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Interview attire


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So as a girl and someone who typically really cares about how I dress, I was wondering if dresses were appropriate to wear to medical school interviews?

For example, something like this, even with a blazer over it?

https://www.theory.com/miyani/F0001602.html?cgid=womens-dresses?dwvar_F0001602_color=001&dwvar_F0001602_color=001#start=1

Also, how bad is it to push the envelope in terms of interview attire...it seems like to me that medical school interview attire is more limiting than most interview attire options considering I've only ever seen people suggest blazers and trousers for both girls and guys.

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I think blazer + dress combo looks great. Knee length would be a more conservative option.

As for your other question, it depends on what you are trying to achieve in the interview. A typical panel interview has the applicant sitting across a table from the interviewers for 20 min... so it's probably more advantageous to try to stand out in terms of answers/personality than dress.

 

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A dress on the professional side is totally fine. Many women wore dresses when I interviewed. You will likely want to wear a sweater or blazer on top (especially if it’s sleeveless), but depending on the dress design you might not need it. Knee length or longer is probably a good idea. Blacks or greys are always good choices, but I don’t think there’s necessarily anything wrong with colours or patterns and communicating your personality a little in your clothes! 

I wore my favorite polka dot dress with a cardigan to interviews. I was really glad to be able to take the cardigan off halfway through when I got really hot, and still look professional in my dress. Basically everyone else was in a suit jacket or blazer though, so you might find it more comfortable to wear one on top if you want a similar look to your peers.

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  • 3 weeks later...

From a lot of advice that I’ve seen on this forum regarding attire, everyone is saying that you want to stand out in terms of personality and answers instead of how you dress. I disagree with that.

How you dress is a big part of your personality and immediately influences someone’s impression of you, particularly in the most important first 30 seconds. Wearing something that is professional and allows you to slightly stand out is advantageous. This means having attire that is tailored and fitting, a groomed hairdo, and slight makeup. 

As a previous business major and manager that has gone through hundreds of interviews in a  professional setting, I can certainly say wearing exactly the same thing as everyone else just makes you one of the crowd in a sea of highly qualified applicants. 

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4 hours ago, Butterfly_ said:

From a lot of advice that I’ve seen on this forum regarding attire, everyone is saying that you want to stand out in terms of personality and answers instead of how you dress. I disagree with that.

How you dress is a big part of your personality and immediately influences someone’s impression of you, particularly in the most important first 30 seconds. Wearing something that is professional and allows you to slightly stand out is advantageous. This means having attire that is tailored and fitting, a groomed hairdo, and slight makeup. 

As a previous business major and manager that has gone through hundreds of interviews in a  professional setting, I can certainly say wearing exactly the same thing as everyone else just makes you one of the crowd in a sea of highly qualified applicants. 

We might be talking about different things here. Being well-groomed with tailored attire is ideal for everyone. Medical school interviews are a conservative setting, so that's why we are cautious about standing out with a short skirt to be fashionable and "push the envelope" as OP stated.

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3 hours ago, Lactic Folly said:

We might be talking about different things here. Being well-groomed with tailored attire is ideal for everyone. Medical school interviews are a conservative setting, so that's why we are cautious about standing out with a short skirt to be fashionable and "push the envelope" as OP stated.

 

I agree that we are talking about different things. I don't find short skirts professional at any interview or workplace setting and that is not what I meant by standing out. One can have professional clothing that makes one stand out without being provocative or fashionable.  For instance, the choice of colour for one's blouse or shirt can make a big difference. Not everything needs to be white, grey or black. A slight difference can make one more memorable in a positive way. 

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I wore a purple-ish blazer to my interview to try to stand out, and my interviewers actually made a comment saying they liked it! We had a laugh about it, specifically because it was my Western interview. Who knows if it did anything, but I feel that it made me stand out. 

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I saw a super cute light grey suit with pink accents at my interview this past weekend. I was definitely jealous. 

I prioritized comfort first, and was pretty conservative. I went with a black blazer, flared black pants, and a more colourful top (blue, pink and white). I fit in with everyone, which made me feel more comfortable. I wore my hair down, even after reading lots of advice to put it up. I just felt way more comfortable with my hair down in the interview setting, and lots of other interviewees wore their hair down, so I can't see it being a big deal.

I think you should do you... within reason.  :P

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