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dress code for observership


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Just wondering what is considered acceptable for observership in an ER? jeans and and a tucked-in dress shirt.. not formal . I'm not in med school.. , just undergrad.

 

In med school we dress up for those - dress paints, dress shirt etc :)

 

You have to dress up to the same level as the doctor you are with as a basic rule.

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Hahaha, you're over-thinking it.

Conservative dress pants and dress shirt.

 

You defininitely don't need to be wearing a labcoat. You'd probably be the only one. All the ER docs will probably be wearing scrubs, by the way, but put on the dress shirt and pants.

 

I would say dark jeans are still jeans. I wouldn't wear jeans to observe. ESPECIALLY if you are an undergrad - better overdressed than under.

 

You won't go wrong with a dress shirt & dress pants. Best to play it safe on this one.
3 posts at the same time, generally coming to the same conclusion!
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Agree with above. Dress pants and shirt. No tie infection control problem, safety problem (do not underestimate the drunk/high patients that will grab you), plus you'll look stiff, esp in the relatively informal culture of ER. Truth is you will be more formal than most ER docs and residents, but that's expected. Just because they wear jeans doesn't mean you should.

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related question- is the scrubs colour important? I picked out and bought dark blue, then realized that all the residents/docs wear light blue scrubs..

 

LOL, you don't buy scrubs, you get a new laundered pair at the hospital every day you come in. On the day of your observership, just ask someone if they can show you where they get theirs. You are not allowed to wear scrubs from home in any sort of sterile environment (granted, ER is not one of them) and even then, most of the time you don't want to be taking your scrubs home, because who knows what kind of exotic bugs are inoculated on them.

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LOL, you don't buy scrubs, you get a new laundered pair at the hospital every day you come in. On the day of your observership, just ask someone if they can show you where they get theirs. You are not allowed to wear scrubs from home in any sort of sterile environment (granted, ER is not one of them) and even then, most of the time you don't want to be taking your scrubs home, because who knows what kind of exotic bugs are inoculated on them.

That's what I thought too but I was told to purchase my own pair.. 50 bucks, not cheap! I talked to some nursing students and they said they had to self-purchase too.

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That's what I thought too but I was told to purchase my own pair.. 50 bucks, not cheap! I talked to some nursing students and they said they had to self-purchase too.

 

Nurses buy their own scrubs (most, anyway).

Full-time ER docs buy their own too, in many centers.

I think it's simply a personal preference for people who work in scrubs daily but don't need to be "sterile"..

 

However, as a general rule, clerks and residents use the scrubs provided by the hospital, which are generously washed folded and waiting for you every morning.

 

So, yes, you will probably look a little silly and over-eager if you show up in your brand new 50$ scrubs.

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related question- is the scrubs colour important? I picked out and bought dark blue, then realized that all the residents/docs wear light blue scrubs..

 

Yes; at different centres, certain colours mean things.

 

ie: dark blue = respiratory therapist

white = nursing student

maroon = nurses aides

 

etc. :) so just wear the ones from the scrub room/machine!

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If you're a student or observer, no. Although runners are very practical, the function of the student or observer is not to be useful but to suck up. Look the part of a professional who dresses in supplication of those who evaluate you.
Just to add to this, while you shouldn't wear runners, make sure the shoes you wear are comfortable, since you may be on your feet for long stretches of time.

 

Yes I'm UG.

 

about that sucking up comment.. do med students in obervership have to suck up to the physician, and if so, why?

You don't have to suck up per se, but if you want to do research/get a good letter of reference/do more observerships/etc, then you should show a general interest and enthusiasm during your observership.
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