So what's the dress code for interviews.

[albaniandoc]

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I am debating with my wife about buying a suit. I think that a sport blazer with a pair of nice paints would be enough. She insists I need to wear a suit.
So I am looking for a suit. I found one for like $200 and then my friend that has become like my wife (bitching wise) suggested that I should not buy a suit for less than $400. I need to spend $500 on it he said. Now he knows what he is talking about since he is the VP of a big company, but I don't have that kind of money for something I will wear to three or four interviews. Can anyone recommend something, please.

 

[vt hokie]

i am certainly no authority on this subject, but i think you should go with a suit. there is on way in h*** i would spend $500 though. can't you find a good suit for a reasonable amount at places like burlington coat factory? anyway, i would definitely steer clear of the "paints"
was it demi moore who was on the cover of some magazine wearing only paint?

 

[albaniandoc]

anyway, i would definitely steer clear of the "paints"
was it demi moore who was on the cover of some magazine wearing only paint?

Haha , I didn't catch that. From now on I will be paranoid checking every comment before posting it. But then again, it is after midnight in Florida.
Thanks

 

[vt hokie]

sorry, i didn't mean to make you paranoid. i'm glad you didn't catch it... typos like that are too funny to fix. i got a much needed laugh. thanks a lot.

 

[Jamers]

I am debating with my wife about buying a suit. I think that a sport blazer with a pair of nice paints would be enough. She insists I need to wear a suit.
So I am looking for a suit. I found one for like $200 and then my friend that has become like my wife (bitching wise) suggested that I should not buy a suit for less than $400. I need to spend $500 on it he said. Now he knows what he is talking about since he is the VP of a big company, but I don't have that kind of money for something I will wear to three or four interviews. Can anyone recommend something, please.

I just wore a suit jacket, shirt, tie and dress pants. **** spending 500 dollars. The only way I would do that is if the person who suggested it bought it for me. The interview is about who sells themselves better, not who spent the most on a suit. Trust me, there are no, "how much did you spend on your suit?" questions. Bottom line, don't go in ripped jeans with a, "Things to do: A) your mother B) your sister," tee-shirt and you should be fine.

 

[scpod]

I am debating with my wife about buying a suit. I think that a sport blazer with a pair of nice paints would be enough. She insists I need to wear a suit...

I never wore a suit (blazer and nice pants), but most everyone else did. Besides, with all the other expenses you have during the application process, buying a new suit just for interviews is ridiculous in my opinion. There are better ways to impress an admissions committee than how much you spent on a new suit.

 

[Oculus Sinistra]

I never wore a suit (blazer and nice pants), but most everyone else did. Besides, with all the other expenses you have during the application process, buying a new suit just for interviews is ridiculous in my opinion. There are better ways to impress an admissions committee than how much you spent on a new suit.

Right, but I'm sure there will be formal events throughout the school years that will put your suit to good use (you know, the dean has a wine-and-cheese social at his place for everyone, so everyone dresses up... that sort of thing)

 

[scpod]

Right, but I'm sure there will be formal events throughout the school years that will put your suit to good use (you know, the dean has a wine-and-cheese social at his place for everyone, so everyone dresses up... that sort of thing)

I'm not sure about my dean, but my assistant dean likes to drink Heinekens while floating in his pool. I don't think I'll need the suit for that.

 

[thadarknyte]

just go to a store like SYMS or K&G who have designer suits but they are the suits that are either out of season or not with the CURRENT fashion trend. But regardless, they have great traditional suits for interviews and really really cheap prices. I once got one because i had gone to a wedding and had somehow lost my own suit so i needed one quik, and they really came in handy for being "inexpensive"

you can easily get a suit, tie, belt, even shoes for about 200-250

 

[dr.z]

I am debating with my wife about buying a suit. I think that a sport blazer with a pair of nice paints would be enough. She insists I need to wear a suit.
So I am looking for a suit. I found one for like $200 and then my friend that has become like my wife (bitching wise) suggested that I should not buy a suit for less than $400. I need to spend $500 on it he said. Now he knows what he is talking about since he is the VP of a big company, but I don't have that kind of money for something I will wear to three or four interviews. Can anyone recommend something, please.

