tattoo a problem in med school?

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I have a small tattoo on my inner wrist and I am worried if it might be a problem in med school. Is there any rule against tattoos, like the ones on my wrist, since although it is small it is more visible though than having it on my back, etc? Will it be in the way of me being able to do rotations such as OR, etc? I'm hoping anyone in med school or knowledge about this could let me know.
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Unless you contracted hepatitis while acquiring this little gem, it should not pose any formal trouble to you. It might even earn some small measure of cred with the patient population in the ER. If I were you, my biggest fear would be having a surgeon openly mock my judgment.
 
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I don't think it would be a problem, but my grandparents and dad would certainly think it is.

AKA

Patient problems might be an issue but with long sleeves you could cover it up. Thus patients might trust you less and question your credibility but you'll still be the doctor. It's small though and like someone else said unless it's a nazi symbol you should be alright.

People in our generation though and some of our parents generation are a little more open to it, so by the time you'll be done with your coworkers won't judge you as much as they would have in the past. I wouldn't start getting a sleeve filled in because there is always going to be a stigma around it in american culture
 
I have a tatoo thats says "DO for life" on my arm, since my name is Devin O'donaldson. However, I want to go to an MD school. Could this pose a problem?
 
a small wrist tattoo will probably be fine. i have a full sleeve (hoping to get another sleeve by the time I matriculate) and while i am worried about it, it is not stopping me. i work in a hospital and wear short sleeves and have yet to have any problems (only comments) however I am a patient transporter, so it is a little different. i will also qualify this as i am one of maybe <5 employees that have a visible full sleeve out of all the employees in an 802 bed hopsital (and attached clinics). This does not include any who may have sleeves but wear long sleeves to cover them.

i am also not under any notion that i am equal. i may be, but I also understand that I may be confined to the ER, or must wear long sleeves of some manner every day for the rest of my life, or even that some specialties will be virtually impossible to achieve. i am sure i may do a rotation at a surgical unit that tells me to not worry about my tattoo, people like it, while the next one may say i cannot see a patient without wearing a labcoat. it was my choice, i don't regret them, i love tattoos, and they don't define me, but this system doesn't always feel the same and I am not stupid enough to think i am above the system.
 
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=679551&highlight=tattoo

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=673432&highlight=tattoo

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=755222&highlight=tattoo

Here are three threads about tattoos, I'm sure there are more if you search. Also, from what I've read, surgery seems to be one of the places that tattoos are most frowned on. So do with that what you will.
I also have a tattoo on my arm, semi visible...so, we'll see how that pans out.
 
Just cover it up with a wristband since more hospitals require that you cover up all tattoos.

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I don't think it will be a problem, the only problem i see is when patient see it, they might think differently obviously.
 
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People are funny. I love how people see a tattoo and automatically start deducting from your abilities. Maybe one day people won't be so judgmental...
 
Oh and my actual two cents:
In most professional settings, I go by the "If you would show it to your grandma and her bridge club then it's probably ok" standard. In my area tattoos are normally accepted in the workplace so long as they aren't offensive or gang related. However its Portland so you gotta factor that in.

Its the quarter sized plugs that are becoming a much bigger issues because if you take it out it looks gross, and if you have a big size it takes away from the professionalism. (Plus it gives angry patients something to grab if they want to hurt you)
 
gettheleadout said:
I know for certain of at least one medical school where you cannot have visible tattoos on clinical rotations, but this probably varies by school.
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Could you please tell me what school this is. I have one on both shoulders. One of them comes down to the upper arm a bit though. They are just of flowers and trees and stuff though. Is this a spoblem?
 
BytheSeaShore said:
Could you please tell me what school this is. I have one on both shoulders. One of them comes down to the upper arm a bit though. They are just of flowers and trees and stuff though. Is this a spoblem?
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Do you plan on wearing a halter top around clinicals?
 
I have a fairly large tattoo on my tricep area and it's never been an issue. When I wear short sleeves to class usually my professors and the attendings who drop by are interested to see what it is. I've never had any negative consequences as a result. And when you're in clinic hours so long as it's covered it isn't a big deal.
 
BytheSeaShore said:
Could you please tell me what school this is. I have one on both shoulders. One of them comes down to the upper arm a bit though. They are just of flowers and trees and stuff though. Is this a spoblem?
Click to expand...
It doesn't matter as long as you cover it up, which it sounds like normal short sleeves would do. If it was on your forearm it might be a different story, as wearing long sleeves under scrubs might get annoying/be inappropriate based on what you're rotating in.
 
