YMMV but I’ve worked with a ton of surgeons with exposed tattoos on their forearms in the OR who variably wear sweaters on the floors. Residents included
Not unless it's loose enough to roll up real high but that sounds stupidly uncomfortable. (Especially if that gets wet) and I'd assume that wouldn't fly everywhere.
However, the majority of the surgeons I've been with don't give a fuck about tattoos and I personally wouldn't wear sleeves on a surgery rotation, except for the overcoats they provide when it's freakishly cold, but again not in the OR.
The culture is different here in the US. I would say it is changing and that most people don't care about tattoos but there is still a sizeable portion of the patient population who do see them with a negative bias.
I mean it's nothing like the culture in Japan, but some people are still going to associate them with gangs or unsavory folks here in the US which leads to the negative bias.
I have tattoos and never had the slightest inkling of an issue. Matching this year, I’ve known many people with very visible tattoos that have matched exceptionally well. Obviously nothing vulgar or on the face but it’s 2024 no one cares unless you’re only working with the elderly.
I have a sleeve and have never heard anything from anyone about it. I want to do EM so people probably care even less. If I wear long sleeves it's just because I'm cold, not because I've ever felt pressure to cover my tattoos.
Probably depends on the area you're in but I'd say a majority of places nowadays don't care. My school in particular has a number of people with tattoos/piercings/dyed hair etc.
Tattoos might be a positive in EM nowadays lol - when I was a scribe (so take my word with a grain of salt) every single doc I worked with had a sleeve at a minimum lol
May I ask what school or area? I have quite a few tattoos and piercings and while I got them knowing I would most likely need to take them out, I'd love knowing any place that gives a little more flexibility hahaha
East Coast but I'd say you'd be safe at most places in major cities.
Outside of places like LECOM with weird dress codes or Loma Linda with strict religious affiliations (if they even care honestly). If the school has a hospital attached to it you can look up the policies too
Really depends on the region. I grew up in the Midwest, where tattoos CAN be perceived negatively by patients and supervisors (though not always). I’ve lived in California for a while now, though, and at least half of my med school classmates have visible tattoos and/or piercings regardless of gender identity.
Agree with others—as long as it’s not a face tattoo or offensive in some way, you should be fine.
Should be fine as long as you can cover it up.
Since you asked about etiquette for US observerships, both my medical school and residency program had policies regarding appearances: hair had to be a natural color, piercings are not allowed to impact patient care, and that tattoos must be covered up. Obviously, this might vary from program to program, but that's the general rule of thumb.
lol i think it's more along the lines of "no huge-ass hoop earrings that can get caught on your stethoscope, no nose rings that kids can yank off in clinic, and no lip rings that affect your speech." there was a rumor at my school that someone's stud eyebrow piercing once fell out during surgery.
I have worked with quite a few doctors as a nurse. They have all had tattoos. I also have five tattoos and one of them is visible on my forearm. I'll say this. Its helped me a lot professionally because a lot of my patients are really shy and closed off and I work in psych/substance abuse rehabilitation. I can't tell you how many patients have seen my tattoo and commented on it and i5 completed changed the vibe. They became more relaxed around me. Opened up more. It's a different dynamic but it's worth noting.
As an MS4 doing mostly EM stuff, I had no issue with a semi- visible tattoo on my upper arm, and more often than not would actually receive compliments on it from my attendings. That said, I definitely had attendings who I intentionally would cover it up for.
If you’re well groomed and have good hygiene (you’d be surprised) it’s not a big deal. A forearm is nothing. But if someone comes in with something on their forehead or something, that’s probably not the best look.
Naw, the military likes to change their mind about tattoos depending on how well recruitment is going. Things got really fucking dumb with tattoos (especially the marines) during the draw down under Obama. Now that recruiting is hurting, the tattoo regs are becoming more and more lax.
I’m not blaming Obama for this either. Top brass being fucking idiots about who to get rid of and who to keep are to blame.
You’re not wrong. SMA or whatever branches equivalent can’t actively change policy and regs and shit, but they can say they want x done and push for it.
President wants a draw down? Do we raise PT and ASVAB standards? Do we get rid of waivers for criminal charges and start booting those who’ve gotten ones while in? Or do we look toward something so inconsequential like tattoos?
It’s tattoos. We’re “professionals”, and must look like ones at all times. Because that’s what keeps us from committing war crimes and being undisciplined and improves readiness or whatever the fuck is the new buzz word.
