Vet School Dress Code

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katryn

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It's been pointed out to me by some of my friends that my wardrobe is pretty lacking in anything that might be considered appropriate to wear to class at a vet school. (My sense of "dressy" is jeans and t-shirts that don't have holes in them...:smack:) Seeing as how they're all in vet school....none of them has time to be dragged out on shopping expeditions. So, what I'm wondering is what is the expected dress code at most vet schools (ie. jeans and t-shirts, super dressy slackes and nice shirts, jeans and nice shirts, etc)? I really don't want to overhaul my entire wardrobe just to find out that I went too far or in the wrong direction with my lack of fashion sense. Any input would be lovely, but I'm aiming particularly at trying to get into Tennessee and North Carolina so advice from those quarters would be great. We're talking mid-20's women's fashion, oh by the way.

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From what I've read on other threads it really depends on the school.
When I interviewed at Penn of course all the interviewees were in suits. We passed some vet students in the hall and they were in sweatpants and laughed and said "Don't you know this is the dress code here?" So at Penn it seemed very relaxed.
 
LOVE your avatar!

I don't know about TN, but Mississippi has some pretty strict dress codes; Men - Slacks, Oxford, Tie, Shoes
Women - Well, the business equivalent I assume

From what I understand, its self enforced (if I have to wear a tie, so help me god, you are all wearing ties).

I worked and Wall Street for a stint, so I have no problem wearing a tie and shirt - The only thing i am going to miss are my jeans. (I also always liked the 'jeans w/ Oxford (no tie) look') when I worked in NY. Guess thats out the door as well.

Some vet schools don't care what you wear, and others say they care, but after 3-4 months they stop paying attention all together. I'm getting the feeling that MS might be an exception - as I still see 3rd years running around with ties.
 
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If starting from scratch, I would definitely get a pair of nice jeans, khakis, and black pants, and then some nice looking tops, like polo or just a normal looking shirts that are not t-shirts. You probably want to have a pair of brown and black shoes. Buy neutrals so you can mix and match a lot and get the most use of what you buy (i.e. that yellow skirt may be eye-catching, but you can't wear that more than once a week! 😉 You don't have to spend big $; just go to Wal-Mart or even a Goodwill store and look for nice looking, versatile clothes. You don't have to dress like you're working on Wall Street, and I've been told that some students at Missouri wear jeans (after the newness of being a vet student wears off). Look at it this way, if you buy a few nice looking pieces of clothing now, you will have a good start and can continue adding in nicer pieces throughout school so that by the time you reach clinics and eventually practice you will have a decent wardrobe.
 
As far as having a nice wardrobe for clinicals and practice, don't most vets wear scrubs anyway? I don't think I've ever seen a vet in non-scrubs. Don't students in clinicals wear scrubs as well?
 
As far as having a nice wardrobe for clinicals and practice, don't most vets wear scrubs anyway? I don't think I've ever seen a vet in non-scrubs. Don't students in clinicals wear scrubs as well?

When doing anything with clients - the rule is (at Miss) and at most hospitals (i've worked at), Dress shirt (sometimes tie).

I am sure farm/Large animal is different, but Small animal/clinical - its tie and oxford (again, my experience)
 
Hmm, perhaps my experience has been because I've mostly been in the shelter where at least half the day is spent in surgery.
 
I remember watching the students on the Penn Lab Animal rotation wear nice dress clothes and sweat profusely under the gowns, mask, gloves, etc in the animal facilities. I wish everyone wore scrubs! Small animals still shed allover dress pants. I just don't get it. I would understand if it were some polo shirt type uniform for vet students on rotations to be easily distinguishable but the dress clothes ahhhhhhhhH.
 
Ugh really?! dress code?! I hadn't even thought of that before. After spending 5 years in a lab my wardrobe consists of sweatshirts, jeans, tank tops and flip flops (yeah I'm a rebel lab student) and converse.

which other schools are non-dress code oriented? that might help me narrow down my list of schools to apply to. I'm waay too lazy and comfy as I am:laugh:
 
One of our vets (old school) only wears scrubs. The other (graduated 4-5 years ago) dresses in 'business casual.' I can't imagine what her dry cleaning bill is...or how she manages to get all the red clay off of her clothes.

