The medical school interview is such a pivotal stop on the quest for an acceptance into medical school. You’ve submitted your primary application and your secondaries and now it’s time to really show the admissions committee who you are.
While looks are definitely not everything, it’s important to make a great first impression before you even say a word. Admissions committees are accessing your professionalism since as a medical student you will be representing your school in the community. So what should you wear to your medical school interview?
This post is all about what not to wear to your medical school interview and how you can make the best first impression on your potential programs.
9 Styling Errors to Avoid When Designing Your Medical School Interview Outfit
(Plus a TWO Bonus Tips at the End!)
1. Don’t Wear: Black
I highly recommend selecting a suit that is not black (and yes, everyone should wear a full suit to a medical school interview, no exceptions). Suits can be a bit pricey but make sure you find one that fits, this is an investment piece that you will use throughout your entire career. Wearing a suit that fits great will make you feel confident and professional on interview day. Avoid black suits while interviewing and opt for a dark blue or gray suit.
2. Don’t Wear: Dress
Now we’ve all seen dresses worn in a professional setting with a suit jacket but please don’t do this. Like said above, wear a full suit. I strongly recommend a pant suit but a skirt suit will do if you are more comfortable. The last thing you want on interview day is for it to be windy and you’re too preoccupied holding your dress down to pay attention on the tour (and trust me, the nerves of interview day will already be enough!) Or even worse you don’t want to have any mishap bending down or issues with dress length when sitting down, etc. Just avoid all that stress and wear a suit. Please.
3. Don’t Wear: White Shirts
So this one is more of a personal preference rather than an absolute must. There are multiple reasons why I avoid white shirts on an interview day. First of all, I have ZERO confidence in myself to not spill coffee on myself or accidentally get some of my tinted sunscreen on it throughout the day as I move. White looks great when it is clean and crisp, if there is any chance you could ruin this avoid it. If you plan to wear makeup, AVOID IT. Second, many people will be wearing white. Standout with some color in your shirt of choice. This doesn’t have to be a bold color but even a pale blue or green can add some uniqueness to your outfit. If you do opt for a white shirt, if you plan to wear a tie, be sure to pick something interesting that isn’t distracting. I really like the professional tops without collars for interviewing. A lot of times you can find some in interesting patterns that can add dimension to your outfit. Be sure to check your patterns if you are interviewing virtually. Sometimes patterns, especially those with stripes, can look sort of wonky on screen.
4. Don’t Wear: Business Casual
There ain’t nothing casual about interviewing for medical school! This is a professional setting. Even if you are virtually interviewing, dress business professional. This goes for any sort of interview in life, you would rather be overdressed than be underdressed. That means no cropped business pants, they must be full length. No skipping out on the jacket, wear the jacket. Shirts no matter if they are collared or not should be tucked in and with a belt (PLEASE wear a belt). Sweaters or cardigans do not replace jackets, don’t do it. You have worked so hard to get to this point, dress business professional 100% for a day.
RELATED POST: 5 Commonly Asked Medical School Interview Questions You Need to Prepare
5. Don’t Wear: Excessive Accessories
Whether we realize it or not, what we wear can be distracting. If you elect to wear any sort of jewelry, I highly recommend that you choose pieces that are plain silver or gold. Avoid some of the “statement” jewelry out there. The wrong piece can really throw an outfit off. But also, the last thing you want is someone interviewing you getting distracted by your jewelry and missing your response to an interview. You want to leave the interview with them thinking about your potential membership of the incoming class, not the necklace you wore.
6. Don’t Wear: Heels
Unless you are a professional at walking in heels, don’t wear them. You will be uncomfortable and you will look uncomfortable. I wouldn’t count on being seated most of the day, you just never know what your interview day will be like until you get there. So wear comfortable shoes, remember that you will most likely be touring the campus at some point.
7. Don’t Wear: Excessive Fragrance
If you’re interviewing in person, the last thing you want to do is fill a closed room with your perfume or cologne. Some people are sensitive to scents or get headaches easily from fragrance. You do not want to distract your interviewer or even worse, cause them to be uncomfortable!
8. Don’t Wear: Smart Watches
You can and you will go a day without counting your steps. Sometimes smart watches can be finicky with their notification settings and you don’t want to distract your interviewer with your watch buzzing every couple minutes. Some smart watches light up with movement of your hands and you want to avoid that distraction as well.
9. Don’t Wear: Anything That Doesn’t Fit (Perform These Clothing Checks!)
Before purchasing a piece for your medical school interview outfit, perform these checks. For pants, make sure there isn’t too much excess fabric in the hip crease, this means they are too big. You should also try squatting down, if a big pocket develops along the back side of the waist band then they are too big. For shirts make sure that you are getting enough coverage when hinging at the hips or bending over. Some blouses fit loosely or are too low cut. No article of clothing should cling to your body too tightly. Everything should fit just right and when in doubt, opt for the more modest fit.
Medical School Interview BONUS Styling Tips:
Medical School Interview: Look Classic vs. Trendy
This is not the time to try out that tweed jacket. If you Google “business professional,” you will find some classic examples of this style, follow those. This is not a fashion show, this is about you getting into medical school. You should wear what makes you feel confident, but remember your clothes are an accessory to the confidence you should have from your experience and belief that you will be a great doctor.
Medical School Interview: Hair & Makeup
So it’s not a must but I highly recommend that if you have long hair that you wear it up. Whether it’s a ponytail or a bun, I think it’s best to keep your hair out of your face and off of your clothing. You never know if it’ll be windy but even if it’s not, your hair will move around as you do throughout the interview day and messy hair on top of a suit jacket just isn’t a great look. Make sure your nails are clean and if you opt to get them painted, pick a neutral color. My go-to is OPI’s Don’t Bossa Nova Me Around). I have been wearing it for seven years now and it’s definitely fit for any occasion. I would advise against any bold or heavy makeup and keep it simple and natural. Natural lip colors and modest eye makeup please!
This post was all about medical school interview styling tips. I hope that this has given you some inspiration as you are getting ready to design the perfect interview outfit that will keep you feeling confident and help you leave a great first impression on interview day!
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