Tattoos and looking unprofessional.

[mrsceejoy]

I know this quite a way down the road as Im only 1st year premed, but I coldnt help but wonder if the fact that I have quite a few very visible tattoos would/could prove to be a disadvantage or even hurt my chances of gaining admission to med school, namely the interview part of the process? The tattoos I have cannot be covered up, some do but the ones on my knuckles are kind of right out there and cannot be hidden with ease (Im sure if I had some next level make-up it could be done. But yeah,do you think that having visible tattoos could hurt my chances of gaining admission? Id hate to think that in this day and age someone could be judge based on something as superficial as tattoos but then again this is med school,and they can be as picky as they want when it comes to applicants as the whole process is so competitive. Not to mention the fact that I cant remember ever having a doctor who has sleeves or knuckle tats....

[hugahaiger]

http://www.premed101.com/forums/showthread.php?t=38075

 

similar question. there are mixed feelings about this but basically some people consider tattoos to be unprofessional.

 

maybe try make up and if that doesn't work, tattoo removal if you're not too attached to them and have the $$

[mattg]

I think the answer is fairly obvious, that being that it will completely depend on who you get as an interview. Even though it is not right, it would certainly hurt your chances with some interviewers (probably more likely older farts, but even a conservative person of any age). However, many interviewers would not care, and many would probably be interested.

 

With regards to whether or not they are unprofessional, i.e. for a practicing doctor to be walking around with... again, some people will view it as unprofressional, and be initially put off. However, most will not care less as long as you prove to be a good doctor. I have done a lot of shadowing of one doc at Sunnybrook - a fairly young Italian dude, who wears snakeskin (or something) shoes, plaid pants, really colourful shirts, unbuttoned several buttons with sunglasses hanging off... definitely not a guy you would picture as a doctor if you saw him on the street... but he is an amazing doctor, really cool, extremely knowledgeable, compassionate and very thorough... most patients (literally, most) actually say "I don't usually say this, but you are an amazing doctor, I really appreciate it" (or something along those lines)... so while he does not look 'professional', it doesn't matter to the majority of people, since he does a good job... the first impression may be "omg, why is this guy dressed like he is going to a 70's disco in a neurological clinic", but I guess he changes it pretty fast...

 

I really doubt it will seriously hurt your chances (especially if all that is visible is some knuckle tattoos... you can probably even hide those if you wanted)... that said, you could obviously get some people who would be biased against you...

[Tango Charlie]

I can't understand how the fact that he may be negatively judged based on his tattoos is a surprise to the person who started this thread. You aren't aware that people judge based on appearance, and so on? You should have known that you'd appear unprofessional to the majority of people when you decided to get tattoos which you cannot conceal.

[rant]

I can't understand how the fact that he may be negatively judged based on his tattoos is a surprise to the person who started this thread. You aren't aware that people judge based on appearance, and so on? You should have known that you'd appear unprofessional to the majority of people when you decided to get tattoos which you cannot conceal.

 

Whoa, whoa, whoa. It is quite possible -- and very likely, given the information provided in her post -- that the OP's tattoos were acquired before she decided to apply to medicine. Perhaps, at the time, the attainment of a professional degree was not being considered.

 

However, as other posters have mentioned, tattoos are not the instantaneous stimuli for shock value as they once were. As a nurse, I have worked alongside physicians, nurses, and pathologists who have all worn tattoos, with no obvious trauma associated with their professional life that I could see.

 

So, OP, don't worry about it. One of the greatest advantages to bring with you to an adcom is the wisdom of a life lived. Your tattoos are a testament to a multitude of lessons learned, I am sure. I know mine are.

[runningdoc]

Whoa, whoa, whoa. It is quite possible -- and very likely, given the information provided in her post -- that the OP's tattoos were acquired before she decided to apply to medicine. Perhaps, at the time, the attainment of a professional degree was not being considered.

 

However, as other posters have mentioned, tattoos are not the instantaneous stimuli for shock value as they once were. As a nurse, I have worked alongside physicians, nurses, and pathologists who have all worn tattoos, with no obvious trauma associated with their professional life that I could see.

 

So, OP, don't worry about it. One of the greatest advantages to bring with you to an adcom is the wisdom of a life lived. Your tattoos are a testament to a multitude of lessons learned, I am sure. I know mine are.

 

Not to get into a strict argument, but the notion that tattoos look unprofessional isn't something limited to Med Interviews/Professional degree programs. There are plenty of case studies done to show that physical appearance/demeanor/style of dress/etc impact how someone views you/makes their first impression.

 

Regardless of how fair it is, until we come up with fancy computers that look strictly at your MCAT score, GPA, and some form of genetic test to determine whether you "have what it takes" to be a doctor, there is going to a pretty significant amount of bias that comes into play when you are being evaluated by people.

 

For me, if I see someone with a bunch of tattoos all over their body, my initial reaction isn't going to be favourable. It doesn't mean that I won't give that person every chance in the world to show me why they are a good candidate, but if I am being very honest, it wouldn't be in their best interest when dealing with me as my first impression wouldn't be marked highly.

 

To me, it is the same thing as why guys get stuck wearing suits and ties to the interviews. Is it necessary? Does it remotely indicate how good of a Physician I will make in the future? Absolutely not, but it is an unwritten expectation that you show up looking professional and so if I showed up with a t-shirt and ripped jeans, I am not going to look very good right off the bat.

