COM Dress Code Policy

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The CHSU-COM dress code policy describes sartorial expectations for all university colleges with college- specific procedures included as appropriate.

This dress code applies to all members of CHSU College of Osteopathic Medicine, i.e., faculty, administrators, staff and students.

Policy Statement

  1. Business Casual attire is to be worn by all members of the College of Osteopathic Medicine (faculty, administrators, staff and students) while on campus (Monday – Friday 8am – 5pm), in all patient care settings, and at all CHSU-sponsored events and public events where CHSU has an official presence. Exceptions for Casual Friday at the Dean’s Discretion are outlined below.
  2. All members of the College of Osteopathic Medicine are expected to demonstrate good personal hygiene at all times while on campus, in all patient care settings, and at to all CHSU- sponsored events and public events where CHSU has an official presence.

Definitions

  1. Business Casual attire may include slacks or trousers and some jeans, shirts with a collar, skirts or dresses of an appropriate length but not made of sheer fabric, and tops providing adequate coverage and not made of sheer fabric. Beach going shoes, such as flipflops are not acceptable. Headwear is not permitted with the exception of that required for religious observance, or other classes protect by California state or Federal law.
  2. Patient Care Setting refers to any healthcare setting where actual patients/clients are encountered, Standardized Patients in classroom, Sim Lab or OSCE settings, and the Sim Lab or OSCE rooms even if there are only models present.
  3. Casual Friday at the Dean’s Discretion refers to special dispensations, announced in advance by the Office of the Dean, whereby those not engaging in official CHSU-COM events or external appointments may adopt casual attire for the day.

Procedures

  1. Photo ID Badges
    Student ID Access Card must be worn at all times while on campus and in patient care settings. Student ID Access Card must be visible from the front and worn on the upper torso. Requirements pertaining to Student ID Access Badges are further outlined in the CHSU Safety, Security and Emergency Policy section IV. A. Some labs or student activities may use Student ID Access badges as a means of taking attendance. Repeated failure to wear a Student ID Access badge will be referred the Office of Student Affairs.
  2. Business Casual General Attire (8am – 5pm Monday – Friday)
    Business casual attire, as defined above, is required when attending class except as otherwise provided below.
  3. COM Casual Friday at the Dean’s Discretion
    At the Dean’s discretion, Friday may be a casual dress day; this will be announced in advance. Those representing CHSU-COM at official events or those hosting external guests or engaged in external appointments are not permitted to participate in Casual Friday.
  4. COM Patient Care Settings and Simulated Settings
    Attire is business casual as described above but also includes the following:
    White coat – clean, pressed, well-fitting, and with a name badge (e.g., “Student Doctor XXX”).
    Additional requirements – If a dress shirt is being worn under the white coat, a necktie (long, bolo or bow tie) must be included. If a dress or skirt is being worn under the white coat, the hemline must be visible below white coat.
  5. COM Exam Settings
    Business casual attire: no outerwear and no personal effects either worn or carried (e.g., no watches, no phones in pockets).
  6. COM Simulation Center
    CHSU-COM scrubs may be worn. These are to be purchased from the university, or from a university-approved supplier in the designated style and color specific to the class cohort. Headwear is not permitted with the exception of that required for religious observance, or other classes protect by California state or Federal law.
  7. COM OPP and Clinical Skills Lab
    Appropriate attire must be clean and must include:
    • Shorts which are above the knee [knee able to be exposed during relevant exam] - (no jean shorts, cut-offs, cargo, thick-seamed shorts, spandex, short shorts or knee length shorts that do not allow knee exposure).
      • Material for shorts should be thin enough to be able to palpate through
      • Lined shorts or appropriate undergarments are highly recommended as some labs will involve hip, pelvis, and sacral structural exams and osteopathic techniques
    • T-shirts – should be of thin, non-textured material. Both genders will be asked to remove t- shirts while acting as a clinical practice partner.
    • Sports bras or bathing suit/bathing suit tops for women – these should expose the spine and ribs (not wide t-back styles).
    • Students may wear scrubs (or other apparel approved by the course director, such as loose cover- ups that can be removed in lab) over the laboratory attire when not in the role of the clinical practice partner.
    • When in the role of the clinical practice partner, each student is expected to remove her/his shoes (no shoes are permitted on the tables).
    • Hats or head coverings (other than for religious purposes) are not permitted in lab.
    • Religious head coverings must be modified when necessary to allow palpation when they would obscure the immediate area to be examined or treated (e.g., head, neck, upper back). Modifications can include adjustment of the covering permitting unobstructed palpation beneath the covering; or substitution of a thinner material that allows for adequate evaluation and treatment.
    • Each student must be appropriately attired before class begins. Failure to be appropriately attired for class impedes the educational process and will not be tolerated. Students who do not wear the required clothing will be asked to leave the lab and return when they are appropriately clothed. If the student cannot return in appropriate clothing for a significant portion of the lab, then the student may receive an absence for this lab at the discretion of the OPP course coordinators. If a student repeatedly persists in not dressing appropriately for lab, this will be considered unprofessional conduct, and he/she will be referred to the Office of Student Affairs.
    • The following are not permitted:
      • Denim
      • Zippers o Clasps
      • Belts
      • Underwire