NCSU does actually have a dress code for clinicals. It didn't seem that strict though.
 
I know some schools have them for classes. For the first three years, though, I wore jeans pretty much exclusively. For fourth year, it depends on the rotation and the day. Appointments in the small animal hospital mean dress clothes and a lab coat, on procedures days its scrubs, and for large animal rotations, it's khakis and polos or coveralls for field service.
 
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WSU doesn't have a dress code for classes. It's very relaxed.

If you're in the teaching hospital they expect you to look professional - that means clean scrubs or nicely dressed with a white coat. (I have no idea if that holds true for the LA section of the hospital since I generally avoid it).
 
I have a friend that is in vet school and recently came home and we were talking about this. For the interviews everyone was dressed really nice but he said now most of his classmates will wear pj bottoms and stuff. I expect that in undergrad (although I can't stand it) but not in vet school. We have had a few 3rd and 4th year students at the clinic from Auburn and they have worn scrubs or a collar whirt and nice pants (ie khakis or something along those lines).
 
Jeans and hoodies all the way here (you may not think we'd need hoodies in the Caribbean, but they crank that AC like nobody's business!). I do seem to have grown out of wearing my pj's to class, like I did in high school and college, but I think that's more me not wanting to look like a bum than something that would be frowned upon. 🙄
 
Thanks for the input. If anyone's curious I talked to a friend of mine at Tennessee and she said from day one it's dress slacks and nice shirts. You can get away with very nice jeans and nice shirts but it's frowned upon. The only time you wear anything else is in gross labs and if you are working as the technical assistant during clinicals you are allowed to wear scrubs.
 
Thanks for the input. If anyone's curious I talked to a friend of mine at Tennessee and she said from day one it's dress slacks and nice shirts. You can get away with very nice jeans and nice shirts but it's frowned upon. The only time you wear anything else is in gross labs and if you are working as the technical assistant during clinicals you are allowed to wear scrubs.


I know I've said this on previous threads. But Tennessee is not the bad. They encourage nice slacks and shirts but that really only lasts the 1st week of each semester (if that long). Then everyone wears jeans (and not necesarily nice ones) and hoodies, flip flops, t-shirts, etc. You have to wear nice things in clinics and scrubs are only ok in some rotations. Hope that clears things up a little.
 
The only school I've heard of strictly enforcing a dress code all the way through school, start to finish, is Mississippi. I don't think anywhere else is that strict.
 
The only school I've heard of strictly enforcing a dress code all the way through school, start to finish, is Mississippi. I don't think anywhere else is that strict.

At first I was "Erghh, I don't care, I can get used to a more formal lifestyle again..." - Then I was "Why the hell does it matter what we wear - our value as doctors have nothing to do with our outward appearance, this is BS!".

THEN:

Talking to my g/f dad, he is under the impression that veterinarians still wear nothing but overalls and hats (perhaps protruding straw from their mouths). I am assuming this has to do with his rural upbringing, I don't know - but perhaps there is a need in the South (or just Miss) to push for more professional dress to counter preconceived stereotypes?
 
there was an article some time ago about professional image and some economist saything that the lack of image has an impact on how much clients are willing to spend at a clinic.

he worked with a variety of clinics to change the staff into 'nicer' clothes. slacks and polo shirts for techs, save for the receptionists or nicer office clothing if they didn't work with the animals directly, vets in nice clothing with white coats. he found that the apparel affected the image of the clinic and resulted in higher sales per visit and seemed to attract people who could/would spend more. I think he also suggested that if all clinics/vets did this, it would increase the money the entire profession could bring in.

I don't remember the author, but it would have been in a vet magazine.
 
At first I was "Erghh, I don't care, I can get used to a more formal lifestyle again..." - Then I was "Why the hell does it matter what we wear - our value as doctors have nothing to do with our outward appearance, this is BS!".

Meanwhile back in the real world ... outward appearances matter. A lot. Until animals walk into a veterinary clinic with their own credit card, what the client thinks about you is important.

