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UMSV 202 Dress Code

Policy Name: Dress Code
ARC-PA Standard: A3.06
Date Reviewed and Adopted: 07-01-2023

As representatives of a Professional Medical Graduate Program here at the University of Mount Saint Vincent, the image that you project must be a professional one. It is important to note that presenting yourself as a professional in all manners of appearance, conversation, reaction to criticism, respect for authority, and compassion for all patients and families you come into contact with will project not only upon yourselves, but also upon the reputation of the University of Mount Saint Vincent Physician Assistant Program.

Didactic Year Attire (in the classroom)

  • Half-length white lab coats with the UMSV PA Program Patch attached to the sleeve and program ID tags clearly identifying the wearer as a University of Mount Saint Vincent Physician Assistant Student are required and will be worn while within the confines of UMSV.
  • Attire will conform to that of “business casual.”
  • Men should wear conservative slacks and shirts (either collared or button-down), ties are not required.
  • Women should wear conservative slacks/skirts/dresses with shirts/blouses.
  • Both men and women should avoid clothes that are revealing.
  • Athletic wear (jogging pants, sweatshirts, hoodies, etc.) are not permitted.
  • Clean dress athletic shoes (black sneakers with a black sole are the only permitted athletic shoe gear).
  • Head apparel to be worn for religious reasons are allowed.

Dress Code for PD Lab

  • Scrub attire is preferred during all lab sessions.
  • Sneakers may be worn during lab.
  • Half-length white lab coats with the UMSV PA Program Patch attached to the upper right sleeve must be worn.
  • Program ID tags clearly identifying the wearer as a University of Mount Saint Vincent Physician Assistant Student are required.
  • Half-length white lab coats must be neat and clean and free of all stains.

Didactic Year Attire (clinical experience)

At certain times during the didactic year of study, students will be introduced into the clinical environment during select clinical shadowing experiences with principal faculty. During these times, students will be interacting with other medical professionals within a medical facility to get a better understanding of the duties and responsibilities of a physician assistant student.

Students who will be participating in these shadowing experiences are expected to maintain a professional appearance and demeanor at all times. Specific attire will be required:

  • Half-length white lab coats with the UMSV PA Program Patch attached to the upper right sleeve.
  • Program ID tags clearly identifying the wearer as a University of Mount Saint Vincent Physician Assistant Student are required.
  • Half-length white lab coats must be neat and clean and free of all stains.
  • Men will dress in business casual slacks (no jeans, or shorts) and no sneakers or open-toed shoes will be permitted. Shirts and ties must be worn at all times, along with socks and shoes.
  • Women should wear conservative slacks/skirts/dresses with shirts/blouses (skirts should be of a conservative length and shirts and blouses should be conservative). No shorts, sneakers, or open- toed shoes will be permitted. Heel height should be conservative.
  • Both men and women should avoid clothes that are revealing.

Clinical Year Attire

  • In some clinical locations certain surgical attire (scrubs) may be required, in this instance the student will follow the protocol of the clinical rotation.
  • Men should wear conservative slacks (no jeans) and shirts.
  • Women should wear slacks/skirts with shirts/blouses (skirts should be of a conservative length).
  • No sneakers or open toed shoes are permitted, shoes must be worn with socks or stockings; heel height should be conservative (2-inch).
  • Jewelry, make-up, and cologne are best if conservative and subtle.
  • Hair for both men and women should be worn in a neat, conservative style.
  • Half-length white lab coats with program patches and program ID tags clearly identifying the wearer as a University of Mount Saint Vincent Physician Assistant Student are required unless otherwise directed by the clinical preceptor.

Clinical supervisors, preceptors, or PA Program faculty reserve the right to remove any student from a clinical site/experience who is not appropriately dressed. If a student is sent home due to inappropriate attire, the student will have to make-up any clinical work, assignments, or experiences for the missed day. Any such episodes will be documented in the student’s file.

Identification

Physician assistant students should be identified by a clearly marked program identification badge while on clinical experiences at other institutions. At a minimum, students will introduce themselves as physician assistant students and sign all documentation with their legible full signature followed by ‘PA- S’ or ‘PA student’. Students should clearly display their current UMSV identification while on campus.

At no time should a student, either by virtue of his or her skills or knowledge attained while progressing through the program, misrepresent him or herself as being other than a physician assistant student.

While in the program, students may not use previously earned titles (i.e. RN, MD, DC, DPM, DDS, PhD, etc.) Failure to identify oneself appropriately or misrepresenting oneself will result in either professional probation or possible dismissal from the Program.

Some clinical sites issue students their own ID cards and the student should have this ID displayed at all times while in the facility.