Tattoo trouble...

Started by JonSwan
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JonSwan

JonSwan

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I've just been accepted to medical school 🙂)) but I'm beginning to worry about my tattoo. It's on the upper arm and while it's possible to cover with a long sleeve shirt/lab coat, it is visible when wearing any short sleeve shirt (e.g. scrubs). I will get it removed some day but for now I'm too broke. Does anybody have suggestions on how to conceal it? Would I need to cover it up in class or only during patient contact?
 
i got a whole back piece, but luckily it's only on my back, which goes unnoticed unless i'm naked
 
How big is it? There are a few make-up brands that make great concealers that hide them. I personally wouldn't be that worried about it, but the concealer is less expensive than removal.
 
cover it up anytime you are in a hospital setting

there are people in my class who have tattoos; one in particular has a half-sleeve and it was visible the whole time during anatomy. No one cared
 
Lizzlemermaid said:
How big is it? There are a few make-up brands that make great concealers that hide them. I personally wouldn't be that worried about it, but the concealer is less expensive than removal.
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I agree with this. I was watching something on National Geographic once about these guys in Japan who have whole body tattoos on every part of their skin, but conceal it all everyday for work as executives, school principals, etc. So if they can do that, I don't think it'll be a problem covering up something on your arm.
 
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Just an idea.

If the tattoo bothers you and you don't want to wear make up, you could use a spandex sleeve instead. You could cut it to the appropriate length, and just wear it over the tattooed portion of your arm. There's a variety of "shooter sleeves" available in the market and they're pretty comfortable. You could find one in a neutral color like gray that wouldn't draw much attention and just wear it before seeing patients.
 
I have a caduceus tattoo on my shoulder (google it. That's how much I want to get into medicine..) that isn't too noticable unless I wear certain sleeveless shirts. I can't imagine if you can cover it up that it would cause any trouble.
 
Sammich117 said:
I have a caduceus tattoo on my shoulder (google it. That's how much I want to get into medicine..) that isn't too noticable unless I wear certain sleeveless shirts. I can't imagine if you can cover it up that it would cause any trouble.
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according to wiki, the caduceus is a misued symbol. oops.
 
I know it is. I like the history behind it. And it's a widely used symbol for medicine now (thanks, US Army...). Plus, I think it's a prettier tattoo than the single rod.. lol.
 
bleargh said:
according to wiki, the caduceus is a misued symbol. oops.
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Wiki also says that "Symbolism" is the use of symbols to represent things such as ideas or emotions. Following up later on with "Old symbols become reinterpreted, due perhaps to environmental changes."

If it has widely become accepted and recognized as a symbol of healthcare, which it has, it still symbolizes it regardless of it's traditional meaning.
 
aggie08 said:
Wiki also says that "Symbolism" is the use of symbols to represent things such as ideas or emotions. Following up later on with "Old symbols become reinterpreted, due perhaps to environmental changes."

If it has widely become accepted and recognized as a symbol of healthcare, which it has, it still symbolizes it regardless of it's traditional meaning.
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greatnt249 said:
I was thinking the same thing.
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and again, symbolism is not always based on tradition.

The Swastika traditionally was used for a long time to represent things like sun, power, strength, good-luck, etc. and now has come to mean something vastly different. I'm willing to bet you wouldn't proudly display that symbol based on it's traditional meaning that was changed and has socially come to represent something else.

Tradition isn't end-all, be-all and most people recognize Caduceus as a symbol of healthcare. Wrong or not from it's traditional meaning, it is socially accepted as a symbol of healing.
 
aggie08 said:
and again, symbolism is not always based on tradition.

The Swastika traditionally was used for a long time to represent things like sun, power, strength, good-luck, etc. and now has come to mean something vastly different. I'm willing to bet you wouldn't proudly display that symbol based on it's traditional meaning that was changed and has socially come to represent something else.

Tradition isn't end-all, be-all and most people recognize Caduceus as a symbol of healthcare. Wrong or not from it's traditional meaning, it is socially accepted as a symbol of healing.
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Exactly 🙂 Plus, it's an awesome symbol and makes for a pretty unique tattoo.

And like I said, I like that it has history rooted in mythology and very different meanings. Makes for a more interesting story when people ask me about it.
 
