Medical students walk a long, hard, and challenging (but rewarding) path before graduating.
During this six-year journey, they attend classes and perform practicals at clinics and hospitals. While university classes do not require a specific dress code, clinical rotations require medical students to wear scrubs.
So, when do medical students start wearing scrubs?
Let’s give you a glimpse of the timeline in which medical students in South Africa start wearing scrubs. (Please note that this timeline can differ from university and depends on each institution’s specific rules and regulations.)
First & Second Year
In their first and second years, medical students focus mainly on theoretical knowledge.
They attend classes in basic sciences such as anatomy, physiology, pathology as well as statistics and academic writing.
The practicals performed during these years focus on dissection (using cadavers), histology, and observing professionals in their fields.
As such, students do not need to buy scrubs this early in their education. The institutions usually provide basic scrubs for practical lessons if required.
Third & Fourth Year
In their third year, medical students are introduced to clinical rotations.
This is when they start spending time in hospitals and clinics under the supervision of senior doctors or physicians.
The average clinical rotations follow this structure:
- Internal Medicine: The student learns to diagnose and treat internal conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, and respiratory diseases.
- Surgery: Students observe surgeries and assist in minor procedures.
- Obstetrics & Gynaecology: This rotation focuses on pregnancy, childbirth, and reproductive health.
- Paediatrics: In this rotation, students learn to care for children from newborns to adolescents.
- Psychiatry: Students are exposed to mental health disorders and treatments.
- Family Medicine: Here, they learn about primary healthcare services for families at clinics.
Medical students will need scrubs for these rotations as they will be working closely with patients and will need to maintain a sterile environment.
Fifth & Sixth Year
Students continue their clinical rotations in various medical specialities in the fourth and fifth years.
During these years, medical students do not have theory classes and spend most of their time interning at hospitals. This process is called the “Student Internship”.
The rotations are more advanced, and students are expected to take on more responsibilities as they near graduation.
The fifth and sixth years of a medical student’s education require them to wear scrubs most of the time. This is also when they buy their scrubs and build their professional wardrobe.
When Do Medical Students Start Wearing Scrubs?
Based on the timeline above, students begin wearing scrubs almost right from the start of their medical education.
However, the frequency and necessity of wearing scrubs increase as they progress through their studies.
In the first two years, students may only need to wear scrubs for specific anatomy or practical sessions. However, they begin clinical rotations in the third year and must wear scrubs more often.
By the time they reach their fifth and sixth years, medical students are expected to have a professional wardrobe mainly consisting of scrubs.
Where Can Medical Students Buy Scrubs?
If you’re a medical student ready to build your professional wardrobe, we suggest our medical scrubs at SCRUBOS. You need to ensure you look like the professional you are right from the start! And one way to be taken seriously is to wear SCRUBOS!
SCRUBOS is a leading provider of stylish, quality, comfortable, affordable medical scrubs in South Africa!
It doesn’t matter if you’re a medical student specialising in surgery, paediatrics, dentistry, veterinary medicine, allied health or any other speciality—we have the best scrubs to suit your needs!
Our funky and stylish jogger scrub pants, with its distinctive waistband and comfortable V-neck tops with enough pockets, are perfect for those long shifts in the hospital.
A BONUS –
If you and your fellow medical students buy in bulk, you get a DISCOUNT!
So why not order today?
Let’s start your medical career with our stylish, durable, and comfortable scrubs.