#  Cary Crall 

HMS MD'16

 

 

 



   ![Cary Crall has one foot on a chair armrest with one hand resting on that lifted leg and his other hand on his hip. He is wearing bright red nail polish and has colorful blue polka dotted socks.](/sites/g/files/omnuum11411/files/styles/hwp_4_5__480x600/public/2026-05/25.Cary-Crall-Questions.jpg?h=16f098c7&itok=Az_OW05u) 

 



 





 

One day, during my third year clinical rotations, I accidentally arrived at the hospital wearing bright red finger nail polish. The night before I had performed in drag for a fundraiser for LGBTQ homeless youth and had fallen asleep without being able to locate the nail polish remover. That day, as I self-consciously tried to hide my fingernails from the residents and patients I treated, I couldn't help but think of my time as a closeted Mormon missionary struggling to hide my many innate mannerisms and vocalizations that could possibly identify me as gay.

Much like Harvard medical students, Mormon missionaries are expected to dress "professionally" in a manner that identifies them as one who respects the solemnity of their work. The suit and tie were as much a uniform as the white coat and stethoscope. Within the strict dress guidelines, the only place for self-expression left to me was in the selection of my socks-always polka-dotted, often colorful. Ultimately, I didn't feel a place for me in Mormonism, a culture that seemed too rigid to accept some of the most important parts of who I am. I still wear these socks in the hospital today, as a reminder that my ability to be myself is just as important as my ability to fit in.

Like many people who find themselves in the minority, my struggle of developing an authentic professional identity is a constant balancing act between adjusting my behavior to fit the norms of the hospital and allowing my true self to shine through. Straying too far either way can hurt patient care, as patients need a team caring for them that is both unified and diverse to meet their whole range of needs. I believe that hospital culture must work to balance these principles as well. Because if we can't make men who wear nail polish feel comfortable in our presence, we're going to lose all that they have to contribute.



 

 

 



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- ## Person Categories
    
     [Dimensions](/person-categories/dimensions)
- ## Institution
    
     [Harvard Medical School](/institution/harvard-medical-school)