JonSwan said:
I've just been accepted to medical school 🙂)) but I'm beginning to worry about my tattoo. It's on the upper arm and while it's possible to cover with a long sleeve shirt/lab coat, it is visible when wearing any short sleeve shirt (e.g. scrubs). I will get it removed some day but for now I'm too broke. Does anybody have suggestions on how to conceal it? Would I need to cover it up in class or only during patient contact?
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Unless the tattoo bothers you or is of something inappropriate (which you said it wasn't), I wouldn't invest in tattoo removal. Like others have said, it's not totally uncommon to have tattoos anymore, even in the medical profession, and in recent years, it's become more acceptable in society to have them. Tatto removal is an expensive, painful, and extended process, and like I said, not worth it unless you have a very pressing reason behind it.
 
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I share the same concern. I was accepted to medical school this year and have tattoos on both forearms. I worry about keeping them concealed. I do not mind wearing a long sleeve shirt under my scrubs, however, at some point they will be revealed while scrubbing in. In hindsight, it would have been in my best interest to not get them 6 years ago but now I have to live with the consequences. Excuse my ignorance, are we allowed to wear long sleeve shirts all the time? I hope so! :laugh:
 
Bacchus said:
No one is going to stop you from wearing long sleeves and they're required during patient contact (shirt/tie/whitecoat). Something you might want to think about is your "summer" (for a lack of a better term) uniform you might have to wear in the Air Force where your arms might be exposed. Is this going to be a problem? I'm curious.
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Nope
 
bleargh said:
if it bugs you that much, wear a long sleeve t underneath the scrub
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Med schools might have specific rules about scrubs. Sometimes med students aren't allowed to wear long sleeve shirts under their scrubs. Short sleeve shirts only.
 
dr zaius said:
I wouldn't worry. I've seen many docs with tribal bands and such (mostly EM and trauma surgeons now that I think about it....), so don't stress too much.
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+1

younger dudes in the ED I've seen with arm Tats.
 
kdietri3 said:
I share the same concern. I was accepted to medical school this year and have tattoos on both forearms. I worry about keeping them concealed. I do not mind wearing a long sleeve shirt under my scrubs, however, at some point they will be revealed while scrubbing in. In hindsight, it would have been in my best interest to not get them 6 years ago but now I have to live with the consequences. Excuse my ignorance, are we allowed to wear long sleeve shirts all the time? I hope so! :laugh:
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Forearms?

forehead-slap.jpg
 
Bacchus said:
No one is going to stop you from wearing long sleeves and they're required during patient contact (shirt/tie/whitecoat). Something you might want to think about is your "summer" (for a lack of a better term) uniform you might have to wear in the Air Force where your arms might be exposed. Is this going to be a problem? I'm curious.
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People are NOT allowed to wear long sleeves in most ORs for infection control reasons.
 
I also have a full-color tattoo on one upper arm, but luckily it's covered by most t-shirts. It peeks out with some scrub tops, but stays hidden for the most part. Either way, I know two med students, one M3 and one M4, who have large tattoos and they haven't had any problems.
 
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lstone13 said:
Unless the tattoo bothers you or is of something inappropriate (which you said it wasn't), I wouldn't invest in tattoo removal. Like others have said, it's not totally uncommon to have tattoos anymore, even in the medical profession, and in recent years, it's become more acceptable in society to have them. Tatto removal is an expensive, painful, and extended process, and like I said, not worth it unless you have a very pressing reason behind it.
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I agree with this. Don't feel pressure to get your tattoo removed unless you actually want it off your body for some reason. Of course using your best judgment to cover tattoos up in certain situations is smart, but in a situation where you aren't allowed to wear a shirt under your scrubs that would normally cover up your tattoo, what other choice to you have but to be yourself?

I have tattoos on both of my upper arms, and when I'm going for interviews at research labs and starting a new position (or giving presentations), I keep them covered up. However, as time goes by (and in the Bay Area clothing is pretty casual) I wear short-sleeved shirts, and my fellow employees and supervisors actually appreciate the fact that it's unique.

I did work in a catholic hospital in their ER, and volunteers wore scrubs. Here I was required to always keep the tattoos covered up, but that didn't surprise me.

*Note: I'm still in my undergraduate years, but I have worked in hospitals and research labs throughout the Bay.

I do have a question, though: I mentioned that clothing is more casual in the Bay Area, but for those of you who live on the East Coast or other places that clothing is more conservative . . . what is the word on tattoos in your areas?
 
I don't really understand this taboo about tattoos. I have one tattoo on my forearm of a python wrapping around a hockey stick. It represents my parents' ancestry, my own ancestry, and mimics the rod of Asclepius. Employers love it when they see it and I tell them about it.
 