For vet. students as well as new veterinarians, clients don't know if you're a good doctor or not. But they know the high school student at the Dairy Queen doesn't know jack about veterinary medicine, and if you dress like that they assume you don't either.

80% of small animal clients are middle aged women. And they have a pre-conceived, mostly subconscious opinion about what doctor looks like, including how they dress. There's actually a fair amount of scientific literature on this. For example, client compliance is highest if you have a white coat. Lower if it's a blue coat. And even lower if it's scrubs. Good compliance means better patient care. And more income.

When you're an established practitioner and all your clients know and love you, it probably doesn't make much difference how you dress. But when you're young and inexperienced -- and look it -- and they don't know you, you need all the help you can get.

This extends to staff as well. When you're the new doctor (new intern, new student) the vet techs and staff are going to be judging you from the moment they first see you. Get off on the wrong foot and your life can be hell.
 
This argument doesn't seem to apply for LA medicine - I think some clients would laugh at you if you showed up wearing a white coat to palpate a horse (for several fairly obvious reasons). So, if you want to wear jeans, boots, and have permission to dip at work without anyone batting an eye, just become a LA vet that does farm calls. 😉

Not that no LA vets dress nice, at least on occasion - but they probably need a good reason. 🙂
 
This extends to staff as well. When you're the new doctor (new intern, new student) the vet techs and staff are going to be judging you from the moment they first see you. Get off on the wrong foot and your life can be hell.

As much as I don't like it, I have to agree. I look younger than I am, and I have to dress more professionally to compensate for it. Several vets refer special cases to me, and I do have to deal with the client's perceptions of 'she is too young to know what she is doing' and the quickest way is to look like a business professional rather than the typical trainer (jeans, polo shirt.)
 
This argument doesn't seem to apply for LA medicine - I think some clients would laugh at you if you showed up wearing a white coat to palpate a horse (for several fairly obvious reasons). So, if you want to wear jeans, boots, and have permission to dip at work without anyone batting an eye, just become a LA vet that does farm calls. 😉

Not that no LA vets dress nice, at least on occasion - but they probably need a good reason. 🙂

well, there's always the gucci coveralls...
 
This argument doesn't seem to apply for LA medicine - I think some clients would laugh at you if you showed up wearing a white coat to palpate a horse (for several fairly obvious reasons). So, if you want to wear jeans, boots, and have permission to dip at work without anyone batting an eye, just become a LA vet that does farm calls. 😉

Not that no LA vets dress nice, at least on occasion - but they probably need a good reason. 🙂
True that they probably don't wear a white coat in the field🙂, BUT, the equine/LA vets I'm familiar still look presentable. Obviously there are times for coveralls, but otherwise they look put together (collared shirt and clean pants).
 
Of the schools that I am familiar with, Auburn actually has the strictest dress code. In reverence to one of the grandest traditions of the old south, they are very serious about outward appearances (this is my home state, so I can poke a little fun at it 😀). In fact, they specifically bring it up in your interview. They basically make you acknowledge the dress code, and inform you that they are serious about enforcing it. BTW, it is basically collared shirt and tie for men and similar level of dress for women.
 
True that they probably don't wear a white coat in the field🙂, BUT, the equine/LA vets I'm familiar still look presentable. Obviously there are times for coveralls, but otherwise they look put together (collared shirt and clean pants).

Agreed--I think there is a difference between LA and Equine, and also depending on the region. The vets I shadow in Southern Pines are strict on the polo shirt/long khakis for themselves and their volunteers. Southern Pines is a pretty affluent, horsey area. All of these vets' clients are in similar attire (but with breeches or nice jeans). On the other hand, the LA vet I shadowed up in rural VA was pretty low key. He usually wore shirts with holes in them, Carhardt shorts or worn jeans etc, haha. Again, his dress was similar to his clients' 😉 with a few exceptions! They definitely would've looked at him strangely had he shown up in a clean, pressed polo shirt, haha.
 
I know I've said this on previous threads. But Tennessee is not the bad. They encourage nice slacks and shirts but that really only lasts the 1st week of each semester (if that long). Then everyone wears jeans (and not necesarily nice ones) and hoodies, flip flops, t-shirts, etc. You have to wear nice things in clinics and scrubs are only ok in some rotations. Hope that clears things up a little.

