Standard 

All enrolled Physician Assistant students in the didactic phase must maintain a neat, clean, properly fitting, and modest professional appearance across all didactic settings, including general classroom instruction, physical exam and procedure labs, anatomy labs, and program-sponsored events.

Provisions

1. General Didactic Classroom Attire: Students must wear business casual attire that is clean, properly fitting, in good repair, and free of holes, tears, or excessive wear during all general didactic activities. Students must not wear shorts, sweatpants, athletic wear, leggings worn as standalone pants, casual headwear (unless required for medical, cultural, or religious reasons), or t-shirts, including program t-shirts, unless explicitly authorized for a designated program event.

2. Footwear Standards: Students must wear clean, professional, and secure footwear appropriate for academic or laboratory settings, in alignment with course syllabi and applicable safety requirements.

3. Approved Scrub Attire: Students must wear program-approved scrubs featuring the official vendor-embroidered logo when scrub attire is permitted. Students may wear program-approved scrubs in Semester I classes, anatomy labs, physical exam labs, procedure labs, and pre-approved special events, but must not wear scrubs of any type in general didactic classes during subsequent terms. Non-program scrubs are strictly restricted to the anatomy lab. Please refer to Table 1 below for additional clarification.

4. Grooming and Personal Hygiene: Students must maintain neatly trimmed facial hair and keep fingernails clean and trimmed to a safe, functional length for physical examinations and clinical skills practice. Students must use fragrances, perfumes, colognes, and scented lotions sparingly or avoid them entirely to prevent environmental disruptions and allergic reactions.

5. Attire Modifications and Accommodations: Students seeking temporary attire adjustments for specific simulation or clinical skills events must obtain prior authorization from course instructors or program leadership. Students requesting ongoing attire accommodations for medical, cultural, or religious reasons must consult the Didactic Coordinator or Program Director to establish an approved plan.

Enforcement 

• Students who demonstrate initial or minor deviations from appearance standards will receive direct verbal redirection from faculty or staff as informal coaching. Students who engage in continuous or persistent non-compliance with professional appearance expectations face a formal referral to a Success Coach or the Progression & Accountability Council (PAC), in accordance with the Standard of Professionalism & Behavior.