Medical School Interview Attire
"Dress for success" is the motto and your medical school interview attire is important to medical school admissions officers. Whether you like it or not your clothing says a lot about you as an individual and what you wear will leave a lasting impression.
I do not think you want to be known by what you wore to your interview.
You want to standout for how you presented yourself overall, the feeling you left on your interviewer and your fitness for a career in medicine.
It is never a good idea to think that dressing outlandishly will help you get into medical school. You have to remember AdComs are very conservative people so leave the glitz and glamour for another time.
This means that your medical school interview attired is going to end up seeming boring, hiding your personality and individualism.
But you have to remember at an interview AdComs are gauging your fitness for a career in medicine and will be asking, "Do we feel comfortable sending this applicant into the hospital to treat patients, talk to family members, interact with physicians and hospital staff?"
If you don't look the part then it is highly unlikely you will have a favorable outcome in getting into medical school.
Here's a quick story too.
One medical school told applicants to submit a passport quality photo with their application. An applicant thought he wanted to standout so he decided to use a cartoon drawing of himself as the official photo he submitted with his medical school application.
This applicant was promptly rejected.
AdComs stated he was rejected because he clearly was unable to follow basic directions. Plus, the reason they wanted an "official" photograph so that they could identify applicants when they were visiting the medical school.
You might think this is an extreme action by the medical school but in reality it's not.
It just goes to show that you do not want to be a rule breaker for whatever reason and it is in your best interest to error on the side of caution with your medical school interview attire.
Men
Gentlemen your medical school interview attire is simple.
Wear a suit and tie.
Preferably a black or blue suit with a white dress shirt.
Try to avoid stripes or patterns in any of your clothing or accessories.
If you haven't worn a suit in ages make sure it fits comfortable and is not either too small or too large.
A neutral tie is a must for the interview, therefore leave the flashy, bright and word laden ties at home.
I know you may be tempted to wear sneakers, but don't, it totally messes up the professional image you are attempting to convey. Therefore, wear a pair of dress shoes either in black or dark brown.
Guys, I am a hat man myself but it is not appropriate interview attire to have anything covering your head unless for religious/ethnic purposes.
Please do not wear any unnecessary accessories i.e. chains, earrings, bracelets.
If you have tattoos try to cover them up as best as possible.
Be sure that you go easy on the cologne and fragrances (including hair spray/gel) where less is always more.
Women
Females should wear formal clothing, such as a dress, pantsuit, or matching coordinates as apart of their medical school interview attire.
The mini-skirt or anything with a short hem length cannot be worn on an interview.
Modesty goes extremely far so no tops which reveal excessive cleavage, conservative is your goal.
Keep your jewelry to a minimum too. Accent earrings are fine but nothing large, bulky or that stands out. You do not need to wear excessive jewelry whether this is rings on your fingers, necklaces, earrings, bracelets, etc.
In short think about your very, very conservative grandmother and ask what would she wear to a formal interview or what would she have to say about my outfit.
Do not over do it with the make up, use enough to accent your features and that's about it.
Ladies, I know perfume serves a purpose but having your interviewer suffocate over your scent is a bad idea. One to two spays will suffice and anything more is too much. Fragrances are to be scented in close proximity and should not announce your arrival.
In general use your best judgement and remember you will be interviewing with medical school representatives.
Be clean, well groomed, and free of body odor. Also chewing gum is absolutely prohibited, just don't do it!
Let your mind, intellect, and personality make the lasting impression not superficial articles of clothing.
Relax and Have Fun
Medical school interviews should be fun and easy going.
Try not to get too uptight about the interview day.
You have to remember that by the time you're invited to a medical school interview it means the AdComs already know you are qualified enough to be admitted based on all other aspects of your application.
The interview serves to screen for any glaring deficiencies in your personality, demeanor, or any red flags. So do your best job of answering the questions asked of you while being sincere and genuine in your responses.
It's quite an achievement to land a medical school interview too because many applicants will apply and are flat out rejected before even having the opportunity to interview.