What to wear during interview?

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AppleseedCast

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What should a male wear to a med school interview? How much should one plan on spending for this purpose? Any recommendations on where to go? Thanks all!
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Simple suit, tie, and shoes. You don't want to be overdressed with brand name clothes compared to your interviewers.
 
AppleseedCast said:
What should a male wear to a med school interview? How much should one plan on spending for this purpose? Any recommendations on where to go? Thanks all!
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You will want to look professional, so where a suit.

You can find great deals on suits at department stores.
 
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el.harpo said:
You don't want to be overdressed with brand name clothes compared to your interviewers.
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I wouldn't worry too much -- few interviewers can tell Armani from Today's Man anyhow. Assuming you're a guy, just wear a suit in a dark color (gray or blue), a white or blue shirt, black shoes, dark socks and a tie. You can probably get a low end outfit for a couple of hundred.
 
Go for the funeral look. I'm mostly kidding, but the very conservative dark suit with a tie is very popular on the interview circuit. Nobody's going to judge you on how you're dressed unless you stand out in a bad way.
 
Law2Doc's colors were right on.

A good suit will last longer than a bad one, and look better too. Cheap suits are usually a wool/polyester blend, and not only do they look cheap, but they wear out faster and are hot as hell. Go for 100% wool. Higher thread count (100+) is obviously better, but you'll be fine with anything that's 100% wool.

Rather than go to department stores, try places like Nordstrom Rack, Saks Off 5th, and Niemann Marcus Last Call. You'll get brand name suits at great prices... a $300-ish suit at any of these places will be better than a $300 suit at your department store of choice, guaranteed. Get measured by the salesman, because the shoulders absolutely must fit perfectly. If they don't, the coat is going to look awful on you. Base everything around your shoulder size; once you're measured, try on several suits of several brands to find the one that looks best for you. Then get the salesman's card, go to another store, and try on more suits. Repeat until you've exhausted all possibilities and go get the suit that fit best for the right money.
 
dont listen to them. go in with flip flops & shorts!
 
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DrHuang said:
dont listen to them. go in with flip flops, shorts and a wife beater!
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Yes. And extra points if the wife beater is mesh -- if you've got it, flaunt it.

And if you are female, be sure that thong peers out at the back of your shorts, and make sure that stethoscope shaped belly button ring charm is in plain sight.
 
Law2Doc said:
Yes. And if you are female, be sure that thong peers out at the back of your shorts, and make sure that stethoscope shaped belly button ring charm is in plain sight.
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:wow: *drooling*
 
diesel jeans, sleeveless shirt from underarmour and flip flops from American Eagle
and a workout glove from Valero
 
AppleseedCast said:
any advice as far as ties go? what about shoes?
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Kenneth Cole has nice man shoes. I am glad I dont have to worry about a tie, i wouldnt know where to begin
 
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ilovehedgehogs said:
is this grey too light? I think it would look good with a white shirt. I am getting mixed reviews. Absolutely perplexed.

http://www.jcrew.com/catalog/multiP...081501,prod78720501,prod78721501,prod78717501
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Well, I'm no expert on women's suits, but I think that should be fine. Women typically have more options for colors than men.

AppleseedCast said:
any advice as far as ties go? what about shoes?
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Doesn't really matter a whole lot for the tie provided it's a reasonably conservative color and pattern... you can match most ties with a plain white shirt. Stick to black or cordovan shoes.
 
AppleseedCast said:
What should a male wear to a med school interview? How much should one plan on spending for this purpose? Any recommendations on where to go? Thanks all!
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GO TO MEN'S WAREHOUSE AND BUY A NICE SUIT FOR $300
 
This is no time to be saving money. A good suit will make you look professional and get you in (granted your ap is decent). Seriously I recommend spending at least about 800 dollars on an entry level designers suit. They will tailor it to your specs and you WILL look good. I got mine at Emporio and I wore my brand name suit to some brand name schools and got into every school I interviewed at. There are places to save money and an interview suit is NOT one of them.
 
