Dress codes in dental school are a good thing
Come a few months, I will begin my hunt for new clothes as UOP has a dress code that calls for professional attire. I’m looking forward to this in a big way. In college, I wore clothes for two sole reasons and that was to not be naked and when it was cold, to not die of hypothermia. I like the idea that now I can get dressed up for a reason and not feel like my energies are misguided. I think a dress code should be implemented at every school, though I guess walking into Temple dressed to the nines would probably be overkill. I know, for me, it was very exciting to see the professional atmosphere at Pacific and were the students allowed to just wear whatever they wanted, I think it would have brought that feel down a notch. I think dressing well uplifts and cements the image that a dentist is a professional and not a demon-barber, drill-and-fill-machine.
Here are some links from dental schools about their dress codes:
University of the Pacific Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry’s Professional Appearance Code (this is a PDF)
Also, excerpted from UOP’s Code of Ethics:
Students, faculty, administrators and administrative staff must maintain an appearance at all times which is consistent with the highest professional standards and one which projects an image in the mind of the public of cleanliness, competence, and professionalism.
University of San Francisco School of Dentistry Dress Code/Appearance Guideline
Did you notice at the bottom that this is adapted from UOP’s Professional Appearance Code? Posers =)
Loma Linda University’s Revised Dress Code
NYU’s Student Dress Code (this is a PDF) Dress code located on page 3.
And here’s an article from 2003 written by a dentist stating his case for why dressing is a good thing, as well as a few dos and don’ts for looking the part.
Power Dressing for a Dentist
Two dentists are each selling identical $20,000 cases, but one is presenting his case wearing scrubs, the other wearing a clean lab coat topping a shirt, tie, and dress pants. Which dentist do you think will have more success? Although there are other mitigating factors to be considered, the clothes you wear can make a difference. You should have as much invested in the clothes on your back as the watch you wear or the car you drive. Your wardrobe is an investment.
Although I’m personally in favor of a dress code, I understand when that isn’t necessary. I know that digging a $300,000 hole of debt doesn’t make most people want to shell out even more for clothes when they’re just going to be sitting in a lecture or lab room all day. And do notice that the article does say, clothes “can” make a difference, not most definitely will. I think it’s important to figure out where you want to practice and what types of patients you want to attract. Like I said above, it wouldn’t be necessary to gussy up for Temple. If you’re applying and are really against the idea of a dress code, make sure you ask the school’s policy on this matter during the interview. And if you’re sitting in a stuffy lecture wearing shoes that won’t bend without breaking your toes, and a noose tie around your neck, take comfort in that you look like a real professional.
Some miscellaneous tidbits:
I know NOVA doesn’t require professional clothes but each year has an assigned scrub color (e.g. all D1s might wear dark blue, all D2’s another color and so on).
Columbia doesn’t have one based on my rounds during the interview.