WHAT TO WEAR????

[einey]

Hi,

What is considered professional dress for an interview, for a female. I'm interviewing on Feb 22. I'm so excited, this is my first interview. Thank you in advance.

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[tBw]

I could go into detail but...I assume you have seen such TV programs as ally mcbeal, the west wing, law and order, etc...well...that's basically the look! ie professional - safety is black, blue or grey, skirt or slacks suit, cream or white shirt...but there are lots of variations on the theme...oh and I guess ally mcbeals skirts are possibly on the too short side..

 

[tBw]

ps good luck!

 

[Doc Blondie]

i have spoken to many people and most say women should wear skirts. There are still men out there that believe that that is the only way a women looks professional and you don't know if the one person you interview with is one of the people who believes it. Good luck

 

[guppies]

I wondered if there are femail SDNers already get accepted/rejected could give us an opnion of what the wore at their interviews.
And if the pant/suit really effect the outcome of the interview.
Thanks for all the help.

 

[milleniumhc]

Hi there....I am a current medical student and I would never ever ever ever ever wear something just because you think that it is what they "want you to wear". I have heard several stories of people wearing things that were not the "usual" attire and they got accepted too. They wore something that represented them as an individual and that really stood out. (in a good way) I do not agree with the "wear a skirt" idea. If some old man with age old ideas of "where a women belongs" doesn't accept me because I have on pants, he wasn't going to accept me anyhow. I did wear pants to my interview...as a matter of fact. One of the docs that interviewed me was very old school, but it didn't seem to bother him. I got in. I wore a pin striped grey suit. I had actually bought two suits, one a skirt and one pants and it was my father that told me to wear the pants and my mom said the skirt...so there you go. I did what I wanted in the end, anyhow.

mhc

 

[Smileyfree]

Hey Gals,
Just wanted to put my 2 cents in. I will be attending NYCOM in August, and have been on several interviews. I do believe that interview attire should be thought out carefully. First impressions are extremely important. I agree with everyone here. The ideas behind wearing a skirt are very true. There are definately some old school interviewers that might prefer it. Not that I'm into pleasing anyone but myself, but lets face it, in our position we could use all the help we can get. I agree that you shouldn't were anything that will make you extremely uncomfortable, but what woman hasn't worn a skirt. It's not that bad. I personally bought a 3 piece suit (jacket, pants, and skirt) and ultimately chose to wear the skirt. I spoke with lots of people and had my boyfriend (who interviewed at all the top allopathic schools) scope out all the girls and their attire. Most wore skirts. There were some girls who wore pants of course and I don't think that you can really go wrong either way, but why risk it.
I wore a charcoal skirt suit and a white shirt with black heels and a black purse. All the women that my boyfriend and I saw wore dark colored suits... black, dark grey, dark blue, etc.
I hope this helps. GOOD LUCK!!!!!!!!!

 

[luckyduck]

I wore a skirt suit to my interviews. It is actually a black shift/sheath type dress and a red fitted jacket with black buttons. I get so tired of all black. [At my first interview (at OU-COM) the interview group looked like a funeral procession!] The red made me feel very individualistic and courageous as well as proud of who I am and what I have accomplished. My interviewer at the University of Cincinnati even complimented me at the end of my interview on how great the suit looked and said she was so happy that I had chosen to wear a brighter color. The bottom line is wear what you feel comfortable in that is at the same time professional. This is not the time to wear jeans and a t-shirt (okay - extreme example) but you can still express your individuality in a professional way!

 

[PalCareGrl]

Hi, I had four interviews this year and I bought and wore a pants suit, mainly because I feel more comfortable in pants (I HATE pantyhose). I also broke tradition and wore a purple silk tank top underneath (good idea in hot locations such as Arizona and Florida). Be comfortable but professional looking. That's my advice. Oh, and I got accepted to all four schools and some of my interviewers were older men (who could be considered "old school"). Just my advice. Best of luck to you!

 

[Transposon]

Wear what they wear on Boston Public!

 

[Thumper]

Hey Guys, I have a situation here. I have the traditional dressy suits (w/ the shoulder pads and silk sheaths, etc.) but I just love this new suit I bought, and I really want to wear THAT one. It is a pant suit with a white shirt, but the jacket is one of the cool long ones that comes to my thighs. Actually, if I button the jacket up, it looks like a button-down dress. I totally feel comfortable in it, and it is more me (I consider myself to be a bit fashion-savvy!) <img src="graemlins/laughy.gif" border="0" alt="[Laughy]" /> But seriously, give me your opinions, it would really help me a lot. Thanks everyone!

 

[AnnaMags]

I also have a question about interviewing...do people bring a folder or anything along with them? I'll be interviewing at UHS.

Thanks

 

[PalCareGrl]

Hello, in answer to the above question, I brought a black leather (well, pleather) folder with a notepad inside to write down my thoughts on the school and also as a cheat sheet for questions that I wanted to ask. A couple people had briefcases, but most had these folders or nothing at all.

 

[guppies]

EllieR
Could you share how you plan to get to Touro from the Oakland Airport to the hotel. I checked and it seems that Evans Shuttle only go to Holiday Inn which is 5 miles from the Best Western.
Do you plan to rent a car? use a cab? or is there any other door-to-door shuttle. If anybody else knows please advise, I am very thanksful.

 

[CaliforniaGirl]

I haven't posted for a long while, but this subject is near and dear to my heart since I put altogether TOO much stress into my attire for interviews this year. I have recently interviewed at both California schools, and have more throughout the country coming up...so far most of my fellow female interviewees have looked very professional in variations of both skirt and pant suits. Some included a tasteful scarf, and other individual touches. Personally, I went with a classic skirt suit to play it 'safe', but wore a colored shirt. I would like to mention one candidate I met who was not dressed appropriately in my humble opinion. The inappropriate parts were a very tight blouse unbuttoned too far, lots of makeup and overdone hair. She looked great...if she were going clubbing.
In any case, save yourself the stress and just wear something that YOU find appropriate. That is just part of the 'being yourself' mantra!
Good luck.

 

[NYCOMScrubs]

Skirt suit, either black or navy. The skirt should not be short. i'd say knee length. Your hair should be neat and preferably out of your face. Light make-up and perfume.