I went pink.
I think it's safe to say I shocked some people with this decision, including myself.
Anytime I have seen other girls with "pink ombre" hair or a similar colored hair style, I always thought it was pretty, but even more so, I found it playful, whimsical, and light-hearted...happy even. And if you know me pretty well, hopefully you can agree that my personality may also fit that description, or at least I try to remember to keep as light-hearted a perspective as a 20-something girl in medical school can have (spoiler: it's kind of difficult at times).
But I was always too nervous to stray from my normal blonde hair for fear of being viewed as unprofessional, wild, or rebellious, because that seems to be the general stereotype for any color of hair that isn't brunette, blonde, black, or red... and I don't mean cherry red. And as someone who wanted to get into medical school, be taken seriously, and viewed as being responsible, then having pink hair was out of the question.
This blog post is actually not about stereotypes or breaking stereotypes, etc. That is a much more complicated topic for a different time. Especially in the medical world. In fact, I have to admit that part of my decision was made on the basis that come July when I start hospital rotations, pink hair will be viewed as a big no-no.
This post is actually about being true to yourself, other people's opinions be damned.
After spending way too much time and effort worrying about what other people thought about how I acted, how I looked, and what I said, I decided to just not care so much any more and do what makes me happy. So I dyed (part of) my hair pink.
It may not fit with the quiet, non-cursing (other than my use of the word "damn" above), med student that many people see, but it's just another way for me to show my inner self on the outside. It may be a self that not everyone knows and even one that I'm still learning about, but it's still just me, and I make no apologies or excuses for that.
So the next time you second guess doing something that will make you happy because you are afraid of what other people may think: don't. Be a little bold and dye your hair pink.
I think it's safe to say I shocked some people with this decision, including myself.
Anytime I have seen other girls with "pink ombre" hair or a similar colored hair style, I always thought it was pretty, but even more so, I found it playful, whimsical, and light-hearted...happy even. And if you know me pretty well, hopefully you can agree that my personality may also fit that description, or at least I try to remember to keep as light-hearted a perspective as a 20-something girl in medical school can have (spoiler: it's kind of difficult at times).
But I was always too nervous to stray from my normal blonde hair for fear of being viewed as unprofessional, wild, or rebellious, because that seems to be the general stereotype for any color of hair that isn't brunette, blonde, black, or red... and I don't mean cherry red. And as someone who wanted to get into medical school, be taken seriously, and viewed as being responsible, then having pink hair was out of the question.
This blog post is actually not about stereotypes or breaking stereotypes, etc. That is a much more complicated topic for a different time. Especially in the medical world. In fact, I have to admit that part of my decision was made on the basis that come July when I start hospital rotations, pink hair will be viewed as a big no-no.
This post is actually about being true to yourself, other people's opinions be damned.
After spending way too much time and effort worrying about what other people thought about how I acted, how I looked, and what I said, I decided to just not care so much any more and do what makes me happy. So I dyed (part of) my hair pink.
It may not fit with the quiet, non-cursing (other than my use of the word "damn" above), med student that many people see, but it's just another way for me to show my inner self on the outside. It may be a self that not everyone knows and even one that I'm still learning about, but it's still just me, and I make no apologies or excuses for that.
So the next time you second guess doing something that will make you happy because you are afraid of what other people may think: don't. Be a little bold and dye your hair pink.
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