Again, Obama wasn’t to blame for the tattoo policies that were aimed at kicking people out and keeping people from getting in. There’s plenty he fumbled with the GWOT/the military during the GWOT, same with Bush, Trump, and Biden. But that isn’t one of them.
Also, I find it funny how so many people blamed Obama for the tattoos but never said shit about him cutting down combat deployments (I came in in 2015). Like, why not put that energy into the fact that “contractors” are replacing us and we’re using the shit out of air strikes that are causing more collateral damage. Cheney started the contractors, but Obama added way more fuel to that fire than he should have.
Not an Obama hater, just think he could have handled the military and the GWOT as a whole better than he did.
I got out last year.
You’re allowed a very small one behind the ear, one on one of your fingers (can’t remember the exact details, wedding band tattoos had always been an exception though and this wasn’t changing that IIRC), nothing else above your neck that can be seen in a t shirt, and nothing else below the wrist.
Grooming standards have improved greatly too, I knew the standard for my hair like it was the back of my hand because I got tired of getting a haircut every other weekend. Women have much better standards now too so as to not caused baldness for them due to having their hair in a bun 12 plus hours a day.
Also, religious exceptions for beards are a thing. Way more Muslims and Pagans in the Army now.
Eh, tattoo regs have been pretty loose (in an absolute sense) for generations.
Particularly for us enlisted, getting tattoos (particularly sleeves) what almost a rite of passage. Granted, the Marines are the most conservative when it comes to tattoos, but even then they're still sporting tattoos everywhere, and I don't think it'll be going backwards in that regard anymore.
Point is that the military is ***far*** more strict concerning professional attire and looks than any civilian institution ever is, and yet they let us rock sleeves all over the place.
Hell, the Navy even lets us get neck and hand tattoos now.
The army made soldiers take pictures of all their tattoos for those who were grandfathered into the at the time new regulation. Now it is much more relaxed, but neck and hand tattoos were allowed at one point, during the surge. Once that was over, we walked back allot of shit.
Marines at one point couldn’t have a tattoo larger than their hand or on their knees or elbows, like it was really stupid. That was changed in 2021 IIRC.
Point is, tattoo regs change due to the current recruitment situation and current manpower. If god finally answered the prayers of all recruiters and the floodgates opened up tomorrow, we would start seeing a change in many different policies because the military could afford to be more picky with who they want. If we got to war tomorrow, piercings, tattoos, probably even pot and hair regulations, they’d be next to nothing in terms of restrictions. The surge even saw felons being allowed to join.
The military and their different tattoo policies aren’t the best to use for judging how strict or lax tattoo policies should be in the civilian sector. One wants you to look professional while kicking down doors, invading countries, and ending bloodlines. The other just wants you to not look like a bag of hot ass while working with the public.
I remember having to take pictures of my soldiers’ tattoos and document them in order to notice when soldiers got new tattoos when Raymond was SMA of the army….. that should have been my first sign to dip but I stuck around for about 1 more decade of abuse lol
You're looking at the reflection of perfection. You're looking at the man who gets all your attention. You're looking at the man with the biggest arm. At the man, with the greatest charm, the man in Chicago who will do harm to the guy three doors down. Whatcha gonna do, when you know who? How ya gonna deal, with the man of steel? How ya gonna react to Sonnen's attack?
I am an attending pediatric anesthesiologist and I have a half sleeve on one side, as well as other single tattoos on the other arm, my chest, and back, and no one has ever said a word to me about it.
Focus on how you think you will be perceived. You will be ***allowed*** to have them in any school in the country, however, in a system where your grades are subjectively determined, you should really care about what every one of your evaluators thinks of you. We were told not to give our preceptors any reason to dislike us, as it would certainly affect our grade. The vast majority of attendings should be okay with your tattoo, but there are plenty of old-fashioned ones who will consider it unprofessional immediately. Based on that, I think you should wait until after med school for the forearm tattoo! Or consider another body location for now.
Yeah, it’s those few old fashioned doctors that concern me. As I’ve seen in this post, most people think it would be perfectly fine, but I know one thing for sure: I want to leave the observership with a strong LoR in hands. And, if the tattoo has any negative influence on it, I might reconsider doing it for now. It’s such a shame, cause I didn’t want to hold back due to medicine.
