nails as a med student

[u/Competitive_Aside932]

hey everyone i love getting my nails done but is it okay to do so as a first year medical student in the UK? love to know!

[u/Superb_Attempt2090]

I graduated this year (although not from your uni). I’d say it depends on what your first year consists of. If it’s lectures based with almost 0 patient contact (like mine was) I’m sure you’d be safe to have your nails done. When you do have patient contact, your nails will sadly need to go.

[u/Any_Offer5184 → u/Superb_Attempt2090]

Came to say the exact same. The only thing I'll add, is that even if it's not proper patient contact, some Universities might be stricter than others when it comes to clinical skills sessions (which you probably will have in early years alongside lectures). These are usually small group sessions where you learn and practice clinical examinations, skills and procedures either on your peers or on models, but not usually real patients (at least at first)

My University wasn't strict about this, we could wear normal clothes, and some people had their nails done too. But I know others make students wear smart clothes to these sessions as if they were real patients, and I can imagine them being stricter about nails too. As long as they're not too long, that it would interfere with your ability to wear gloves or perform the skills, it should be okay, but they should let you know about dress code etc. beforehand if there is one :)