What Makes a Great Medical Student Headshot?
Your professional headshot is often the first impression you make on residency programs, potential employers, and professional networks. At Kirvan + Photography, we’ve worked with countless Lakehead University medical students to create headshots that truly represent their professionalism and personality. Let’s talk about what separates a great medical headshot from just another photo.
Why Your Headshot Actually Matters
Here’s the reality: medical students need professional photography for multiple critical touchpoints in their careers. Your class composite isn’t just a keepsake; it’s a visual record of your cohort and creates lasting connections with your peers. Residency applications are highly competitive, and your headshot needs to communicate both competence and approachability in a single glance. Your LinkedIn profile and other professional platforms are often where colleagues, mentors, and potential employers first encounter you. Hospital and clinic websites regularly feature staff photos, and you want to be ready with an image that represents you well from your very first position.
The difference between a professional headshot and a casual photo goes beyond technical quality. It’s about communicating credibility and demonstrating that you take your profession seriously. In medicine, where trust forms the foundation of every patient interaction, these visual cues matter more than you might think.
Choosing the Right Attire
When it comes to what you should wear, think classic professional rather than trendy. A well-fitted blazer in navy, charcoal, or black paired with a light-colored shirt creates a timeless look that won’t feel dated in a few years. This matters because you’ll likely use these headshots for multiple purposes over an extended period.
Avoid busy patterns, visible logos, or anything overly fashion-forward that might distract from your face or age poorly. The Lakehead medical students we photograph typically opt for business suits that project authority while maintaining warmth and approachability. Your clothing should enhance your professional presence, not compete for attention.
The Stethoscope Question: To Include or Not?
This is one of the most common questions we receive, and the answer is nuanced. Including a stethoscope immediately identifies you as a medical professional and works beautifully for hospital websites, clinical introductions, or specialty-specific applications. That visual cue helps patients and colleagues instantly understand your role and can make you more approachable in clinical settings.
That said, for general professional purposes like LinkedIn profiles or early residency applications, a clean headshot without props often provides more versatility. Our recommendation? Shoot both versions during your session. Having multiple options allows you to choose the perfect image for each specific context, whether that’s a formal application or a clinical website bio.
How We Approach Medical Headshots
Our studio sessions typically include shooting with multiple backgrounds to give you options. Warm brown tones create that classic, approachable aesthetic you see in many professional settings. Neutral gray backgrounds offer a clean, contemporary look that works particularly well for digital applications and modern websites.
We guide you through various poses and expressions during the session. Some students feel most confident with arms crossed in a classic professional stance. Others prefer a more relaxed, hands-at-sides approach. The goal is capturing images that feel authentic to who you are while maintaining that essential professional polish.
Professional lighting is where technical expertise really shows. We use carefully positioned lighting to create natural-looking dimension, eliminate unflattering shadows, and ensure your features are presented in the best possible way. The result looks effortless and natural, but that’s precisely because of the technical precision behind each shot.
Timing and Preparation Tips
Book your session well ahead of any application deadlines. Rushing creates unnecessary stress and doesn’t leave room for any adjustments you might want. Most medical students schedule their first professional headshots during their first or second year, then update them every few years as their appearance and career stage evolve.
On the day of your shoot, arrive well-rested and hydrated. Take care of any grooming or makeup touch-ups beforehand. If you’re uncertain about outfit choices, bring multiple options. Even if you’re on the fence about using props like your stethoscope, bring them anyway. Having choices during the session gives you flexibility when selecting your final images.
An Investment That Pays Forward
Think of professional headshots as an investment in your medical career that continues paying dividends for years. These images will represent you on applications, websites, conference materials, and professional profiles throughout your entire journey from medical student to practicing physician. The quality of that representation matters, and professional photography ensures you’re always presenting your best self.
We’ve built a strong relationship with Lakehead University medical students over the years because we understand the unique pressures and requirements of your field. We know what works for residency applications, what hospitals look for in staff photos, and how to capture professionalism without sacrificing the warmth that makes you approachable to patients.
Contact us to schedule your session and invest in images that will serve your medical career for years to come.
