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 that the university has provided you with. They may have given you some guidance regarding what to wear – and if so, make sure you follow that first!

What type of clothes should I wear?

I would recommend the ‘smart-casual’ look because that’s generally what most Medical Schools are expecting. Go for a shirt or a smart dress/skirt, possibly with a blazer. Avoid jeans and trainers.

How smart should I dress?

If you’re unsure about what to wear, I’d say that being a little too smart is better than being too casual. You want to make a good first impression, so 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 or distract you during the interview and could affect your performance.

Should I wear a tie?

There is no requirement to wear a tie for your Medical School interview. You certainly can if you want to, but from my interview experiences, very few students choose to wear one.

What colours should I wear?

Generally, I would recommend avoiding colours that are very bright. Colours like black, brown, grey and navy tend to look more 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 would say that it’s best to play it safe and keep it neutral.

What about accessories?

In terms of jewellery and makeup, try to keep it subtle and minimal. For my interview, I wore 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 if you have an online interview, your shoes won’t be in the frame, so this might not be an aspect that you need to consider.

For in-person interviews, whether it’s a panel interview or MMI, choose a pair of smart shoes and make sure they are clean and well-kept. It’s best to wear covered shoes rather than open-toed shoes or sandals.

I wore glossy black shoes for my interview, with a slight heel – but comfort comes first, so don’t wear heels if you aren’t comfortable in them!

Final advice

Remember that your outfit won’t make or break your Medical School interview, but if you look smart and feel comfortable, it should boost your performance.

Make sure you plan your outfit well enough in advance, because you don’t want to be spending the night before your interview rushing around and worrying about it!