Interesting....I'm getting conflicting info now. Friends of mine from 2nd, 3rd, and 4th year all confirmed the "professors hate jeans, and hoodies are a definite no" information. Too bad UT refuses to put that kind of information up on their website. -.-
 
Wow, I still can't believe that some schools have a dress code for lecture classes. That just seems so unnecessary to me.
 
Oregon State doesn't have a dress code, which doesn't surprise me seeing as how we are a pretty relaxed state overall. I do cringe when I see the Birkenstock sandals with the thick wool socks though, that's taking it a little too far for me.

As far as appearances for LA vets go: the equine vets that I ride along with wear clogs/paddock boots, jeans, and a clean T-shirt (at least at the beginning of the day). Their clients range from backyard retirees to high-end sporthorses. One thing that the practice owner discussed was the vehicles they drive. They currently all have silver trucks or SUVs that are no more than 5 years old that have a big magnet on them with the name and logo of the practice. The trucks get traded in every few years. Her argument is that for them, the truck is usually the first thing the client sees and you don't want to be rattling down the drive in some old pick-up. That was something I had never really thought about before, but it makes sense.
 
Wow, I still can't believe that some schools have a dress code for lecture classes. That just seems so unnecessary to me.

Having seen so many people think that pajamas are acceptable lecture attire, I can understand it. Not saying I think ties are necessary...but I do know that my husband comes from NY business where ties are expected (and he has worked in that area for 20 years) and now works for a CA company that doesn't do ties....and it drives him nuts.
 
Interesting....I'm getting conflicting info now. Friends of mine from 2nd, 3rd, and 4th year all confirmed the "professors hate jeans, and hoodies are a definite no" information. Too bad UT refuses to put that kind of information up on their website. -.-


I agree that this isn't true. The majority of my class wears jeans every day. I would say at least half are in tee shirts. On tough weeks most people wear sweat pants and hoodies. One of the clubs even sells vet school hoodies that lots of people wear every day when it's cold. I was concerned when I first started that we'd have to wear business casual, so for about the first week most of us wore nicer clothes, but like the other person said, that lasted about a week. I haven't ever caught wind of professors/deans having a problem with the casual dress (though they did mention at the beginning that they prefer business casual). The only time we're required to wear nice clothing as far as I know is in the fourth year when we're actually seeing clients.
 
I think driving a newer looking car as an equine vet and trying to dress the part are great ideas and something schools should talk about to students before graduation. Appearances do matter. I also think that there should be a dress code during clinics when students are dealing with clients/representing their school. However, if students want to just wear jeans and hoodies during lectures when no one except other students and a professor will be seeing them, I couldn't care less. I think clinics provide ample time to transitioning into professional garb and think that vet students are for the most part college grads and no longer teens. They're going to be making life or death decisions. They should be allowed to wear whatever they want to class. If they want to wear a tie, no one's going to stop them.
 
However, if students want to just wear jeans and hoodies during lectures when no one except other students and a professor will be seeing them, I couldn't care less. I think clinics provide ample time to transitioning into professional garb and think that vet students are for the most part college grads and no longer teens.

I am going to play devil's advocate (since I actually don't have a stake in this one way or the other...just tired of scraping wallpaper off the walls of the Raleigh house) but....aren't the instructors at vet school typically DVM's and thus our future professional associates? If the idea is that we should look professional to clients, doesn't it also make sense that we should look professional to other veterinarians? Also, aren't our fellow students our future professional cohorts?

Like I said, don't really have a stake in it....just find it interesting.
 
As Sumstorm said.

The other issue is, not all college grad's actually know or understand the importance of professional dress. Since coming to the South, i've noticed overalls at dance clubs, jeans and hats at funerals and wakes, and flip-flops and shorts when students are presenting (at seminars).

I wouldn't dream going to a wake with anything short of a sports coat (I don't care what the weather is like), not to mention, god forbid you put on a pair of shoes to go out for the night.

Most of the people responding on this forums understand the importance of proper dress when dealing with clients, but there are MANY others who do not, and actually have to be 'broken in' to the idea.

