Personal Appearance and Attire

Professional Appearance and Attire

The personal appearance and demeanor of Medical Assistant students at Northwestern Health Sciences University reflects both the school and program standards, and are indicative of the student’s interest and pride in his/her profession.

Any student reporting to the clinical site who is not dressed according to the student dress code will be sent home immediately and will be required to meet with the clinical coordinator prior to the return to clinical training.

A second occurrence will result in disciplinary action to be determined by the program director and clinical training coordinator.

The following list is a general expectation of students. Students are expected to follow individual clinical site dress codes.

Shoes – clean white or mostly white leather or synthetic leather shoes. Shoes should be solid without mesh; no clogs allowed. Dirty, dingy or torn tennis-type shoes are not permitted.
Hygiene – shower or bathe daily. Use deodorant, but do not use perfumes, colognes, etc. Many patients are sensitive or allergic to scents. Most medical facilities do not allow perfumes, colognes, scented lotions, etc. of any kind. As you will be conversing with patients and co-workers, make sure teeth and breath are clean. Do not chew gum or suck on candy while at the clinic.
Smoking – is considered offensive and is not allowed in most medical facilities. Follow individual protocol for smoking during lunch or breaks. If you are a smoker, do not smoke on your drive to the clinic. Make sure you brush your teeth and wash your hands after smoking if you smoke during a break. Cigarette smoke clings to and penetrates clothing; this is unprofessional as well as offensive to patients and co-workers. Ill patients at the clinic are particularly vulnerable and sensitive to cigarette smell on the breath, clothing and body of the smoker.
Hair – must be clean and neat. If hair is shoulder length or longer and/or falls forward into the face, it must be pulled back and secured away from the face. This is both a safety and professionalism concern.
Men – clean shaven is preferred, or beards and mustaches must be neatly trimmed.

Attire – cleaned and pressed uniforms or site approved scrubs. Wrinkled and dirty uniforms are unprofessional and not acceptable.
Pants – uniform pants or scrubs only; pant legs will not be cuffed or rolled up above socks or shoes. Pant legs will not be tucked in socks above shoe. No denim, stretch or sweat type pants or any type of street clothes.
Socks/stockings – must be worn. Wear only plain, unpatterned white socks.
Underwear – no underwear visible – no t-shirts hanging below uniform sleeves. No bra straps visible underneath scrub tops. Midriff area must not be visible or exposed.
Lab coat – clean lab coat must be worn as required by clinical site.
Nametag – student nametag must be worn daily on the outside of uniform or lab coat.
Fingernails – must be trimmed short enough to be flush with the tip of the fingerpad when viewed from the palm side. Nails must be clean and without polish. The possibility of infection is a concern in patient care situations. Long fingernails harbor bacteria and germs!
Tattoos – all tattoos are to be covered with clothing
Jewelry – may be worn in moderation. If student has body piercings, jewelry for only two ear piercings may be visible during clinical training. Absolutely no facial or tongue piercings, seen or unseen, are to be in place. Jewelry is strongly discouraged as it presents safety concerns for both patient and student. Medicine is a conservative business and body piercings are not perceived as medically professional. If you are assisting with a sterile field procedure, remove all jewelry before scrubbing hands and wrists.