Medical Student Dress Code

As students will encounter patients from diverse groups, their personal appearance becomes an important part in establishing rapport with each patient. Therefore, the therapeutic alliance must be secured before initial verbal interaction has occurred. Student/physicians should place the patient’s needs first even if this necessitates curtailing some aspects of one’s individual expression.

First and Second Year

Dress in routine class in the first two years is informal.
In small groups in Psychiatric Medicine and Clinical Practice with patients present, students are required to wear a clean, short white coat with a name tag identifying that they are medical students. Men are required to wear long pants. Shorts, jeans or cargo pants are not permitted. Details are available in the syllabus.
In Physical Diagnosis, women with short skirts should wear stockings and/or leggings. Men are required to wear shirts with ties. Hair should be restrained. Wear a minimum of jewelry.

First Year — Anatomy Laboratory

Scrub suits may be worn in the Anatomy Lab, but they may NOT be blue in color. Any other color is acceptable. Since maintenance of infection control is of utmost importance, blue scrub suits, the color of the New York-Presbyterian Hospital Operating Room scrub suits, are never to be worn outside the confines of Presbyterian Hospital patient care areas. This is to distinguish that you have not been in the Operating Room with your scrub suit, and, therefore, do not provide an infection risk to patients. There are two bathrooms adjacent to the Anatomy classrooms. Students are to change into their anatomy garb in the bathrooms. Lockers are available adjacent to the Anatomy Lab — one per person.

Third and Fourth Year

Hair should be neat; when in doubt, pull it back. Men’s beards are acceptable when neatly trimmed. No facial piercings or dangling earrings. A minimum of jewelry such as wedding rings or class rings are acceptable. Multiple rings, i.e., one on each finger, are unacceptable.
Button-down shirts should not be open below the second button (sterno-manubrial junction). Ties are mandatory for men. No jeans or cargo pants or cut-offs.
Shoes should be polished, neat and clean, and always with closed toes. Do not wear sandals in patient care areas because dropped needles may pierce your feet.
In case of needle stick you must call immediately 212-305-3400 to receive advice. You need not identify yourself. The Director of the Student Health Service or his/her covering M.D. is available 24 hours a day to provide counseling regarding HIV medications.
Clean sneakers when wearing scrubs are acceptable.
Clogs are acceptable.
Hiking boots are acceptable in the winter.
Refrain from use of perfume and cologne.
Women should wear professional blouses or sweaters. Low cut or clinging shirts, sweaters or blouses are inappropriate.
Skirts should be at least three inches below the white coat and below the knee if no stockings are worn. Shorter skirts are acceptable with tights or stockings. No clam-digger or Capri pants, jeans, cargo pants or leggings without skirts. Minimize excessively bright, dark or creatively-colorful polish.
Students who wear glasses should continue to wear them as they are protective from splashed material.
Students with cuts, abrasions or lacerations, should cover them with tegaderm or similar water impervious material.
Glasses and masks should be worn even when Faculty and house officers do not.

Scrub Suit Use

The principle, “first do no harm,” is the basis for control of scrub suit use. As blue scrub suits are worn near patients, they must never be the vehicle of infection for a patient. The only way to assure infection is not carried to patients is to restrict use of blue scrub suits to contiguous areas of direct patient care, i.e., in hospital patient care units.

Blue scrub suits are therefore permitted only in these direct patient care areas.

In the Operating Room

Blue scrubs only; no other color may be worn in the Operating Room. This to prevent infection spread to patients. Blue scrubs may be worn in contiguous patient care areas as long as there is a white jacket over them. Other color scrubs may be worn inside or outside the hospital, but NEVER in the Operating Rooms. Students who wear other colored scrubs must wear their white coat as well, when outside patient care areas. Change your scrub suit at least daily and immediately when soiled. Do not wear tee shirts underneath your scrub suit if they extend beyond scrub suits; this increases infection rates. If it is cold, a tank top may be worn. NEVER wear the same scrub suit back into the Operating Room after having been circulating in the hospital.
Under no circumstances are blue scrub suits to be worn outside the patient care area and never outside the Medical Center buildings. The presence of such will result in review of a student’s academic record and probable suspension from medical school.
Women who wear scrub suits with a deep V-neck should wear the V-neck behind so as to prevent gapping in the front. Scrubs should be changed in the O.R. or on the first floor of the Black Building near where the lockers are located; bathrooms are adjacent to this area.
Double glove in the Operating Room with gloves that are one half size larger on the inside and the real size on the outside. Do this even if your Faculty and residents do not.
Wear eye protection even if residents and Faculty do not.
Jewelry must come off before scrubbing. Earrings are unacceptable in the Operating Room because they may fall into the field. Short necklaces are acceptable as they are covered by O.R. gowns.

Pediatrics and Psychiatry

Ask the attending what clothing to wear. Some prefer white coats, others prefer no white coats. If students are requested to not wear a white coat, professional attire is even more important since there is no overt identification.
Name tags must be worn visibly indicating your name and medical student identity. This is required by New York State law.

Other

Do not chew gum.
No eating or drinking in front of patients or in patient care areas.
Speak softly in the hospital.
Never discuss one’s own or friends’ personal issues in public areas.
Never discuss patient care issues in public areas, such as cafeterias and elevators.
Do not criticize pedagogy, faculty, staff, others or institutions in public areas.
Do not carry patient charts or X-ray folders with the name exposed.
Keep beepers on vibrator-silent mode so as not to interrupt attendings and patients.