.

Once you are accepted you can wear dreads as long as you like until you realize how stupid you look.

She's not asking whether or not YOU LIKE her dreads, so let's just keep those opinions to ourselves shall we? She's asking if she has to cut them...

My advice, make sure they are clean, don't smell and are not too frizzy. Pull them into the neatest bun you can, THEN ask people what they think. It's hard for us to really tell you if they look ok or not without being able to see them.

 

[WalterSobchakk]

Easy quick fix for your problem: Quit having nasty hair.

Once you are accepted you can wear dreads as long as you like until you realize how stupid you look.

 

[dr.z]

I am Japanese, and I had dreadlocks and braids all through highschool and college. I did cut it off for my interivews for the graduate programs. My hair has grown, and I would like to get it braided again later but I decided to wait until all interviews are over. Right now I have a fro even though I am pure Japanese bred.

 

[Fermata]

Easy quick fix for your problem: Quit having nasty hair.

Once you are accepted you can wear dreads as long as you like until you realize how stupid you look.

 

[CarleneM]

I know this isn't really on topic with the original post, but I had bleach blonde hair and quite a resume for ditzy blonde (beauty pageants, ballet, musical theater) and got into 6 of the 9 med schools I interviewed at, so don't necessarily think your hair will work against you. I have to say, though, that I wore my hair in a bun for every interview and wore my spiffy skirt-suit and heels so I looked pretty conservative.

ha, alright blondes, unite! yeah i mean my hair has never and will never be put in a bun but I plan on wearing a really,really nice dark suit (probably black although i've yet to go shopping) and conservative close toed heels, french manicure, etc. ok so my lipstick is not "nude" or "neutral" but its bright and tasteful. The key is to look presentable and put together, not like you came out of a cookie cutter. I think the OP really needs to remember that and act accordingly.....I can't judge without knowing the OP, both in terms of her outward appearance and in how she talks about her experiences/goals but I really don't like to hear all these people telling her to cut them off so unequivocally.

 

[VPDcurt]

Sounds a bit too granola for me. I would definitely cut the dreads. Clean cut is the way to go in my opinion.

 

[principessa]

I know you love your dreads, but think about it this way: You will probably have to cut them anyway when you start rotations, and if it's not something that's okay for rotations, you probably shouldn't do it at the interview stage. I know it's sad to have to suppress your individuality to get into med school, but this is a matter of looking professional, and I can't imagine any way that dreads would look professional, unless you are a professional musician or athlete.

 

[Boner]

I had long hair (for a guy) and just got mine cut for interview's sake. Anyway, it's just hair; it'll grow back. Once I get in somewhere you can bet your bottom dollar the long hair is coming back with a vengeance

 

[the other Dr.]

Easy quick fix for your problem: Quit having nasty hair.

Once you are accepted you can wear dreads as long as you like until you realize how stupid you look.

Easy quick fix for YOUR problem: quit having a nasty attitude.

Once you get your head out of your a$$ you will realize how stupid you sound.

 

[sylvamoon]

WOW, you guys are really ignorant. Notburntyet has been really gracious in her replies. I'm a black female who happens to know a lot about locks. The first thing is, why do you all seem to think they are dirty? You can wash them, they are clean. They are just locked. Second, there are always debates about cutting them for interviews. If you just make sure you touch up the front, pull them back into a tight, neatly-pinned bun, you will still look very professional. I hate reading this forum sometimes because for every intelligent response, there is one foolish one.

 

[Medikit]

Easy quick fix for YOUR problem: quit having a nasty attitude.

Once you get your head out of your a$$ you will realize how stupid you sound.

Welcome to the internet, enjoy your stay

 

[Fermata]

Welcome to the internet, enjoy your stay

Leloo Dallas Multipass!

 

[nicholasblonde]

Keep the dreds...

Dreds are hot...I love girls with dreds. I wonder if a liberal/top school like Harvard might actually like such an expression of individuality. How many other kids with similar stats would have the guts to show up for an interview at a prestigious school with dreds? In your interviews, remind them of the fact that you are interested in international helath/pub health or whatever, and make sure they know that you're not going to be a traditional practitioner...you're hair will be evidence of the fact that you really are unique and not just saying you're unique. All the other kids with 34s and good GPAs (myself included) will be much easier to forget after the interview. You'll be "the cool, independent minded girl with the dreds." The admissions cmte. will know who you are, whether they were repulsed or pleased with your hair.

 

[SanDiegoSOD]

WOW, you guys are really ignorant. Notburntyet has been really gracious in her replies. I'm a black female who happens to know a lot about locks. The first thing is, why do you all seem to think they are dirty? You can wash them, they are clean. They are just locked.

I think we are all assuming that they look dirty because she fears being branded as a hippy or pothead. If they were clean and proffessional looking, she wouldnt have anything to worry about in the first place, right?