Mithril said:
I don't really understand this taboo about tattoos. I have one tattoo on my forearm of a python wrapping around a hockey stick. It represents my parents' ancestry, my own ancestry, and mimics the rod of Asclepius. Employers love it when they see it and I tell them about it.
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That is awesome, thanks for sharing that! It's sad that people feel the need to be ashamed about their tattoos, or consider not getting one because of what people will think.
 
songbird said:
I do have a question, though: I mentioned that clothing is more casual in the Bay Area, but for those of you who live on the East Coast or other places that clothing is more conservative . . . what is the word on tattoos in your areas?
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I'm from the east coast (DC/VA) and now live in Los Angeles, and I've not really found clothing in the areas I've lived to be more conservative than in CA (unless you're referring to all the old guys who still wear wool suits in 90-degree weather in DC). No one I've worked with has ever said anything negative about my (sometimes) visible tattoo(s).
 
i have a sleeve and i were long sleeves for my hospital job. haven't had any issues at all, but then again i am not scrubbing in for surgery. every once in a while my tattoo pokes out on my wrist and there hasn't been any problems with doctors, nurses, or patients. but again, i am not a doctor. i also live in an area that isn't very conservative.
 
i'm in a pretty non-conservative area of the Northeast, and there's no policy at my med school.

you do have to cover them up for hospital rotations though, it's in the hospital dress code (applies not just to us, but everyone working there)

and yeah, don't remove them for the sake of this career. only remove if you no longer want it on your body. accommodations can be made.
 
JonSwan said:
Does anybody have suggestions on how to conceal it? Would I need to cover it up in class or only during patient contact?
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i'm covering mine for interviews, but after that, i only plan on covering it when the dress code requires it. longer sleeves or concealer are good options. you could also get some vet wrap and wrap it around your arm a couple of times and say you had a run-in with a cat/tree/ninja/whatever suits the level of badassery you wish to imply.
 
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I have a co-resident who has a very visible sleeve that no one really seems to care to much about, patients or faculty. In fact, lots of the patients seem to like it (Though we are at a county hospital). Also, my girlfriend, who is a dentist, also has several very visible tattoos and has never had a problem with any of her patients or faculty.

It's 2010 people, it's not a big deal anymore. She even gets compliments on her tattoos from the old guard.
 
Just cover it when you are in a clinical setting, and you should be just fine.

Personally, I come from a very tattoo-heavy medical school class, and 20+ class mates have something visible, whether it is on the forearm, hand, calf, etc. Two even have full sets of sleeves. For what it's worth, I've never heard of anyone having trouble related to their tattoos, and I even know a number of attendings with extensive tattoos of their own. Granted, that may be related to living in Portland, but I can't imagine that most schools would care enough to dock you for an exposed tattoo in a large, casual learning setting like a lecture hall or anatomy lab.

If you are worried about regulations for scrubs, just ask your faculty advisor or someone at your student services office for insight. You don't even have to mention that you have tattoos - just ask if long sleeve shirts are allowed.
 
tr0gd0r said:
I'm from the east coast (DC/VA) and now live in Los Angeles, and I've not really found clothing in the areas I've lived to be more conservative than in CA (unless you're referring to all the old guys who still wear wool suits in 90-degree weather in DC). No one I've worked with has ever said anything negative about my (sometimes) visible tattoo(s).
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Very cool, thanks for the response!

Actually, everyone, thanks for those responses. These perspectives do give me more of a sense of calm about the tattoo issue. All my friends are musicians, they have no advice for me going into the medical field . . .
 
It is ok to have a tattoo. Just make sure it's covered up when you interact with patients. As far as having your tattoo show while you are in the operating room, don't worry about it. You will be gowned up. Even if you aren't, noone is going to make a big deal out of it unless it is an obscene tattoo. I had classmates with tattoos. Noone really cares. You will be fine. Just remember that in professional settings, meetings, etc. remember to be professional, and cover it up. In class, or casual settings, it shouldn't matter one bit.
 
two kids in our class just got tattoos on their arm over summer after their M1 year. of course if you want to get it off definitely save up for it but don't feel like just because you're in med school you have to get it off.
 
Patients and colleagues make assumptions about you based upon your appearance.

For physicians, do you guys think large visible tattoos are ok? How about lip piercings and tongue studs? Or multiple and extreme ear piercings?

Like it or not, most people don't react favorably to piercings and tattoos. I personally don't think they convey the image that most patients want for their docs. If you plan to restrict your practice to biker gangs, different story.
 
look at me go!! i searched before i created!! ...anyway, good to hear that the majority of people don't think that tattoos will be an issue. however, not that great hearing that some schools don't allow long sleeves under scrubs. that seems a bit absurd if you ask me..
 
Just laser it off.

Some people won't care, but quite a few are going to think it looks unprofessional and trashy.
 
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