Pinkertinkle said:
This is no time to be saving money. A good suit will make you look professional and get you in (granted your ap is decent). Seriously I recommend spending at least about 800 dollars on an entry level designers suit. They will tailor it to your specs and you WILL look good. I got mine at Emporio and I wore my brand name suit to some brand name schools and got into every school I interviewed at. There are places to save money and an interview suit is NOT one of them.
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dude... NO WAY do you need to spend $800 on a suit. I got a Ralph Lauren suit for $300 at men's warehouse. OP just buy a suit you look good in. All the interviewers are docs and they know what it is like to be a poor student. They care about what you have to say and your social competence. RELAX.
 
Dr.TobiasFünke said:
dude... NO WAY do you need to spend $800 on a suit. I got a Ralph Lauren suit for $300 at men's warehouse. OP just buy a suit you look good in. All the interviewers are docs and they know what it is like to be a poor student. They care about what you have to say and your social competence. RELAX.
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I've been to Men's Wearhouse and they sell some shoddy stuff. Threads come lose, incompetent tailors, etc.
You dont HAVE to have a nice suit, but it sure as hell doesn't hurt. You can also wear it during your application to a competitive residency if you don't get fat in med school.

People spend ridiculous ammounts of money on the stupidiest things. Watch for 5000, hand bag for 2000. Spending 500 more on a nice suit vs Men's Craphouse for an interview that will determine your ENTIRE CAREER is not a bad way to spend money.
 
Pinkertinkle said:
I've been to Men's Wearhouse and they sell some shoddy stuff. Threads come lose, incompetent tailors, etc.
You dont HAVE to have a nice suit, but it sure as hell doesn't hurt. You can also wear it during your application to a competitive residency if you don't get fat in med school.

People spend ridiculous ammounts of money on the stupidiest things. Watch for 5000, hand bag for 2000. Spending 500 more on a nice suit vs Men's Craphouse for an interview that will determine your ENTIRE CAREER is not a bad way to spend money.
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to each his own... I spent that $500 I saved on partying my @ss off after i got in.
 
Dr.TobiasFünke said:
GO TO MEN'S WAREHOUSE AND BUY A NICE SUIT FOR $300
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Or not, because as I posted in the other thread, you can often find a much better suit for about the same price at places like Nordstom Rack, Saks Off Fifth, or Neimann Marcus Last Call. That's not to say Men's Warehouse is a bad place; if you can find a suit there that is 100% wool, fits you well, and is cheap, then by all means go for it! But really, most cheap suits fit people like a box.

$600 got me a season-old Corneliani at NM Last Call. That's over 50% off the retail price, and believe me, it's worth the extra cash for the massive difference in quality.

[edit: And you can still find great suits for less than that too. I was strongly debating a Hugo Boss that was a bit under $400.]
 
my advice,

Don't wear a red tie because that is considered a "power tie." The next option is the obvious blue tie. However everyone and their cat will be wearing a blue tie because they are avoiding the red tie and want a "kind" color.

So my advice is pick an abnormal color. I don't mean neon green but just something that works, which could be about anything. Sometimes you can match it with your suit if it has some sort of stripes or something. Even yellow ties within reason would probably be good
 
dumbdumber.jpg
 
acrobat said:
my advice,

Don't wear a red tie because that is considered a "power tie." The next option is the obvious blue tie. However everyone and their cat will be wearing a blue tie because they are avoiding the red tie and want a "kind" color.

So my advice is pick an abnormal color. I don't mean neon green but just something that works, which could be about anything. Sometimes you can match it with your suit if it has some sort of stripes or something. Even yellow ties within reason would probably be good
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Yeah, i think the tie and shirt are essentials with the color of the jacket. I seriously hate the plain jane white shirt and plain color tie.