 

[sylvamoon]

no. what i'm saying is that locks are not "dirty". I recommended neatening the look up by pulling it back in a tight bun. But i saw no reason to believe that she doesn't wash them.

 

[liquid magma]

i'm on the admissions cmtee at what i consider a very strong (and progressive) med school. personally, i wouldn't care about your hair if i interviewed you. however, some of the old timers might not get it. and, whether it's right or not, it is important that you come across looking like a physician at your interivew.

therefore, my suggestion is this: drop the dreads. then do whatevever you want in the first 2 years of med school. then drop the dreads again for 3rd year, and you can grow them back in 4th after your residency interviews.

--lm

 

[velo]

Whats a girl to do, cut them?

Probably, but here is my case:

I got a 34 MCAT... so that kind of shows I'm not a stoner or an idiot..

my GPA is good, i've done 'serious scientist' things ..lots of research, bla bla bla...

my whole case is that I want an MD/MPH and practice abroad.. my EC's include working in health clinics in east africa and mexico..

so i'm kind of crunchy, but i have my $hit together.. I almost think my very clean but nappy hair would allow me stand out more...AND, i LOVE them.

Sacrifices are the name of the game, I know, but i wanted to get a feel for what people think, am I branded a pothead or a hippie because of my hair, can't my demeanor and credentials speak for themselves? Decision time is approaching to allow it to grow before interviews..

I don't really like the look personally, but I wouldn't cut them. A school won't reject you because of your hair...and if they do its really not the type of instution someone with your disposition would want to attend.

 

[Mistress S]

Ha ha, do you live in portland? Having dreads if you're white is practically de rigueur here, you'd blend right in. Damn hippies! Anyway, I'm going to join the club here and say you should lose the dreads. I'm taking out my nose ring and covering my tattoo for interviews; I like them, but they don't define me and they're certainly not more important than getting into med school. This is still a very conservative professsion, you could try pulling it back in a bun but if you can still tell you have dreads then I think you'll have to lose them if you don't want to risk making a bad impression. It's your call, but do you want to risk all your hard work going down the drain because someone thought you were unprofessional or didn't care enough about the school to look your best?

This makes me think of another song: "...and the sign says Long Haired Freaky People Need Not Apply!"

 

[Peterock]

This makes me think of another song: "...and the sign says Long Haired Freaky People Need Not Apply!"

Signs signs, everywhere they're signs, fvcking up the scenery breaking my mind, do this don't do that, can't you read the signs?

So I took my hair up under my hat and went into ask him why
he said you look like a find upstanding man, yeah, i think you'll do
so i took off my hat and said HUAH, imagine that ME, working for YOU!!!

 

[the other Dr.]

Easy quick fix for your problem: Quit having nasty hair.

Once you are accepted you can wear dreads as long as you like until you realize how stupid you look.

Welcome to the internet, enjoy your stay

Tsk tsk, not very Christian of you (to quote your public profile, "Biography:
I'm a Christian who loves Biochemistry"). Not to mention that it's a pretty narrow-minded and ignorant comment. You could try being constructive, especially if you expect other people to take YOUR questions seriously regarding your convictions, "incompletes" on transcripts, dropping out of college, etc.

 

[NubianPrincess]

Wear a wig!

 

[the other Dr.]

Wear a wig!

Yes! Problem solved. Just make sure you wear the same wig to interviews that you wear when taking your photos for your secondaries.

 

[Fed Meat]

People on this site have skin that's way too thin. Medikit said exactly what other people were thinking, only he refrained from saying,

"In my personal opinion, I think it might be perceived by someone that in certain respects it might not be viewed as completely kosher and may potentially raise some slight concerns regarding the supposed perception of your character sofar as may be possibly ascertained in such a relatively short encounter as that of the med school interview."

blah blah blah blah blah...

PC go smash!!!

 

[Medikit]

Tsk tsk, not very Christian of you (to quote your public profile, "Biography:
I'm a Christian who loves Biochemistry"). Not to mention that it's a pretty narrow-minded and ignorant comment. You could try being constructive, especially if you expect other people to take YOUR questions seriously regarding your convictions, "incompletes" on transcripts, dropping out of college, etc.

Thanks for doing a background check on me. But once again I want to welcome you to the internet where it's important to be lighthearted.

Perhaps the OP wants to post a picture of herself so we can evaluate whether or not her dreads actually look good. That seems like a good direction for this thread.

 

[sylvamoon]

Thanks for doing a background check on me. But once again I want to welcome you to the internet where it's important to be lighthearted.

"In my personal opinion, I think it might be perceived by someone that in certain respects it might not be viewed as completely kosher and may potentially raise some slight concerns regarding the supposed perception of your character sofar as may be possibly ascertained in such a relatively short encounter as that of the med school interview."

hahahaa

 

[W222]

Just a question: Will you be wearing pachoili for your interview? Will your iPOD be filled with Dead and Phish songs to calm you before said interview? Last question, Will you be making your own interview clothes from stuff bought at craft stores?