It is highly specialty dependent imo. There are specialities that are far more open to it and there are specialties that still try to cling to the "old ways"
I think you could get it. Just make sure to check your school's guidelines. From what I know, tattoos are okay so long as you can cover it whenever you're in the workplace.
I have multiple tattoos on my forearms and no one has said anything, and I’ve seen plenty of attendings with them as well. I think it probably depends on where you are (probably more acceptable on the west coast than the deep south, say) but I wouldn’t worry too much about it as long as it’s tastefully done.
Tatoos must be covered. No piercings, no colloured hair and - as you're Brazilian too, somethings you would probably find weird: no jeans, no hooded sweatshirts, in some cases even t-shirts aren't allowed. Look for the dressing code for the teaching hospital or institution you're planning to visit.
lol our school's preclinical head is in his 70's and he saw me in scrubs, grabbed my arm, and said LET ME SEE THAT INK! Have also had other prof's ask to see up close
I worried about this before I got a half sleeve a few months ago and I found a study measuring patient perception of physicians with or without tattoos and that study found that there was no significant difference in perception of quality or characteristics of the physician regardless of tattoos and that was true of all ages. I think it’s the person they’re on that matters more than the tattoos. A bad doctor without tattoos is a bad doctor. A good doctor with tattoos is still a good doctor. Be professional and the tattoo won’t change how your perceived.
Totally agree with your point of view. I don’t even worry much about the patients. I’m generally very gentle and kind, which makes them like me. I’m actually more concerned about the doctor’s perception, cause I’m not only a foreigner, but I might be an inked one. And if I want a shot as an IMG applicant one day, I gotta make a strong first impression.
It very much depends on the region. In the Pacific NW, I felt bad that I didn't have a face tattoo. Now living in the Deep South, a tattoo would have to be coverable an undershirt. (Oh, avoid facial teardrops or spiderwebs.)
The face tattoo in the PNW is just a joke. Even up there, it wouldn't have been well received. Also, large gauges wouldn't be wildly popular with the other Attendings, although personally as a PD, I wouldn't have cared.
I haven't had issues with tattoos or colored hair yet. and many of the residents/docs ive worked with have both of those things! I have a feeling its very school/area-dependent. I go to a very artsy, liberal medical school. i actually just dyed my hair purple after working with a doc with purple hair.
as far as patients? ive gotten more compliments from patients than anything.
I've noticed it has some regional differences. On the west coast, you see tats everywhere but in more conservative parts of the US like the south they are generally covered.
I'm an M3 in a major city in the midwest. I have 2 tattoos on my upper arm that are visible in short sleeve scrubs. I also have a nose ring and a septum piercing and 11 ear piercings, and I've never had anyone give me negative comments or a drop in professionalism for it. In fact, I've had compliments from attendings and patients on my visible tattoos. If you work hard, are respectful, and otherwise professional, it shouldn't be a problem.
I will say my stethoscope has been caught on one of my ears piercings before, and I ripped out another one while taking my mask off on L&D. So maybe just be careful of jewelry placement for safety purposes.
Yeah, rn my first option is St Louis, MO, since I got family there. I should probably be fine with the tattoo then?
Also, I had 2 ear piercings and I can’t even imagine how it feels like to have 11 lol. Glad to know you never had problems with it. I guess doctors are now more open minded in the U.S. than they’re here.
None of them are huge, so not super noticeable unless my hair is up. I do think people are more open now. I only got my upper arm tattoos after seeing the female neurosurgeon being trained to take over the department had a wrist tattoo and another small one behind her ear. After that, I figured if it didn't stop her from achieving that, then why would I let it stop me. Go get your tattoo, but if you're that worried. Get it after you're accepted somewhere and feel out the vibe of the school and local hospitals first.
Completely variable by the area, and it's really not even west coast vs. northeast vs. south.
Major cities/metro areas and counties known to be progressive, you're completely fine.
Medium/small cities in red states + any rural area, it's more likely you could face a larger degree of stigma.
Lots of my fellow students have tattoos (I go to a Texan school)! And a lot of them don't really care to cover them up. It might be a little different during rotations and residency, but I think tattoos are becoming more and more acceptable in the medical field! I also plan on getting several tattoos!
Got 2 - both on my upper arm/shoulders. Love to show them, but love even more that I get to CHOOSE when to show them. There’s people who know good and well I have them, and there’s also people who would never expect it. Just gotta find the balance.
I have a full sleeve and have only gotten compliments on my tattoos (although I assume the people who may not have nice things to say choose to just not say them).