You don't need a $500 suit. However, suit looks nicer on the interview day and majority of people would be in a suit.

 

[Hoberto]

I think you should go with a suit. It looks professional and you really ought to have one anyway for weddings, funerals and other suit-wearing functions. You don't need to spend a lot of money, though. Half the battle with nice clothes is ensuring they fit. So, you could even go to your local Goodwill and get a suit, as long as it is clean and not malodorous....just be sure to get it tailored.

 

[group_theory]

The key is to not stand out.

Most interviewees (guys) will be in a suit. Now if your blazer and pants makes you look good, then you can probably get away with it. A good rule of thumb is to ask yourself/wife/friend this: can I go to a job interview in a white-collar profession at a Fortune-500 wearing this? If you decide on the blazer/pant combo, just make sure you don't look like a kid in a school uniform (or attend a prep school)

A suit is a good investment. Not only will you use it for interviews, but you can use it for other events which may pop up in life ... and if you don't change in size, you can use it for your residency interviews.

But do some research beforehand on what type of suit you want. It's hard to find a good quality suit for cheap ... easier to find a cheap suit for cheap. 100% wool is a must. Threadcounts, single v double v no vents, # of buttons, single v double breast, are important choices you will have to make.

Make sure it fits you correctly ... properly taylored. Now you don't need to have it custom-made for you, but at least get measured by a taylor and have him/her make the necessary adjustments.

Polish and shine your shoes. People who are ex-military and people from an older generation will appreciate a nice polished shoe. Will start you off on the right feet 🙂

Is a $500+ suit necessary? Probably not. If you decide on a suit that is $500+, you can always ask your friend for a loan and pay it back later. It's an investment in your future. On the otherhand, most $99 suit are made from cheap material (or different cloths woven together). At this stage, you want a nice suit that looks good, fits good, and can be worned for the next 4-8 years as needed. Something in the $200-$400 range would be perfect. Having it taylored can range from $20-$100+, depending on the taylor and what's being done.

Try these sites to get things started

Men's Wearhouse - nice selection, decent suits
http://www.menswearhouse.com/index.jsp

Here's an AskMen article on what to look for in a suit. Remember, you don't need to have it custom-made. One off the rack and adjusted by a taylor will be just fine.
http://www.askmen.com/fashion/fashiontip/34_fashion_advice.html


Here is a recent CNN Money article on how to pick a suit - most of the advise really doesn't apply to this situation but I added it anyway in case anyone is interested
http://money.cnn.com/2006/03/30/pf/goodlife_fortune/index.htm

Princeton's undergraduate career service - what to wear for interviews (men and women)
http://web.princeton.edu/sites/career/Undergrad/JobSearch/dress_code.html


Good luck.

 

[JonnyG]

You really should have a suit, its more or less the "uniform" of the profession. You will get use out of it. Black suits also double for weddings and funerals so it will get worn.

 

[n0chi]

i got a suit from target for like $120... it seems to get the job done 🙂

 

[LINYKid]

i got a suit from target for like $120... it seems to get the job done 🙂

Go with the suit. Try looking for sales maybe like a Mens Warehose, Macy's etc. Even an outlet of a place like BrooksBrothers can save you a bundle.

 

[Faraaz23]

You should probably wear a suit. An above poster said the key is you do not want to stand out, this is true. Buy yourself a basic black suit if you don't have any suits at this point. A plain black suit is the most versatile and can be worn to any type of occasion you'll need it for. You don't have to spend $500 on a suit. They just want to see you professionally dressed. I HIGHLY doubt interviewers will have the time or the eye to catch the cut, stich, and material your suit is made of. Try Burlington Coat Factory, Mens Warehouse, or another discount place and just get yourself something very basic. Also, get a white or french blue shirt to go with it, and a tie that doesn't scream too loudly.

 

[nowooftickets]

I got a 550 dollar suit on sale w/ a 20% off coupon for less than 200 dollars this summer. You just have to look around.

