#AskAMedStudent: What To Wear To A Medical School Interview

What should I wear to a Medical School interview?

Deciding on what to wear to your first Medical School interview can be tricky.

First and foremost, you should check any information the med school has provided you with regarding the interview. They may have given you some sort of guidance regarding what to wear and if so, make sure you follow that first!

What type of clothes should I wear?

I would recommend going for the “smart-casual” look as that’s generally what most Medical Schools are expecting. Go for a shirt, dress or skirt with a blazer (if that’s your thing). Avoid jeans.

Pick something similar to what you would have been wearing to your work experience placements, but you needn’t adhere to any hospital-specific hygiene principles such as being “bare below the elbows”.

How smart should I dress?

If you’re unsure about what to wear, I’d say being a little too smart is better than being too casual. You want to create a good first impression and the clothes you wear to your Medical School interview should be professional.

Also make sure that you feel comfortable in your outfit – dressing formally is important, but you don’t want clothes that will bother you during the interview.

Should I wear a tie?

It’s up to you whether you want wear a tie or not to your med school interview, but from my interview experiences, very few students chose to wear one.

What colours should I wear?

Generally, avoid colours that are too bright or funky. Black, brown, navy, white, khaki are colours that tend to look smart in my opinion– but if you find something else that works for you, go for it! There’s no hard and fast rule, but I’d just say it’s best to keep it neutral and conservative.

What about accessories?

In terms of jewellery and makeup, keep it subtle and very minimal – I wore very light makeup and no jewellery, just a watch. Don’t wear big flashy pieces of jewellery because you don’t want it to be distracting in the interview.

What shoes would be appropriate?

Of course, for online interviews, your shoes will most likely not be in the frame so this might not be an aspect you need to consider. However, for in-person interviews, it’s best to wear covered shoes rather than open-toed ones or sandals.

Again, smart shoes, make sure they look well-kept as psychology tells us the first thing that people subconsciously notice about you is your shoes! 

I wore glossy black shoes, with a slight heel – but remember comfort comes first, don’t wear heels if you’re not comfortable in them!

Hope this helps! Remember your outfit won’t make or break the interview, so don’t worry about it too much. It may, however, help to create a good first impression so it’s best that you go for something smart, comfortable and professional.