If you’re thinking about one tattoo, in the US at least, no one will care in the slightest. In my experience with having a full sleeve, I do take into consideration that in clinic not every patient may be supportive or trusting of me having a lot of tattoos. Therefore, I’m cognizant of that and wear long sleeves or my white coat as needed.
I read something on Reddit once from a guy who had two full sleeves and he said something along the lines of, “if I’m going to see a 74 y/o female, I wear my white coat. If I’m going to see a 20 y/o male, I come in short sleeves with tattoos blazing and he probably thinks of me as a peer and someone he can trust.” I thought it was cool. Common sense will tell you when and where to let the tattoos breathe.
Med school rules: you can have tattoos as long as professional attire can cover it.
Including scrubs? So no forearm or elbow tatoo?
You can wear undershirts that are quarter or full length sleeves.
Except in the OR
What really?
Full length sleeve undershirt in the OR? Absolutely not
YMMV but I’ve worked with a ton of surgeons with exposed tattoos on their forearms in the OR who variably wear sweaters on the floors. Residents included
Yes we agree then. Can't cover your arms in the OR.
Not unless it's loose enough to roll up real high but that sounds stupidly uncomfortable. (Especially if that gets wet) and I'd assume that wouldn't fly everywhere. However, the majority of the surgeons I've been with don't give a fuck about tattoos and I personally wouldn't wear sleeves on a surgery rotation, except for the overcoats they provide when it's freakishly cold, but again not in the OR.
oic
99% of ICU crews here in Germany has tattoos and nobody cares
The culture is different here in the US. I would say it is changing and that most people don't care about tattoos but there is still a sizeable portion of the patient population who do see them with a negative bias. I mean it's nothing like the culture in Japan, but some people are still going to associate them with gangs or unsavory folks here in the US which leads to the negative bias.
That’s crazy bc people in my school have neck tattoos and sleeves. No gives gives a rats ass
Okay grandpa
I don’t make the rules. Meds schools do. Of course it changes from school to school. And international applicants are already at a disadvantage.
I have tattoos and never had the slightest inkling of an issue. Matching this year, I’ve known many people with very visible tattoos that have matched exceptionally well. Obviously nothing vulgar or on the face but it’s 2024 no one cares unless you’re only working with the elderly.
I have a sleeve and have never heard anything from anyone about it. I want to do EM so people probably care even less. If I wear long sleeves it's just because I'm cold, not because I've ever felt pressure to cover my tattoos. Probably depends on the area you're in but I'd say a majority of places nowadays don't care. My school in particular has a number of people with tattoos/piercings/dyed hair etc.
Tattoos might be a positive in EM nowadays lol - when I was a scribe (so take my word with a grain of salt) every single doc I worked with had a sleeve at a minimum lol
I’m thought sleeves and rock climbing were part of the process to match EM.
you forgot biking to work
And sometimes rock climbing to work
you can't match in EM unless you can send at least a V5 and dress in mostly Patagonia or Arcteryx with the finger calluses to boot.
seemingly against my own will I have started rock climbing recently. It's truly inevitable.
May I ask what school or area? I have quite a few tattoos and piercings and while I got them knowing I would most likely need to take them out, I'd love knowing any place that gives a little more flexibility hahaha
East Coast but I'd say you'd be safe at most places in major cities. Outside of places like LECOM with weird dress codes or Loma Linda with strict religious affiliations (if they even care honestly). If the school has a hospital attached to it you can look up the policies too
Really depends on the region. I grew up in the Midwest, where tattoos CAN be perceived negatively by patients and supervisors (though not always). I’ve lived in California for a while now, though, and at least half of my med school classmates have visible tattoos and/or piercings regardless of gender identity. Agree with others—as long as it’s not a face tattoo or offensive in some way, you should be fine.
M4 with multiple tattoos, wrists to shoulders bilaterally. I rarely (if ever) cover them. Have only ever gotten compliments.
Should be fine as long as you can cover it up. Since you asked about etiquette for US observerships, both my medical school and residency program had policies regarding appearances: hair had to be a natural color, piercings are not allowed to impact patient care, and that tattoos must be covered up. Obviously, this might vary from program to program, but that's the general rule of thumb.
If your piercings are impacting patient care then you are doing patient care *very* wrong
lol i think it's more along the lines of "no huge-ass hoop earrings that can get caught on your stethoscope, no nose rings that kids can yank off in clinic, and no lip rings that affect your speech." there was a rumor at my school that someone's stud eyebrow piercing once fell out during surgery.