No joke, when at my PRE-INTERVIEW orientation, when they mentioned the dress code, 2 people let out a vocal moan, and one person raised their hand to almost argue the point. Again, PRE-INTERVIEW.

There are people who need this concept hammered in... so from that perspective, I can understand.
 
I am going to play devil's advocate (since I actually don't have a stake in this one way or the other...just tired of scraping wallpaper off the walls of the Raleigh house) but....aren't the instructors at vet school typically DVM's and thus our future professional associates? If the idea is that we should look professional to clients, doesn't it also make sense that we should look professional to other veterinarians? Also, aren't our fellow students our future professional cohorts?

Like I said, don't really have a stake in it....just find it interesting.

haha. I don't have the slightest stake in this at all either, but our lab manager is mysteriously MIA. I doubt Penn is going to spontaneously enforce a militant dress code this fall, but...

Anyway, I think if students share your views about making impressions on their colleagues, then they're free to dress extra nicely. They're also free not to go drinking with their classmates or engage in other toeing-the-line maybe not professional behavior. They're free not to friend classmates on fb where they may have inappropriate pictures taken and they're free not to talk about their private life at school.

But if they wake up feeling like crap and decide to throw on that college sweatshirt and delicious sneakers, then the hallway monitors/fashion police shouldn't have a cow. I'm just saying that because the students aren't directly interacting with clients in their first two years, they should be able to use their own discretion. I mean, most undergrads don't have dress codes, why start with vet students? Did their maturity suddenly take a leap off the bridge? The administration shouldn't treat them like children because they will be future colleagues. Plus, I just hate ironing.
 
I am going to play devil's advocate (since I actually don't have a stake in this one way or the other...just tired of scraping wallpaper off the walls of the Raleigh house) but....aren't the instructors at vet school typically DVM's and thus our future professional associates? If the idea is that we should look professional to clients, doesn't it also make sense that we should look professional to other veterinarians? Also, aren't our fellow students our future professional cohorts?

Like I said, don't really have a stake in it....just find it interesting.


Also true, but when professors are often wearing jeans to class as well, you kinda get the point that they don't care either. Just something I've noticed.
 
As Sumstorm said.

The other issue is, not all college grad's actually know or understand the importance of professional dress. Since coming to the South, i've noticed overalls at dance clubs, jeans and hats at funerals and wakes, and flip-flops and shorts when students are presenting (at seminars).

I wouldn't dream going to a wake with anything short of a sports coat (I don't care what the weather is like), not to mention, god forbid you put on a pair of shoes to go out for the night.

Most of the people responding on this forums understand the importance of proper dress when dealing with clients, but there are MANY others who do not, and actually have to be 'broken in' to the idea.

No joke, when at my PRE-INTERVIEW orientation, when they mentioned the dress code, 2 people let out a vocal moan, and one person raised their hand to almost argue the point. Again, PRE-INTERVIEW.

There are people who need this concept hammered in... so from that perspective, I can understand.

I remember at my undergrad, we had a lecture series "Dressing for Success" or something equally corny. I had no idea the situation was so bad it the south! But now that you mention it, I was definitely surprised at my interviews. I thought there would be more suits there. And I remember an atrocious red sweater with an animally pin. *shudder* not what you want to be remembered for. But don't you guys think 3rd and 4th year clinics are enough time to acclimate?

I mean, no one is going to be around to force them to dress appropriately after they graduate either
 
I mean, no one is going to be around to force them to dress appropriately after they graduate either

Yes they will, unless you open your own practice right out of school. If you're an associate in private practice, in an internship or residency, the military or government, the person signing your pay check will very likely be telling you how to do a lot of things, including how to dress.

Might as well start getting used to it.
 
Yes they will, unless you open your own practice right out of school. If you're an associate in private practice, in an internship or residency, the military or government, the person signing your pay check will very likely be telling you how to do a lot of things, including how to dress.

Might as well start getting used to it.

Alright, this is true. And most (if not all) schools have dress codes for clinics. Is it really necessary to start getting used to it during lectures your first year?
 
And its not just local clinics.

Come 4th year, most students do externships (or whatever they are specifically called). At this point, these brand spanking new "almost" vets will enter the workforce, and they will be representing their school to future potential employers.

