dreadlocked med students

[Guest heho]

Just wondering how hairstyles, such as dreadlocks, are viewed on med students/residents...

 

I understand it's still a rather conservative profession, so would (not religiously or culturally based) dreadlocks (or shaved head, pink hair, mohawks) be viewed negatively on a med student or resident?

[Guest Jag]

They spent the first month of our first year giving presentations and speeches on maintaining professional appearance, including wild dye jobs, hairstyles, excessive tattoos/piercings being frowned upon. It also included attire that wasn't appropriate, including midriff/cleavage exposing shirts.

[Guest aneliz]

I think it would likely be frowned upon... while there are not any 'specific rules' that apply to med students with dreads, piercings, etc.... there is a statement in the UWO student expectations that says something like:

 

"students should recognize that being hospitalised is a stressful time in the lives of the patient and their family, in consideration, students should dress/groom themselves in a manner that is conducive to a professional appearance and that is not going to provoke anxiety in the patients/families."

 

There is also a statement that says something like:

 

" The attending (staff) physician is responsible for all patients under their care and for supervising the work of medical students assigned to them. Given this, the attending (staff) physician has ultimate say on what dress/appearance is appropriate when caring for their patients and may prevent a medcial student from seeing a patient if they feel that the medical student is not appropriately dressed for the encounter."

 

I have never seen a medical student with dreads or pink hair. There are several with shaved heads - for fundraising or personal choice reasons - but this has never been an issue. The bigger issue is usually with people that think it is appropriate to wear jeans to a clinic... or come in 'bar clothes' ie: plunging necklines, bare middle, low waist pants with visible thong...etc. There have been many, many people warned about that kind of thing.

[Guest try2dstress]

this is a really interesting thread on a topic i've never really given much thought to.

 

so about the no jeans, should i start padding my wardrobe with more professional-wear even for the first two years of med school? curious because my wardrobe as of right now screams student rather than young professional.

 

they should do a show on the life network - 'med student makeover'

[Guest blinknoodle]

Yup, I'd start amassing some hospital-appropriate clothes, even for the pre-clinical years. At UWO, we are expected to dress nicely whenever we are in a hospital - for clinical experience (clinical skills or any observerships you set up yourself) as well as formal lectures (radiology sessions, special field trips to hospitals for classes, etc). You don't need an entirely new wardrobe, but this year, I was formally scheduled to be in hospitals twice a week. My friend had small groups (PCL) at the army base and had strict instructions for attire there as well!

[Guest cutieyellow]

Depends on your curriculum i guess - i didn't need "hospital clothes" till i got to 3rd yr Stayed in jeans, with the random very random day at the hospital in clean pants, throughout my first two yrs.

[Guest satsumargirl]

On the radio not too long ago they were discussing physician attire. I guess one of the radio hosts went to see a doctor and she was dressed in a Hawaiian style shirt and the pt didn't appreciate it. She felt it was unprofessional and as though she was interupting her vacation!

 

I was rather suprised. And they had radio listeners call in and say their opinions. I was really shocked at some of the people's comments. And I would say most thought an MD should wear a lab coat (which is fine with me cause then it doesn't matter so much what you have underneath !) . Given the reaction to a Hawaiian (however you spell that) shirt, I can't even imagine the reaction to dreads or pink hair!

[Guest quebecboy]

"I would say most thought an MD should wear a lab coat "

 

It really depends who your patient is. With a senior (or an adult for that matter), I'd wear the lab coat, but in an adolescent pediatric clinic, I wouldn't. It would put a certain distance between the patient and I (and here, none of the pediatricians wear lab coats when they're with their patients).

 

Just my 2¢

 

Qcboy

[Guest little endian]

We needed fancy clothes right way in first semester because we started clinical skills and were seeing standardized patients etc. I think it's good to get into the habit of wearing more professional clothes when you first start out with fake patients. This way you can get familiar with the downside of certain outfits. I realized that in some of my "appropriate" clothes I couldn't raise my arms over my head in an MSK exam without showing my midriff. Always something to consider!

[Guest JewelLeigh]

We had a session with one of the renowned pediatricians here at Dal (who wears a lab coat every day btw) and he spoke about physician attire in a way that I thought expressed it well: "You have chosen to be in a SERVING profession. As such, you are not dressing for yourself, but for your patients. You have a duty to dress in a way that makes your patients the most comfortable and makes them feel better about trusting you with their private information and their health. So, perhaps to you, certain things are appropriate...but it's not about you anymore when you become a physician."

 

It definitely made me think twice about what I wear to the hospital - if my grandparents wouldn't see something as appropriate, then I don't wear it!

[Guest medicator007]

That pediatrician put it pretty darned well JewelLeigh.. and totally echos my sentiments on the matter as well.

 

As well, I know plenty of pediatricians here who wear white coats.

 

Medicator

[Guest UWOMED2005]

I think dreadlocks COULD depend on how they were presented - if they were somewhat tidy dreads and suit the person's appearance, they might not be the end of the world. I did have a (male) classmate with long frizzy hair who did fine.

 

If they're at all dirty, unkempt, and smell like weed and tobacco. . . like with one kid I remember from my high school. . . then definitely they're definitely out.

[Guest charmingbutterfly]

personally , I think dreadlocks are fine if they presented well . However , there will always be ppl who arent used to it but I cant think of anyone taking offence or not wanting a doctor because of it.

 

OFF topic jewelleigh typed this statement by another physician and applied it to the whole attire thing...

 

"You have chosen to be in a SERVING profession... makes them feel better about trusting you with their private information and their health. So, perhaps to you, certain things are appropriate...but it's not about you anymore when you become a physician."

 

Not trying to bring up the issue again - but absolutely along the the lines of what I was talking about how physicians should be healthy for their patients..just saying

[Guest Gavanshir]

Dreadlocks? Only if you got enough weed for all of us

[Guest studentz]

Come on...the general topic is a good one but do a little research on the dread issue first as some of the comments are pretty inappropriate. The style, or more specifically how the "style" arises, has spiritual significance for many. In that case I think it could be appropriate. If you are talking about the modern hippies (we'll leave race out of the question here) who have to go to hair dressers to get dreads and for who the style is just a fashion accessory, that's a different story.

[Guest celeria]

i hear you, but i think it's fair to assume that a medical student with dreads would probably be doing it for style and fashion. honestly, the rastas that i know are too busy living in the bush and eating ital stew to consider conforming to the man to beome a physician.

 

here's some research for you: "Rastafari regard their locks as both a sign of their African identity and a religious vow of their separation from the wider society they regard as Babylon."

 

praise Jah

[Guest Jochi1543]

I know some Blacks who are very much into the meaning of braided hair (every braid style represents a certain tribe/tradition, though many people today, including some African-Americans, aren't aware of that

). For some individuals it is a huge part of their culture and I think it is unfair to them to prevent them from wearing a certain hairstyle that is significant to them and their peers. I personally don't see why neat dreadlocks or braids would be considered "unprofessional." Dealing with Black hair is NOT easy.:lol Mohawks are a different story though - a part of largely teenage culture of rebellion which probably doesn't leave much room for med school aspirations anyway.8o