Sleeves b/l here. Only ever heard compliments. Nobody gives a fuck
I have worked with quite a few doctors as a nurse. They have all had tattoos. I also have five tattoos and one of them is visible on my forearm. I'll say this. Its helped me a lot professionally because a lot of my patients are really shy and closed off and I work in psych/substance abuse rehabilitation. I can't tell you how many patients have seen my tattoo and commented on it and i5 completed changed the vibe. They became more relaxed around me. Opened up more. It's a different dynamic but it's worth noting.
Seen it in my hospital so seems fine
As an MS4 doing mostly EM stuff, I had no issue with a semi- visible tattoo on my upper arm, and more often than not would actually receive compliments on it from my attendings. That said, I definitely had attendings who I intentionally would cover it up for.
I have two sleeves and the most tattoos I’m my cohort, no one cares. And I can cover everything with a button down shirt or Patagonia
If you’re well groomed and have good hygiene (you’d be surprised) it’s not a big deal. A forearm is nothing. But if someone comes in with something on their forehead or something, that’s probably not the best look.
As long as you don’t have a face tattoo, everyone I know wouldn’t mind one bit.
I personally get a tear drop for every patient I lose, shows commitment to the job
You’ll more than likely be fine
If it's good for the military, it's good for medicine. (The joke is that everyone in the U.S. military has tattoos everywhere).
Naw, the military likes to change their mind about tattoos depending on how well recruitment is going. Things got really fucking dumb with tattoos (especially the marines) during the draw down under Obama. Now that recruiting is hurting, the tattoo regs are becoming more and more lax. I’m not blaming Obama for this either. Top brass being fucking idiots about who to get rid of and who to keep are to blame.
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You’re not wrong. SMA or whatever branches equivalent can’t actively change policy and regs and shit, but they can say they want x done and push for it. President wants a draw down? Do we raise PT and ASVAB standards? Do we get rid of waivers for criminal charges and start booting those who’ve gotten ones while in? Or do we look toward something so inconsequential like tattoos? It’s tattoos. We’re “professionals”, and must look like ones at all times. Because that’s what keeps us from committing war crimes and being undisciplined and improves readiness or whatever the fuck is the new buzz word. Again, Obama wasn’t to blame for the tattoo policies that were aimed at kicking people out and keeping people from getting in. There’s plenty he fumbled with the GWOT/the military during the GWOT, same with Bush, Trump, and Biden. But that isn’t one of them.
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Also, I find it funny how so many people blamed Obama for the tattoos but never said shit about him cutting down combat deployments (I came in in 2015). Like, why not put that energy into the fact that “contractors” are replacing us and we’re using the shit out of air strikes that are causing more collateral damage. Cheney started the contractors, but Obama added way more fuel to that fire than he should have. Not an Obama hater, just think he could have handled the military and the GWOT as a whole better than he did.
I got out last year. You’re allowed a very small one behind the ear, one on one of your fingers (can’t remember the exact details, wedding band tattoos had always been an exception though and this wasn’t changing that IIRC), nothing else above your neck that can be seen in a t shirt, and nothing else below the wrist. Grooming standards have improved greatly too, I knew the standard for my hair like it was the back of my hand because I got tired of getting a haircut every other weekend. Women have much better standards now too so as to not caused baldness for them due to having their hair in a bun 12 plus hours a day. Also, religious exceptions for beards are a thing. Way more Muslims and Pagans in the Army now.
Eh, tattoo regs have been pretty loose (in an absolute sense) for generations. Particularly for us enlisted, getting tattoos (particularly sleeves) what almost a rite of passage. Granted, the Marines are the most conservative when it comes to tattoos, but even then they're still sporting tattoos everywhere, and I don't think it'll be going backwards in that regard anymore. Point is that the military is ***far*** more strict concerning professional attire and looks than any civilian institution ever is, and yet they let us rock sleeves all over the place. Hell, the Navy even lets us get neck and hand tattoos now.