 

Will tattoo's prevent you from getting into Medicine, absolutely not. There are plenty of people with tattoos in medicine, both those who got them before and after getting into an MD program. Before and after residency, and before and after working their way up the career ladder.

 

What they might provide is a negative impression, but on the flip side, they could also be an interesting talking point. Discussing the reasoning and meaning behind the tattoos might boost your chances as it lets the panel get to know you more.

 

But then we could get into a discussion of the quality of tattoo. If you have something artistic, is it more favourable than a bunch of poorly stenciled stick figures? If your tattoo is of a naked woman, it probably isn't going to be something you want to advertise, but if it is something tasteful, it is probably fine.

 

Bottom line, you have to be yourself in the interview and attempting to cover up the tattoos seems like a viable option, but you are going to run into this issue in every interview from here on out, and the problem with that is you will be interviewing with people who you worked with professionally at one time or another who would know you had the tattoos. I probably wouldn't worry about it unless they were something offensive.

[sirop]

I think it depends on the hospital you may be working at. The place where I volunteer has physicians who proudly display their tattoos. Bottom line, just don't get one that is offensive and obscene.

[bloh]

I think the issue here is that the OP cannot conceal them. I have tattoos as well, but you can't see them if I don't want you to.

 

I'm going to go ahead on a limb here is that they can't help you; particularly the knuckle ones. You could kind of hide them by putting your hands in your lap but I'm guessing you must have neck and behind the ear ones that you can't. It's a tough situation; but there's not much you can do about it. Try a make-up concealer when it comes to it.

[NicMB]

I'm not sure I'd go with the make-up route for a medical school interview. All those sweaty hands you'll be shaking? (Even with H1N1, I found that everyone resorted to the tried-and-true handshake during this year's interviews.) I'm sure you're interviewers won't appreciate concealer on their hands.

 

Since tattoos and piercing are becoming more common, I'm sure you won't be the first person the adcom will ever have seen. Take this as a challenge to make sure you put your best foot forward, both on paper in the application, and in person when you get to an interview. Show them that you aren't embarrassed of what shows on the skin that your suit doesn't cover, and impress them with your professional attitude and mature thought processes.

[bloh]

I think you are mistaking tattoos with facial and hand tattoos. The former are widely acceptable but the others aren't so. I have more tattoos than an average tattoo-goer would have and even I am on the fence about hand and neck tattoos.

[spiderpig]

Isn't there a makeup that claims to be waterproof, etc, and that can be used on the body? I can't remember the name of it, but I remember seeing it on the shopping channel .

 

There's also that airbrush makeup stuff (pretty pricey), but you should see if it's waterproof also.

 

As for the actual principle of having tattoos and going to med interviews, I'd agree with those saying it will most likely make a negative first impression. You'll then have time to change their minds about that, but it's still not desirable. If you have a lot of them, I'd suggest trying to cover up the most offensive ones. (I'd include the knuckle ones in that category, just because of placement - you don't want someone shaking your hand to keep looking at it.) Maybe leave one neutral one (especially if it's harder to cover up), so that you stand out from the crowd, and as some have said, to show off your life experiences.

[mattg]

I can't remember the name of it, but I remember seeing it on the shopping channel .

 

My mom was a host on the shopping channel for 10+ years lol

[Tango Charlie]

Whoa, whoa, whoa. It is quite possible -- and very likely, given the information provided in her post -- that the OP's tattoos were acquired before she decided to apply to medicine. Perhaps, at the time, the attainment of a professional degree was not being considered.

 

Are you saying that medicine is the only profession where tattoos you can't conceal might be looked down upon?

[Lactic Folly]

Isn't there a makeup that claims to be waterproof, etc, and that can be used on the body? I can't remember the name of it, but I remember seeing it on the shopping channel .

 

There's also that airbrush makeup stuff (pretty pricey), but you should see if it's waterproof also.

 

http://www.dermablend.com/index.aspx?

 

To the OP: I do know quite a few doctors with tattoos, including sleeves. But people will take notice if you have visible tattoos, though I can't say if you would experience prejudice or not. I had a small henna flower on my knuckle for a week during clerkship and was asked by patients what it meant and what my religion was.

[kylamonkey]

It might hurt, might not. Dr. Jack Shephard had some bicep tattoos, but his daddy probably got him into med school...

[mrsceejoy]

Thanks for all the insight. Ive opted to buy some dermablend.....hopefully itll be righteous enough to conver my knuckle tattoos, which are the only ones that pose any concern for me (I know someone mentioned I must have some on my neck of face....eeeesh) .::Cheers::..

 

Oh! And thumbs up to the Jack Sheppard comment, actually got a chuckle outta me!

[thinny]

Yes, it does look unprofessional. So if you want one, make sure you get it somewhere where it won't be seen with your clothes on.

[panda__eyes]

If Dermablend does not work for you, you may want to try Kat Von D Tattoo concealer at Sephora. It's a full coverage transfer- and water-resistant concealer designed specifically to cover tattoos and the cosmetics line is from tattoo artist Kat Von D herself. The water-resistant aspect will likely prolong the wear of the concealer.

Make sure that you apply the concealer in thin layers and build it up gradually. And then set it with loose powder using a velour puff.

[synch]

The products that have been mentioned are concealers that synchronised swimmers use to cover their tattoos during competitions. They are pretty hefty and almost certain to do the job you need them to do!