Thank you for the replies. My tattoo is probably about the size of a quarter and it is nothing bad or gang affiliated. I'm not worried much about what patients think because I can always cover or conceal it. I'm more worried about professors/doctors in med school and when I do rotations if it'll become problematic. Such as scrubbing down or sanitary reasons that might be posed.. but I can't think why there would be problems because even in surgery, you're supposed to wear gloves & that would cover it up.
 
Btw, to those who said it shouldn't pose a problem as long as in clinical & rotations it should be covered up. Since it's on my wrist, will that be a problem?
 
Wear a watch - or a long sleeve shirt. It shouldn't matter but if it does, shouldn't be too hard to cover it up.
 
So I have wanted a full sleeve if or a very long time. I finally decided to go for it this last year as a first year medical student. Before committing to this permanent decision I read many of these posts and asked many others for advice. These posts reassured me since Ido not want to be a surgeon and truthfully I could careless if some tool makes a smart comment. The advice I received was definitely mixed but again the surgeon eventually saying something was brought up commonly. One of the major deciding factors for me was my opinion that wearing short sleeve shirts to work is FAR more unprofessional than exposed tattoos. I believe in looking professional at work and therefore a full sleeve would not be visible in my long sleeve attire. I have actually had the sleeve for over 6 months and none of my classmates have seen it since I cover it up in class. All this being said I do think the tattoo will count against me as a student eventually... (I am less worried about after student status). I am at the top of my class however and I want to go serve under served in need communities do I don't think it will slow me down too much.

One interesting note however I have noticed that people outside of school treat me differently with the sleeve. Today for instance I helped my mother in law interact with a lawyer since she did not know what to ask of him. In this meeting he made it very apparent that he saw us as uneducated hoodlums. I guess she came across as uneducated and myself as a hoodlum! I come from the hood but I have been away from all that for some while. I have instead been around professors, researchers, physicians, and such. One of the things I liked about my tattoos is the fact that I could go to work/school in a dress shirt and tie and be accepted in a professional environment and then go home put on a short sleeve shirt and express where I come from. Unfortunately, even in the world outside of school or the hospital one will have to interact with professionals and they may judge you. The worse part is in this setting there are no letters following your name, no diplomas over a desk, no white coat, or anything else to convince this professional that you are not some uneducated hoodlum. I don't regret the tattoo but I felt this perspective should've added to the threads I read.
 
Don't worry about it OP. Just don't openly start showing it off during interviews.
 
PJCY said:
So I have wanted a full sleeve if or a very long time. I finally decided to go for it this last year as a first year medical student. Before committing to this permanent decision I read many of these posts and asked many others for advice. These posts reassured me since Ido not want to be a surgeon and truthfully I could careless if some tool makes a smart comment. The advice I received was definitely mixed but again the surgeon eventually saying something was brought up commonly. One of the major deciding factors for me was my opinion that wearing short sleeve shirts to work is FAR more unprofessional than exposed tattoos. I believe in looking professional at work and therefore a full sleeve would not be visible in my long sleeve attire. I have actually had the sleeve for over 6 months and none of my classmates have seen it since I cover it up in class. All this being said I do think the tattoo will count against me as a student eventually... (I am less worried about after student status). I am at the top of my class however and I want to go serve under served in need communities do I don't think it will slow me down too much.

One interesting note however I have noticed that people outside of school treat me differently with the sleeve. Today for instance I helped my mother in law interact with a lawyer since she did not know what to ask of him. In this meeting he made it very apparent that he saw us as uneducated hoodlums. I guess she came across as uneducated and myself as a hoodlum! I come from the hood but I have been away from all that for some while. I have instead been around professors, researchers, physicians, and such. One of the things I liked about my tattoos is the fact that I could go to work/school in a dress shirt and tie and be accepted in a professional environment and then go home put on a short sleeve shirt and express where I come from. Unfortunately, even in the world outside of school or the hospital one will have to interact with professionals and they may judge you. The worse part is in this setting there are no letters following your name, no diplomas over a desk, no white coat, or anything else to convince this professional that you are not some uneducated hoodlum. I don't regret the tattoo but I felt this perspective should've added to the threads I read.
Click to expand...

Terrific read. People with tattoos will always be judged because of their skin but as long as you know of your own personal characteristics, don't let what others think bother you.
 
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