It takes time to be comfortable in professional dress. You take someone who has never wore slacks and a tie, and you might be surprised how awkward they are, at least initially.

And also, I didn't mean to say it worse in the South... It probably isn't, its just that there is more (IMO) resistance to the idea.
 
Hey There,

Just my $0.02. At OSU, we don't have a dress code our first two years, but once we enter clinics then yes there is a dress code. However it depends on your rotation. Like you wouldn't wear dress clothes when you are on the necropsy rotation. That just doesn't make sense, so you wear scrubs. Most first and second years wear pretty relaxed clothing, though I don't see too many people wearing pajama pants. Although blankets have been known to show up when our lecture hall is too cold.

However, I think this is a good argument regarding what practitioners wear in practice. I think a lot of it depends on who you are. I know there are plenty of studies out there, I hear about them too, that we should dress more professionally.

But honestly, I think what matters more is how you approach the clients. Some veterinarians that I've seen who are more shy, can't wear scrubs because they are often mistaken for techs! But I worked for another vet, who would wear scrubs, her surgery gear, etc... into an exam room and you had NO question that she was the doctor. She just commanded the room and you knew she was in charge.

I personally think that there are no hard and fast rules for this and we can debate it till the end of time, but in the end it just depends on who you are and what works best for you.

However, I am still really glad there is no dress code yet at OSU!!!
 
And its not just local clinics.

Come 4th year, most students do externships (or whatever they are specifically called). At this point, these brand spanking new "almost" vets will enter the workforce, and they will be representing their school to future potential employers.

It takes time to be comfortable in professional dress. You take someone who has never wore slacks and a tie, and you might be surprised how awkward they are, at least initially.

And also, I didn't mean to say it worse in the South... It probably isn't, its just that there is more (IMO) resistance to the idea.

LOL. this pins me to a T. Hubby struggles to get me to wear sweaters and khakis to church(where most people wear suits and dresses). Hrm...I'll probably err on the side of overdressed just for the sake of getting comfortable in it. I'd like to get to clinicals not tugging on the bottoms of my shirts. bNice to know that the "I rolled out of bed feeling like crap" clothes are atleast allowed though.
 
It takes time to be comfortable in professional dress. You take someone who has never wore slacks and a tie, and you might be surprised how awkward they are, at least initially.

That is certainly true! Hubby is so comfortable in a tie, sports coat, suit, and tux because he wears them regularly. He also ALWAYS wears a hat outside and removes it inside. I have never experienced that habit outside of a few religious communities. Apparently, it comes from his military days, and serves him well since he is bald.

When we married, he upgraded my wardrobe. I had a few business appropriate outfits and a few formal outfits before that, but it wasn't enough to deal with the level of business/social functions I needed to attend with him. Prior to that, my wardrobe was that of a biologist and zoologist; khakis, boots, button down work shirts, etc. All appropriate for the field, but not for many other funcitons (even at the zoo, I had to change for business meetings and some events).... kind of like a chef searing thier working attire elsewhere. I guess I kind of feel the same way about scrubs.
 
However, I am still really glad there is no dress code yet at OSU!!!


Something for which I am deeply, and truly thankful for. 😍 Another reason why OSU is the best school ever! (Nevermind my biased opinion)

I've worn flannel PJ bottoms to my 8am class before and you just can't beat the comfort level. Then again I'm also from southern California and being a beach community, a lot of people would show up in board shorts so they could hit the beach after class. Not that we don't dress up when we absolutely need to.
 
No dress code at Tufts until clinics 🙂
 
Since coming to the South, i've noticed overalls at dance clubs, jeans and hats at funerals and wakes, and flip-flops and shorts when students are presenting (at seminars).

And I, OTOH, find the South to be much more formally attired than "up nawth." In NY, people wear jeans out. Down here, many (well-raised) men rarely wear jeans--and jeans are actually off limits at nice restaurants, etc. Instead, men are expected to wear khaki pants. No one wears khakis up north--I noticed my BF make the transition from only khakis to only (designer) jeans when he moved up to NY. Anyway, enough of a tangent! 😉
 
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