Students, trainees, or residents might feel uncomfortable asking for accommodations or advocating for themselves.
Wearing the hijab shouldn’t prevent you from participating in any activities or contributing to patient care. But there might be times when you’re asked to change the way you wear your hijab, take off your long sleeve shirt in exchange for scrubs, or wear your hijab differently so that you can “fit in” with what people are used to seeing in medicine.
This should never be the case.
With the proper education, planning, and request for accommodations, hospitals and medical schools should have resources in place for your success.
How should I tell my school I wear hijab and will need accommodations?
First, collect the contact information for people in a position to help. This typically includes your surgery clerkship directors, clinical site directors, the Dean of Students, your rotation specific coordinators or nurse managers, or other similar administrators.
Second, send them an email with the proper information, request for accommodations, and resources they can provide to ensure your time as a student, your clinical experience, and your religious obligation with regards to hijab all align. An email template can be downloaded and saved here (pdf).
Finally, advocate for those that come after you! If you learn of a new hijabi that will follow after you in your school or clerkship, offer support and provide helpful information to ease her transition.
What if my school asks for further information?
Nuanced policy, inventory, and specific recommendations regarding hijab use in the OR can be found on this website. Link them to it!