My advice for the guys, get a charcoal-colored suit...preferably without pinstripes, but if you think you can pull it off, go for it.

I dig a white background shirt with vertical stripes....not too many weird colors, but something that will complement the color of your suit and your tie. Think about these things people...and spend a pretty penny on the whole get-up...I wound up spending about $350
 
Well I prefer blashish traditional suit. Just avoid the red and blue plain ties or u will look exactly alike the other 50 clones in the room with u. White shirt with a traditional yet not blue or red tie is good. Alternatively, a blue shirt with a tie that works with it would be good.

I prefer not to draw attention to myself with large pin stripes (light and faint are ok.), charcoal suits, white suits, suspenders etc. That's just me personally though.

BaylorGuy said:
Yeah, i think the tie and shirt are essentials with the color of the jacket. I seriously hate the plain jane white shirt and plain color tie.


My advice for the guys, get a charcoal-colored suit...preferably without pinstripes, but if you think you can pull it off, go for it.

I dig a white background shirt with vertical stripes....not too many weird colors, but something that will complement the color of your suit and your tie. Think about these things people...and spend a pretty penny on the whole get-up...I wound up spending about $350
Click to expand...
 
Law2Doc said:
I wouldn't worry too much -- few interviewers can tell Armani from Today's Man anyhow. Assuming you're a guy, just wear a suit in a dark color (gray or blue), a white or blue shirt, black shoes, dark socks and a tie. You can probably get a low end outfit for a couple of hundred.
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NOTE: Do not wear black shoes with a navy suit. Wear cordovan shoes (and match your belt with your shoes) with a navy suit.
 
ilovehedgehogs said:
is this grey too light? I think it would look good with a white shirt. I am getting mixed reviews. Absolutely perplexed.

http://www.jcrew.com/catalog/multiP...081501,prod78720501,prod78721501,prod78717501
Click to expand...


I love the grey! The cut of the jacket is great as well. I think it's possible to still look like yourself and professional at the same time.

Personally, I'd go with a white top, like the model photo, or a light pastel color (blue or green) and matching heels. That way, you can still have fun with the suit, but not look too over the top.

Example, but with the matching jacket:

http://www2.victoriassecret.com/images/prodlgvw/V257696_CROP1.jpg
 
This may make me sound rather incompetant, but what are cordovan shoes? Is cordovan a material ? a color? thanks!
 
btw, i am from rochester, NY. Does anyone have any store recommendations?
 
AppleseedCast said:
btw, i am from rochester, NY. Does anyone have any store recommendations?
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There's this place that has like 1000 different beers. (I forget what it's called, only went once when visiting my Bro. It's next to Scotch and Sirloin.) But you should go there...

Don't know about interview attire.
 
ilovehedgehogs said:
is this grey too light? I think it would look good with a white shirt. I am getting mixed reviews. Absolutely perplexed.

http://www.jcrew.com/catalog/multiP...081501,prod78720501,prod78721501,prod78717501
Click to expand...

No. You need to wear what looks good on you. Not everyone looks good in black, blue, brown etc. Wear what makes you comfortable.

When I was on the interview circuit, I received numerous compliments and a number of interviewers thanked me for not wearing the same boring colors. Be who you are. In case you were curious, I had two suits- maroon for one and the second was black with white and hot pink dots with a hot pink shirts and black skirt.
 
BaylorGuy said:
I seriously hate the plain jane white shirt and plain color tie.
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Agree -- plain is too boring/dronish. Some red based pattern tie is the norm for interviews. I would go with a geometric pattern rather than plain -- but polka dots, plaids or small images (sailboats, horses, golfclubs, etc) are really not a good idea. The striped rep tie probably looks too collegy, but there are worse choices. Probably stay away from a dark tie (black, navy) with a dark suit -- it looks too much like you are going to a black tie optional function. Shiny pastels (a la Trump) are making a comeback, but I'm not a fan.
 
Is a black suit a no-no? I love black suits...
 
