Welcome back to our blog series, #AskAMedStudent! Every fortnight we’ll be asking your questions to a current medical student, who will answer them in a blog.
In our latest segment, we’ll address the question: what to wear to a medical school interview? Also, we’ll give you some tips on making the right first impression.
So, what would you love to know about applying to medicine? Ask us on Twitter!
Ask us a questionDeciding 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 accessorising?
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.
Read: 5 Insider Tips To Impress Your Interviewer
What shoes would be appropriate?
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! It’s also best to wear covered shoes rather than open toed ones or sandals.
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.
Good luck with your interview!
Masumah is a 2nd year medical student at the University of Manchester. She writes a blog documenting her experience through medical school and also giving tips to aspiring medics: lifeofamedic.com
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