fateema368 said:
Would you ever not wear a suite, all kidding aside would a cardigan set, pearls, a pencil skirt and knee length leather boots be appropriate, I'm far from the process but I hate suits I've always been too large in the bust.
I was on an interview committee, and even though I'm young and female (not the old, white male Adcom most people imagine and discuss) I would stay away from the look you've described (not that I don't think it's a very cute look). Look for a suit that sells separates in different sizes if the disproportion is the issue. And having to wear a suit, even if you don't like them, is the smallest sacrifice you will ever make in your career in medicine.
My two cents on the interview outfit: it's really okay to be forgettable. No one is assessing whether your accessories are designer, or whether your overcoat matches your suit (we understand that applicants don't swim in their money banks like Scrooge McDuck.) Let your personality, your record, your smile and your thoughts shine. Black, navy, maroon, forest green, brown, grey, all great. Bright red? Pink? I always wondered what the applicant was trying to distract me from. Remember, medicine is ultimately a conservative field, and being able to fit in is an essential component of being part of a successful team, which you will be as a physician. As a resident, no one acknowledges my individuality on a regular basis. I do that with my friends and family on my own time.
Shoes: flats, heels, loafers, mules, etc. don't care. The only shoes I remember from all the women I interviewed were the white, three inch patent leather high healed opened toed sandals (with sun-tan hose). Wow, bad choice, purely from a fashion point. Comfort, and shoes that are in good shape, should be paramount.
The absolute, most important thing about what you wear: find a suit that fits well and you don't feel tense in. Spend the money to get it tailored, and don't buy a suit that pulls across the bust, or whiskers across the lap. Wear pants if you want, especially if you feel uncomfortable in a skirt (your discomfort will show). It doesn't matter how expensive or how cheap it is, as long as it doesn't look too cheap. I finished interviewing for residency, and my three-season navy microfiber/wool suit cost me less than $100 and I loved it, felt good, and got the residency of my choice. As long as you don't stick out for the wrong reasons, interviewers are so so so much more interested in what you have to say than whether you chose opaque or sheer hose.
This is a single opinion, and other people probably disagree, but when I was an applicant, I remember agonizing over this issue. It's important, but practicing interviewing, and focus on how your words and body language are communicating who you are.