 

[scpod]

You should probably wear a suit. An above poster said the key is you do not want to stand out, this is true.

Actually, I think the thing that "standing out" is the thing that you should do at an interview. You WANT to get yourself noticed there. You also don't want to be one of 600 clones who walks through the door during interview season. The thing that has really impressed me with my own med school class is the diversity. There are sooooo many people that are different. If your style is to dress a little differently, then do it, as long as it looks good on you. This "you need a suit for funerals and stuff" is really bull****. You should be wearing what YOU like, not what you think someone else wants to to, at least within reason. One of my best friends is in Pharmacy school right now. He didn't wear a tie to his interview. In fact, he didn't even wear a button-down shirt. His interviewer asked him why and he gave him a good reason; it worked. Now, I'm not saying that you shouldn't wear a tie because you should. You should dress very nicely, but if you want to buy a suit, wait until after you get accepted and your financial aid check comes in. The whole "I need to follow what everyone else does" makes this whole process kind of silly.

 

[vt hokie]

I would rather stand out for my accomplishments and responses in the interviews than for my appearance. adcoms are usually pretty conservative from what i hear. i think the best advice is to play it safe. that's not to say you can't show some of your personality in your attire.

 

[scpod]

I would rather stand out for my accomplishments and responses in the interviews than for my appearance. adcoms are usually pretty conservative from what i hear. i think the best advice is to play it safe. that's not to say you can't show some of your personality in your attire.

Yes, but remember that they have your picture in your file. The admissions committee uses it when they discuss you. It helps them match a "face" to the accomplishments. Whether we like it or not, appearance does matter...and being memorable can help, even if it's just physical appearnce.

 

[HunterGatherer]

You want people to remember you for your personality and interview, not what you wear. Get a suit. I think I got one for about $250 at Men's wearhouse. Careful if you bring your wife like I did. The salesman and your wife will double team you into buying more than you had hoped for.

Also there might be some events in the early part of medical school where it will be nice to have a suit on hand.

 

[doc G]

Just My 2...

Invest in a quality name brand suit...I am sure this will not be the only event you wear it to...Also 500.00 should be for the entire outfit...suit,shoes,shirt,tie.....etc...Also, it is easy to see how a cheap suit hangs off of people, quality ( and fitted) does not matter in many situations, but here I feel it does.

 

[Vox Animo]

I am debating with my wife about buying a suit. I think that a sport blazer with a pair of nice paints would be enough. She insists I need to wear a suit.
So I am looking for a suit. I found one for like $200 and then my friend that has become like my wife (bitching wise) suggested that I should not buy a suit for less than $400. I need to spend $500 on it he said. Now he knows what he is talking about since he is the VP of a big company, but I don't have that kind of money for something I will wear to three or four interviews. Can anyone recommend something, please.

Buy a nice suit. Its expected. At every interview i had, all the men wore suits, except for a few.

 

[Faraaz23]

Actually, I think the thing that "standing out" is the thing that you should do at an interview. You WANT to get yourself noticed there. You also don't want to be one of 600 clones who walks through the door during interview season. The thing that has really impressed me with my own med school class is the diversity. There are sooooo many people that are different. If your style is to dress a little differently, then do it, as long as it looks good on you. This "you need a suit for funerals and stuff" is really bull****. You should be wearing what YOU like, not what you think someone else wants to to, at least within reason. One of my best friends is in Pharmacy school right now. He didn't wear a tie to his interview. In fact, he didn't even wear a button-down shirt. His interviewer asked him why and he gave him a good reason; it worked. Now, I'm not saying that you shouldn't wear a tie because you should. You should dress very nicely, but if you want to buy a suit, wait until after you get accepted and your financial aid check comes in. The whole "I need to follow what everyone else does" makes this whole process kind of silly.

Well we're going to differ on opinion here, but everything I said also mirrors directly what came out of the mouth of a Dean of an allopathic school, maybe osteos are different? I appreciate the fact the people have different styles... in fact i HATE wearing boring, window-drape cut suits and plain white shirts, but certain occasions call for conservative dress. Its ok to be a little different, but I do not recommend wearing an iridescent pink or a retinal burning Tennessee Volunteer-orange dress shirt to a medical school interview.