For the girls, I got a really nice 3 piece suit (shirt, jacket, and pants) suit last year from Kasper. I picked it up at Macy's for $99 at one of those sales they have all the time. But get there on the first day otherwise all the sizes will be gone. I did wind up getting the pants lengthened, but I took them to my own tailor to do that.
 
girls, what color shirt you wearing underneath? i'd just like to see what everyone else was thinking
 
spospo said:
girls, what color shirt you wearing underneath? i'd just like to see what everyone else was thinking
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I am wearing a black suit with really faint pinstripes with a light blue satiny shirt underneath.
 
For men, black is fine for a medical school interview, but it is overly formal for most other uses. Navy and charcoal change depending on the shirt you wear. That's the biggest reason I recommend against black; if you're going to drop $300 or more on a suit, you might as well get some mileage out of the thing.
 
AppleseedCast said:
This may make me sound rather incompetant, but what are cordovan shoes? Is cordovan a material ? a color? thanks!
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Cordovan most often refers to a color. It's kind of like a brownish-burgundy.

Cordovan is actually a type of leather (which is that browninsh-burgundy color) but few shoes, etc are made of true cordovan leather anymore.
 
spospo said:
girls, what color shirt you wearing underneath? i'd just like to see what everyone else was thinking
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My suit is grayish/whiteish/blackish and I'm wearing a black sleeveless turtleneck underneath. I figure if I don't take off my jacket, nobody will care that it's sloeeveless.
 
For early interviews (i.e. September/October), I'll be wearing a medium-light gray suit, as they will be in warmer locales. I don't think there will be too much wrong with that, I venture to say it's more appropriate than a very dark (dark blue, gray, or black) suit.
 
DougFlutie said:
For early interviews (i.e. September/October), I'll be wearing a medium-light gray suit, as they will be in warmer locales. I don't think there will be too much wrong with that, I venture to say it's more appropriate than a very dark (dark blue, gray, or black) suit.
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It's certainly not more appropriate, no. Can you pull it off? Probably. Personally, I wouldn't do it for a normal job interview, let alone a medical school interview, but it's not like anyone will be calling for your head if it's a good suit otherwise. If it's a ****ty suit, they'll just think you're clueless.
 
_ian said:
It's certainly not more appropriate, no. Can you pull it off? Probably. Personally, I wouldn't do it for a normal job interview, let alone a medical school interview, but it's not like anyone will be calling for your head if it's a good suit otherwise. If it's a ****ty suit, they'll just think you're clueless.
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I was under the impression that warm, sunny locales (I'm thinking southwest, etc.) during warm times of the year, darker suits are less common, even in business situtations. Guess not.
 
AppleseedCast said:
This may make me sound rather incompetant, but what are cordovan shoes? Is cordovan a material ? a color? thanks!
Click to expand...

cordovan is also known as oxblood or burgundy, so it's a color. and to the poster who said you must wear these with a navy suit, you are correct in that they do look better and are more traditional, but black is 100% acceptable with blue suits. the oxblood tends to have a more conservative and more academic look, so it's probably better for the interview, but blue shoes with a black suit are common in all industries now, and no one will think it's incorrect.

that doesn't change the fact that the oxblood looks way cooler ;)
 
For the women: Has anyone seen the new "Perfect Travel Suit" at The Limited? It's more conservative than the line of suits they've been selling for a while, but I'm not sure if it's conservative enough. (They also claim it doesn't wrinkle when packed in a suitcase and is machine washable) I can't find a picture online, but if anyone else has walked by it in a store window lately, what do you think?
 
I got myself a navy skirt suit with very light pin stripe pattern from club monaco bc my friend works there and got it for me with her discount. i went to an interview presentation from my premed advisor and he was saying that women should wear very low heeled pumps and like high necked shirts and hair back. so i guess im going to follow his advice but im not sure if thats right or not... :confused:
whatevs
 
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