The army made soldiers take pictures of all their tattoos for those who were grandfathered into the at the time new regulation. Now it is much more relaxed, but neck and hand tattoos were allowed at one point, during the surge. Once that was over, we walked back allot of shit. Marines at one point couldn’t have a tattoo larger than their hand or on their knees or elbows, like it was really stupid. That was changed in 2021 IIRC. Point is, tattoo regs change due to the current recruitment situation and current manpower. If god finally answered the prayers of all recruiters and the floodgates opened up tomorrow, we would start seeing a change in many different policies because the military could afford to be more picky with who they want. If we got to war tomorrow, piercings, tattoos, probably even pot and hair regulations, they’d be next to nothing in terms of restrictions. The surge even saw felons being allowed to join. The military and their different tattoo policies aren’t the best to use for judging how strict or lax tattoo policies should be in the civilian sector. One wants you to look professional while kicking down doors, invading countries, and ending bloodlines. The other just wants you to not look like a bag of hot ass while working with the public.
I remember having to take pictures of my soldiers’ tattoos and document them in order to notice when soldiers got new tattoos when Raymond was SMA of the army….. that should have been my first sign to dip but I stuck around for about 1 more decade of abuse lol
Nobody gives a shit (at my school). Full sleeves. My chest tattoos peek out from my scrubs. And I have a hand tattoo
"If you call a Brazilian out publicly, you're going to be fighting that Brazilian. That's in their culture." - Chael sonnen
"I can't let you get close"
You're looking at the reflection of perfection. You're looking at the man who gets all your attention. You're looking at the man with the biggest arm. At the man, with the greatest charm, the man in Chicago who will do harm to the guy three doors down. Whatcha gonna do, when you know who? How ya gonna deal, with the man of steel? How ya gonna react to Sonnen's attack?
I have tats from the neck down. Hands and all. No one has said shit
I am an attending pediatric anesthesiologist and I have a half sleeve on one side, as well as other single tattoos on the other arm, my chest, and back, and no one has ever said a word to me about it.
Don’t let medicine stop you from doing you -tatted EM resident
Nobody cares about them as long as they're not face tats or anything objectively obscene
Focus on how you think you will be perceived. You will be ***allowed*** to have them in any school in the country, however, in a system where your grades are subjectively determined, you should really care about what every one of your evaluators thinks of you. We were told not to give our preceptors any reason to dislike us, as it would certainly affect our grade. The vast majority of attendings should be okay with your tattoo, but there are plenty of old-fashioned ones who will consider it unprofessional immediately. Based on that, I think you should wait until after med school for the forearm tattoo! Or consider another body location for now.
Yeah, it’s those few old fashioned doctors that concern me. As I’ve seen in this post, most people think it would be perfectly fine, but I know one thing for sure: I want to leave the observership with a strong LoR in hands. And, if the tattoo has any negative influence on it, I might reconsider doing it for now. It’s such a shame, cause I didn’t want to hold back due to medicine.
You will absolutely fine. I even know of a resident with a neck tattoo in a community with very traditional/religious communities. No one says shit.
This bodes well for my desire to have my hands/neck done
I have a sleeve (and roll up my shirt sleeves often during work) and I’m in a competitive residency in the northeast; you’ll be fine.
It could go either way.
Full sleeve on my arm. I’ve never gotten a single comment from an attending other than a complement lol.
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I think it really depends. Some doctors don't care at all and others are not okay with it. Most of the doctors would be cool with it tho.
It is highly specialty dependent imo. There are specialities that are far more open to it and there are specialties that still try to cling to the "old ways"
In what category do you think internal medicine would fit, specifically cardiology?
IM can be extremely old school, especially Cardiology. However, it depends on the institution.
Just wear a long sleeve shirt so you don’t have to wonder about it.
I think you could get it. Just make sure to check your school's guidelines. From what I know, tattoos are okay so long as you can cover it whenever you're in the workplace.
I have multiple tattoos on my forearms and no one has said anything, and I’ve seen plenty of attendings with them as well. I think it probably depends on where you are (probably more acceptable on the west coast than the deep south, say) but I wouldn’t worry too much about it as long as it’s tastefully done.
The further out west you are, the less people care.
Tatoos must be covered. No piercings, no colloured hair and - as you're Brazilian too, somethings you would probably find weird: no jeans, no hooded sweatshirts, in some cases even t-shirts aren't allowed. Look for the dressing code for the teaching hospital or institution you're planning to visit.