 

[Rachael07]

I am debating with my wife about buying a suit. I think that a sport blazer with a pair of nice paints would be enough. She insists I need to wear a suit.
So I am looking for a suit. I found one for like $200 and then my friend that has become like my wife (bitching wise) suggested that I should not buy a suit for less than $400. I need to spend $500 on it he said. Now he knows what he is talking about since he is the VP of a big company, but I don't have that kind of money for something I will wear to three or four interviews. Can anyone recommend something, please.

Do you have any outlets by you?
I got a $800 Elie Tahari suit for like $200 at my outlets. I feel like getting a nice suit is really important 🙂

 

[dryuja]

i am certainly no authority on this subject, but i think you should go with a suit. there is on way in h*** i would spend $500 though. can't you find a good suit for a reasonable amount at places like burlington coat factory? anyway, i would definitely steer clear of the "paints"
was it demi moore who was on the cover of some magazine wearing only paint?

Thanks for the laugh! I can't stop laughing.

 

[albaniandoc]

Thanks for the laugh! I can't stop laughing.

I thought it was funny too. If you can't laugh at yourself, SDN will, right?
I ended up getting a suit over the weekend. My wife and I went to Macys, Men's Warehouse and Dillards and bought one from Dillards. It was a $450 suit but they had some sort of sale and got like 50% off. It's black, nothing shiny, no stripes. It will not stand out.
It is basic and I had to get the athletic fit since I work out a lot and have wide shoulders but narrow waist. The jacket that would fit me in the shoulders was too long and the pants that came with it were way, way big. The athletic fit was perfect. Thank you everyone for the input.
Now comes the hard part, the interview.

 

[strawberryfield]

Do you have any outlets by you?
I got a $800 Elie Tahari suit for like $200 at my outlets. I feel like getting a nice suit is really important 🙂

same here...last year I found the steal of the century, an 2k armani skirt suit for $200 @ Neiman's outlet. It's perfect, comfortable and looks awesome.

OP, go to the outlets! you can find some amazing deals on last season's "color" 🙄 when suits are timeless (as long as they're not lime green or something)!

edit: I just realized you already found a suit! awesome deal! good luck w/ your interviews!

 

[erleichda]

Do you have any outlets by you?
I got a $800 Elie Tahari suit for like $200 at my outlets. I feel like getting a nice suit is really important 🙂

Hey Rachael,
I'm from NY too. Which outlets did you go to?
Thanks,
bigfatk

 

[Rachael07]

Hey Rachael,
I'm from NY too. Which outlets did you go to?
Thanks,
bigfatk

Woodbury Common outlets--I live like 15/20 minutes from there!! I go WAYY too often!!

 

[Boner]

Another great, but kind of hard to find, place to find a suit are manufacturer sample sales. What is a sample sale, you may ask? It's when a manufacturer gets rid of all of the suits they give to sales reps to take to stores for show and tell. They last only a weekend (suits fly off the racks that fast), but you can get great deals. The Hugo Boss sample sale came to town a couple months back and I got a $1.5k Hugo Boss suit for $250.

 

[LINYKid]

Woodbury Common is awesome, although Im closed to Tanger Outlets on the East End of LI. They arent bad also. they have a nice Tahari store also

 

[Rachael07]

Woodbury Common is awesome, although Im closed to Tanger Outlets on the East End of LI. They arent bad also. they have a nice Tahari store also

Yeah I've heard good things about those... but I'll always stay faithful to my woodbury outlets in orange county.

 

[LINYKid]

Cant go wrong w/ woodbury common the place is just massive. Everytime I go there I feel like Im in a maze, but great stores !

 

[drplease]

what about for girls? i REALLY do not want to wear a suit but i'm wondering if theres anythign else that is acceptable? a professional dress, pencil skirt/blouse, etc??