 

[notburntyet]

So many great responses, thank you to everyone!

Yeah, i'm not to offended by any comments, they're to be expected. The only thing that got to me was the guy who said that black people hate dreads on white people. Your class doesn't represent all black people everywhere so the generalization was not needed. And i hate using my boyfriend like this, but he said I could: he's black, he loves my dreads, as does his sister and cousin and nephew and .... but i suppose they're the only ones. I did like the rest of you post however, thank you.

I'm currently charging the batteries to my digital camara...i'll maybe get a pic on here in a bit..

I've actually considered a wig but haven't tried because I think the dreads will be way too bulky underneith...

It's up in the air.

Thank you though for all honest responses, I really appreciate it.

 

[Peterock]

So many great responses, thank you to everyone!

Yeah, i'm not to offended by any comments, they're to be expected. The only thing that got to me was the guy who said that black people hate dreads on white people. Your class doesn't represent all black people everywhere so the generalization was not needed. And i hate using my boyfriend like this, but he said I could: he's black, he loves my dreads, as does his sister and cousin and nephew and .... but i suppose they're the only ones. I did like the rest of you post however, thank you.
I'm currently charging the batteries to my digital camara...i'll maybe get a pic on here in a bit..
I've actually considered a wig but haven't tried because I think the dreads will be way too bulky underneith...
It's up in the air.
Thank you though for all honest responses, I really appreciate it.

LOL! So your boyfriend and his family are a better representation of a group's opinion than a class of 20+ people who are completely unrelated and from different states? If you want to rock dreads, fine, but realize the cultural significance of them in religion as well as Marcus Garvey's influence. Generally, I don't hold up a black power fist and pretend it doesn't have meaning, though I'm sure white people will eventually steal that b/c it looks cool too. If you want to co-opt a group's unique form of expression for no other reason than you enjoy it, fine. But not everyone in that group is going to respect/like you for it.

My guess is you didn't like the post b/c it struck a nerve with you, one that has been tested many times. I just raised an OBVIOUS question, wasn't trying to upset you.

 

[Cerbernator]

LOL! So your boyfriend and his family are a better representation of a group's opinion than a class of 20+ people who are completely unrelated and from different states? If you want to rock dreads, fine, but realize the cultural significance of them in religion as well as Marcus Garvey's influence. Generally, I don't hold up a black power fist and pretend it doesn't have meaning, though I'm sure white people will eventually steal that b/c it looks cool too. If you want to co-opt a group's unique form of expression for no other reason than you enjoy it, fine. But not everyone in that group is going to respect/like you for it.

My guess is you didn't like the post b/c it struck a nerve with you, one that has been tested many times.

black people at duke are hardly representative of black people as a whole. Hell, everyone at duke has their head so far up there ass they can almost see sunshine when they open their mouths.

 

[Cerbernator]

anyway, who gives a **** what color someone is in regards to their hair style? jesus christ its fashion

 

[Peterock]

black people at duke are hardly representative of black people as a whole. Hell, everyone at duke has their head so far up there ass they can almost see sunshine when they open their mouths.

You are the biggest abomination since Eminem. Shouldn't you be condemning AA now?

 

[aunaturel]

"i need an easy friend"- kurt cobain

i try to think of these lyrics before i start arguing with people about things that will never make a difference in my life in any way.

 

[CarleneM]

"i need an easy friend"- kurt cobain

i try to think of these lyrics before i start arguing with people about things that will never make a difference in my life in any way.

haha, i guess I always interpreted that line to mean he liked easy women since I think I read that song is about a girl he was seeing and not totally into but fooled around with. sorry, i'm a total nirvana nerd.

anyway, if we are looking for kurt cobain to advise us on the whole dreadlocks issue, i am 99.9999% certain he'd suggest keeping them for the interview. and I'm sure he'd be ok with a white person having them.

then again, he'd probably also advocate wearing a t-shirt that said "f*ck amcas. punx not dead" to the interview so perhaps we shouldn't be taking his advice...

 

[Ypo.]

I think that if your dreadlocks have meaning to you and are an integral part of who you are or help define you as a person, you shouldn't cut them just for an interview.

Personally, I would make sure they can look nice in a bun-and if they were too nappy-I'd cut them and the let them grow back. After all, they don't have any religious or cultural significance for you, do they? This covers your "appearance" for the interviews.

Good luck-I'm sure you'll do fine with or without the dreads-be true to yourself.

P.S. You should probably ask for advice from admissions advisors or representatives from the medical schools you are applying to- because no one on this forum really knows the answer to how your interviewer will react.

 

[aunaturel]

ohhh..... carlene i know you're right. he probably meant that for sure, since the title of the song is "about a girl". i like looking at certain lyrics out of context because it sometimes allows for more personal interpretations of what people are saying. i especially like cobain's lyrics because of his simple style, and oh yeah i think im goin insane and i need to go to bed.