Acing medical school does not mean you’d care any less about how you dress or look. Many new students are concerned about the medical school attire observed at various medical institutions.
In this article, we’ve gathered some really trendy plus casual medical school dressing ideas which will help you rock your everyday look!
First off, let’s dive into some important questions that would clear up many concerns regarding how to dress in medical school;
Is there a Dress Code for Medical School?
For the first two years of undergraduate studies, the students aren’t required to follow any dress code so they tend to wear casual and comfortable clothes.
In the third and fourth years in which students are introduced to the clinical experience or the clinical years of undergraduate studies, students are sometimes required to wear scrubs or business casual clothes.
Sometimes certain staff members would ask their students to dress in a certain way like wearing lab coats or restricting specific types of clothing but that is more of a personal decision, there isn’t any globally unified dress code for medical students for the first two years of undergrad studies except some inappropriate clothing measures that I am going to discuss moving forward.
There are some expectations that you have to adhere to while in the clinical setting, you could call that the “dress code for clinical environment.” Keep reading forward to find out about it!
What is the Dress Code for a Clinical Environment?
Since, in the third and fourth year of undergraduate studies, medical students have encounters with patients so for this very reason, they are expected to dress while adhering to certain standards;
- Clothes should cover your shoulder to knee and appropriate coverage of the neckline.
- The sleeves of the clothes should be “bare below the elbows” so that students can wash their hands easily.
- Jewelry should be minimal, avoid strong perfumes and tattoos should be covered.
- Avoid clothing with rips, shirts with thin straps, mini skirts or shorts and flip flops or open-toed shoes.
- Button-down shirts, professional dress shirts, appropriate dresses, pants and khakis with dress shoes, flats or sneakers are appropriate clothing.
Can Medical Students Dress According to Their Religious\Cultural Standards?
Yes. Many cultures and religions have certain dressing styles which their followers have to compulsorily abide by or some choose to do so. For instance, Muslims are allowed to wear headcovers and clothing that covers their whole body or kippah that is worn by Jewish Men or Turbans as worn by Sikh Men.
Can Medical Students Have Tattoos?
Medical Students can have permanent tattoos. If your tattoo is somewhere where it isn’t visible then you have nothing to worry about. However, in certain institutions, medical students are expected to cover their visible tattoos, especially during their clinical setting.
How to Dress in Medical School?
Below I have shared 7 dressing ideas that you can try out while attending medical school:
Idea #1: T Shirt with Pants:
The most simple, casual yet comfortable dressing idea for medical school is plain tees with pants. You could always buy a stack of different colored T-shirts and pair them with your favorite pants. You can also wear a checkered shirt over your T-shirt and give it a more casual look like this:
Idea #2: Button Down Shirts with Pants:
Both male and female medical students can get plain or printed button-down shirts and pair them with jeans or pants.
Idea # 3: Shirt with skirts (For Female Students):
You have to remember that your skirts need to be till or below your knees, at least in the clinical years of Med School. Skirts give off a pleasant and strong look and medical students can definitely pull the look off at Medical Schools.
Idea # 4: Sweatshirt\ Hoodies with Pants:
Both men and women can wear these at colleges. Sweatshirts are the way to a comfortable and simple dressing style which you can try out in winters.
Idea # 5: Shirts with Blazers\ Jackets:
For winters, both male and female medical students can wear T-shirts or dress shirts or even sweatshirts with blazers or jackets and give off a very cool and warm look!
Idea # 6: Shirts with Flared Pants:
Flared, Wide-legged pants, or Palazzos, whether printed or solid colored, all are comfortable yet chic dressing styles that female medical students can try out during their first two years as well as clinical setting years.
Idea # 7: Long\Short Dresses:
Casual-looking dresses aren’t just comfortable but also give a formal look if the person knows how to carry themselves. Dresses paired with sneakers or flats and in the case of short dresses, if you aren’t comfortable with exposing your lower legs, you could wear tights or leggings and rock the whole look! Muslim women can also wear full cloaks at universities.
Why is it Important to Dress Well in College?
Dressing up to look presentable has its perks. As students or not, we are prone to keep it at the end of our list and dress up in a hurry, without caring how we look. However, these 3 reasons will definitely intrigue you to dress up better at medical school and make you realize why it’s important to dress well in college.
1. It Boosts Up Your Confidence:
Believe it or not, your confidence has a strong link with how you’ve dressed up. We’ve all had times when while wearing your absolute favorite outfit, you’ve caught a feeling or two of how ravishing you look and that no one can tear you down.
Yes well, that’s perk # 1 of dressing well. You feel confident, optimistic, and self-satisfied which indirectly affects your performance at school. You’d find yourself answering questions asked by professors without feeling hesitant.
2. You’ll Be More Active:
There’s something about hoodies and sweatpants that make you feel really comfy yet lousy and lethargic. Wearing similar attire at college would definitely make you feel inactive and sluggish. Rather wear jeans along with your hoodie or sweatshirt or a simple tee with flare pants so that your comfort level isn’t compromised and you feel more energetic.
3. It Leaves a Good Impression:
Wearing clothes that make you look spick and span will always catch the eyes of others. Especially professors and teachers who ought to judge students based on how they’ve groomed themselves in the first few classes of college.
Takeaway:
Attending medical school does not mean you cannot try out trendy looks or devote some time to mix and match your outfits to get the perfect attire. However, remember to wear comfortable clothes and shoes as you’d have long days of back to back classes and lectures or attend patients in your clinical setting and you wouldn’t want uncomfortable clothes to ruin your mood and ultimately your day.
In the end, no matter what you wear, I am sure that you’ll definitely crush your looks at medical school!