 

[Slane]

My $15 suit from Goodwill got me an acceptance at LECOM 🙂 If you shop around at thrift stores for a week or two, you'll find a good deal eventually! I found a really nice tailored suit that fit me perfect back in the spring. You'd never know what it cost me from looking at it (My tie actually cost me more 😛)

 

[MarieMarie]

Actually, I think the thing that "standing out" is the thing that you should do at an interview. You WANT to get yourself noticed there. You also don't want to be one of 600 clones who walks through the door during interview season. The thing that has really impressed me with my own med school class is the diversity. There are sooooo many people that are different. If your style is to dress a little differently, then do it, as long as it looks good on you. This "you need a suit for funerals and stuff" is really bull****. You should be wearing what YOU like, not what you think someone else wants to to, at least within reason. One of my best friends is in Pharmacy school right now. He didn't wear a tie to his interview. In fact, he didn't even wear a button-down shirt. His interviewer asked him why and he gave him a good reason; it worked. Now, I'm not saying that you shouldn't wear a tie because you should. You should dress very nicely, but if you want to buy a suit, wait until after you get accepted and your financial aid check comes in. The whole "I need to follow what everyone else does" makes this whole process kind of silly.

This is horrible advice. Of course you want to stand out, but NOT because you dressed inappropriately. Personal style is great but your medical school interview is not the time to make a point about individuality via your outfit.

what about for girls? i REALLY do not want to wear a suit but i'm wondering if theres anythign else that is acceptable? a professional dress, pencil skirt/blouse, etc??

You are also expected to wear a suit. You will need a suit in the future, so think of it as an investment.

Not so bad.

 

[Eilat87]

i dont think i can afford a suit, what do you guys think about just a dress shirt, tie, dress pants and shoes? think i can get away with it? if i can, how bad would it look?

 

[spicedmanna]

There's no dress code, as such, for medical school interviews. Common sense prevails. That is to say, for an interview at a professional school, I think you would do well to dress professionally, like you would to any interview of this caliber (professional). To me this involves suit and tie. This doesn't mean you have to be a clone, which all seem to wear the black suit (you can always tell when it's interview day as you see the crowd walking on campus all dressed in black suits). There is enough room for tasteful variability to suit personality. Just keep it in the realm of the professional.

 

[spicedmanna]

i dont think i can afford a suit, what do you guys think about just a dress shirt, tie, dress pants and shoes? think i can get away with it? if i can, how bad would it look?

I'm no adcom, but I would strive to get a suit for the interviews, if at all possible. It's a pretty important occasion. There are ways to obtain affordable suits. I think it's possible to get a tasteful suit for about $200, for example, at a store like Men's Wearhouse. If you can't afford even that, then I don't know what to tell you. I guess you have to make do with what you have. Maybe, if it is possible, you can borrow some money from relatives, or perhaps a suit from an acquaintance or relative, if they are similar in size.

 

[Bacchus]

I'm no adcom, but I would strive to get a suit for the interviews, if at all possible. It's a pretty important occasion. There are ways to obtain affordable suits. I think it's possible to get a tasteful suit for about $200, for example, at a store like Men's Wearhouse. If you can't afford even that, then I don't know what to tell you. I guess you have to make do with what you have. Maybe, if it is possible, you can borrow some money from relatives, or perhaps a suit from an acquaintance or relative, if they are similar in size.

Agreed. Go to Men's Wearhouse. I got a suit for $200 and it not only looks good, but feels good... and its 100% wool, not some cheap, tacky material.

 

[mj42]

I just bought a very nice new suit from JC Penny WITH nice Stacy Adams dress shoes for about $170. You can always find bargains if you look around and I got additional discounts from the guy working there. I just explained to him I'm a college pre-med student who really needs a suit for the interview 😀

 

[Exalya]

I got my suit from Old Navy... seriously... and I think it looked great. I think I may have paid $60 for it. There are low-cost options, you just have to go looking for them.

 

[forrealz]

New York & Company suit and Target shoes. Looks great, I don't care about the label.

 

[salazaar]

My medical school interview suit is super classy. It was less than 10 bucks at value village. If you need a suit and don't mind buying used, value village is the way to go.