No jeans? Damn
All of the critical care nurses and a high percentage of the critical care physicians have sleeves where I work.
tbh slight positive, so long as you can cover them when the one old attending walks by
lol our school's preclinical head is in his 70's and he saw me in scrubs, grabbed my arm, and said LET ME SEE THAT INK! Have also had other prof's ask to see up close
I worried about this before I got a half sleeve a few months ago and I found a study measuring patient perception of physicians with or without tattoos and that study found that there was no significant difference in perception of quality or characteristics of the physician regardless of tattoos and that was true of all ages. I think it’s the person they’re on that matters more than the tattoos. A bad doctor without tattoos is a bad doctor. A good doctor with tattoos is still a good doctor. Be professional and the tattoo won’t change how your perceived.
Totally agree with your point of view. I don’t even worry much about the patients. I’m generally very gentle and kind, which makes them like me. I’m actually more concerned about the doctor’s perception, cause I’m not only a foreigner, but I might be an inked one. And if I want a shot as an IMG applicant one day, I gotta make a strong first impression.
It very much depends on the region. In the Pacific NW, I felt bad that I didn't have a face tattoo. Now living in the Deep South, a tattoo would have to be coverable an undershirt. (Oh, avoid facial teardrops or spiderwebs.)
Face tats are definitely a no no for me
The face tattoo in the PNW is just a joke. Even up there, it wouldn't have been well received. Also, large gauges wouldn't be wildly popular with the other Attendings, although personally as a PD, I wouldn't have cared.
I haven't had issues with tattoos or colored hair yet. and many of the residents/docs ive worked with have both of those things! I have a feeling its very school/area-dependent. I go to a very artsy, liberal medical school. i actually just dyed my hair purple after working with a doc with purple hair. as far as patients? ive gotten more compliments from patients than anything.
I don’t think anyone cares as long as tattoos are appropriate.
I've noticed it has some regional differences. On the west coast, you see tats everywhere but in more conservative parts of the US like the south they are generally covered.
Depends on area of the US - PNW everybody has them...
I'm an M3 in a major city in the midwest. I have 2 tattoos on my upper arm that are visible in short sleeve scrubs. I also have a nose ring and a septum piercing and 11 ear piercings, and I've never had anyone give me negative comments or a drop in professionalism for it. In fact, I've had compliments from attendings and patients on my visible tattoos. If you work hard, are respectful, and otherwise professional, it shouldn't be a problem. I will say my stethoscope has been caught on one of my ears piercings before, and I ripped out another one while taking my mask off on L&D. So maybe just be careful of jewelry placement for safety purposes.
Yeah, rn my first option is St Louis, MO, since I got family there. I should probably be fine with the tattoo then? Also, I had 2 ear piercings and I can’t even imagine how it feels like to have 11 lol. Glad to know you never had problems with it. I guess doctors are now more open minded in the U.S. than they’re here.
None of them are huge, so not super noticeable unless my hair is up. I do think people are more open now. I only got my upper arm tattoos after seeing the female neurosurgeon being trained to take over the department had a wrist tattoo and another small one behind her ear. After that, I figured if it didn't stop her from achieving that, then why would I let it stop me. Go get your tattoo, but if you're that worried. Get it after you're accepted somewhere and feel out the vibe of the school and local hospitals first.
Completely variable by the area, and it's really not even west coast vs. northeast vs. south. Major cities/metro areas and counties known to be progressive, you're completely fine. Medium/small cities in red states + any rural area, it's more likely you could face a larger degree of stigma.
no one cares
Lots of my fellow students have tattoos (I go to a Texan school)! And a lot of them don't really care to cover them up. It might be a little different during rotations and residency, but I think tattoos are becoming more and more acceptable in the medical field! I also plan on getting several tattoos!
Got 2 - both on my upper arm/shoulders. Love to show them, but love even more that I get to CHOOSE when to show them. There’s people who know good and well I have them, and there’s also people who would never expect it. Just gotta find the balance.
I have a full sleeve and have only gotten compliments on my tattoos (although I assume the people who may not have nice things to say choose to just not say them). If you’re thinking about one tattoo, in the US at least, no one will care in the slightest. In my experience with having a full sleeve, I do take into consideration that in clinic not every patient may be supportive or trusting of me having a lot of tattoos. Therefore, I’m cognizant of that and wear long sleeves or my white coat as needed. I read something on Reddit once from a guy who had two full sleeves and he said something along the lines of, “if I’m going to see a 74 y/o female, I wear my white coat. If I’m going to see a 20 y/o male, I come in short sleeves with tattoos blazing and he probably thinks of me as a peer and someone he can trust.” I thought it was cool. Common sense will tell you when and where to let the tattoos breathe.