Did your parents attend your white coat ceremony?

[el_duderino]

And cravats.

I want to go up on stage and have some old dude tie a cravat around my neck, then put me in a vest and long black coat.

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[Mad Jack]

Seriously though, my mother *might* attend.

 

[KinasePro]

This is the solution: Bring the black coat back.

I've heard they actually do wear suits at mayo rochester instead of white coats. Can't decide if that'd be awesome or annoying, maybe a little of both.

 

[masaraksh]

It's total pomp and circumstance. Sure, medical school is hard to get into, but that doesn't automatically make the whitecoat ceremony worthwhile. Dental, pharm, AA, PA, and DPT students all have them as well, so participating in the ceremony is no longer a celebration medicine's prestige. The ceremony itself is just an antiquated and melodramatic photo-op. It can be meaningful to your family as others have said, but that seems to be about all its worth.

Look, the nurses are doing it now too:
http://www.remingtoncollege.edu/remington-college-of-nursing-white-coat-ceremony/

I wonder if they'll start having whitecoat ceremonies for the clinical research assistants? Social workers? Speech therapists? The lab techs at the hospital that wear short white coats?

GUURL, YOU'RE FORGETTING PRE-MEDS!!!!!!

EVERY UNDERGRAD IN AMERICA SHOULD HAVE A WHITE COAT CEREMONY FOR PRE-MEDS HOSTED BY THE SCHOOLS PRE-MED CLUB, SPONSORED BY CARRIBEAN MEDICAL SCHOOLS (SINCE THEY SEEM TO BE THE ONLY ONES THAT ADVERTISE ON UGRAD CAMPUSES) AND FILLED WITH TONS OF D.O. BASHING (THAT CLUELESS UGRADS ARE FAMOUS FOR)

 

[fancymylotus]

It's total pomp and circumstance. Sure, medical school is hard to get into, but that doesn't automatically make the whitecoat ceremony worthwhile. Dental, pharm, AA, PA, and DPT students all have them as well, so participating in the ceremony is no longer a celebration medicine's prestige. The ceremony itself is just an antiquated and melodramatic photo-op. It can be meaningful to your family as others have said, but that seems to be about all its worth.

Look, the nurses are doing it now too:
http://www.remingtoncollege.edu/remington-college-of-nursing-white-coat-ceremony/

I wonder if they'll start having whitecoat ceremonies for the clinical research assistants? Social workers? Speech therapists? The lab techs at the hospital that wear short white coats?

....did you just compare me to a lab tech?! so because dental school does a white coat that makes yours mean less? what the f uck? ><

 

[masaraksh]

This is the solution: Bring the black coat back.

Bring back the Ether!

 

[Anastomoses]

Sorry, I don't feel I was influenced by anything when I say this but...the white coat thing...embarrassing. It was exactly the word used by @GuyWhoDoesStuff -poseurish. I felt almost like I was being forced to make fun of myself by wearing it...I mean...I wasn't going into a lab or anything - and I still had none of the "superpowers" those people in white coats have. It felt lame and made me wanna hurry up and get on with the learning so I wouldn't feel like such a loser.

I even hate it when I mention med school and taxi drivers start asking for a Dx that their...uhhh...proper doctors haven't been able to make. Like, I've had 2 taxi drivers ask for a second opinion on crazy stuff. I flat out say "I'm a med student...we know nothing. Your doctor knows 200x what I know".

 

[KinasePro]

....did you just compare me to a lab tech?!

Yeah. I also compared MD's to lab techs. We all wear white coats, right?

so because dental school does a white coat that makes yours mean less? what the f uck? ><

Just saying that if the goal is to celebrate/signify entry into the field of medicine, it doesn't make sense to base the entire event on something that isn't even unique to medicine.

You really have to stretch to be offended by that post, I'm clearly not ragging on dentists at all.

 

[SouthernSurgeon]

Everyone is way overthinking this.

All these things are is a "welcome to med school" celebration for you and your loved ones. With a little bit of pageantry.

This is such an innocent thing that people seem to get so twisted over.

 

[DermViser]

This is the solution: Bring the black coat back.

I would be completely ok with that, seriously.

 

[DermViser]

Yeah. I also compared MD's to lab techs. We all wear white coats, right?



Just saying that if the goal is to celebrate/signify entry into the field of medicine, it doesn't make sense to base the entire event on something that isn't even unique to medicine.

You really have to stretch to be offended by that post, I'm clearly not ragging on dentists at all.

Not medicine, but healthcare in general. I also think it signifies that the expectations are higher, i.e. professionalism.

 

[fancymylotus]

Not medicine, but healthcare in general. I also think it signifies that the expectations are higher, i.e. professionalism.

you're so unprofessional!

 

[DermViser]

you're so unprofessional!

Well also same high professionalism standards for dentists. And thank you.

 

[theSmurfette]

Our white coat ceremony isn't until spring semester of M2. Yet they require you to have a coat by February of M1 for patient encounters.

 

[sinombre]

Our white coat ceremony isn't until spring semester of M2. Yet they require you to have a coat by February of M1 for patient encounters.

I'm assuming the first white coat ceremony at your school took place before there were any clinical interactions in the first two years. And as it has become more common for schools to introduce clinical components into their preclinical curricula (as it seems this is now what all the cool medical schools are doing), the white coat ceremony at your school remained unchanged.

 

[Brain Bucket]

Our white coat ceremony isn't until spring semester of M2. Yet they require you to have a coat by February of M1 for patient encounters.

love it.

 

[sinombre]

love it.

Those standardized patients aren't going to awkwardly fake interview themselves.

 

[theSmurfette]

We have our first patient encounter on Day 6 of school. We have to take a social history basically of an inpt.

 

[HopefulReapp]

Those standardized patients aren't going to awkwardly fake interview themselves.

Just about every med school has a clinic that students are encouraged to volunteer in and get clinical practice. Isn't it appropriate to have the short coat in this situation?

 

[sinombre]

Just about every med school has a clinic that students are encouraged to volunteer in and get clinical practice. Isn't it appropriate to have the short coat in this situation?

Yeah, I think it's appropriate. I wasn't suggesting the contrary... just mocking the fact that most med schools force you to get "clinical experience" before you know anything about medicine, and then brag about how their students interact with real (or fake) patients from the get-go.

 

[EMDO2018]

.

 

[fancypantsdance]

mine didnt...different state...and plus white coat is just a "show" really for family to bask in the fact that their son/daughter/neice/nephew/etc etc is gonna become a doctor.

graduation is the one that theyll attend for sure

 

[DermViser]

mine didnt...different state...and plus white coat is just a "show" really for family to bask in the fact that their son/daughter/neice/nephew/etc etc is gonna become a doctor.

graduation is the one that theyll attend for sure

It keeps the student loan money rolling in. Kind of like Karate, where they invite all the parents to see their little darling break boards and spar so they feel they're getting their money's worth.

 

[EMDO2018]

If your family wants to go, you shouldn't discourage them. Hopefully by now you've grown out of feeling awkward when your family is around your friends because you've realized every other family is the same way (maybe to different extents, but the same none the less). Your parents are just proud and want to celebrate your accomplishments. Even though it may not seem like a big deal to you, it may be to them. If you ever become a parent one day, you'll understand.

It isn't about feeling awkward, its about hating those damn people. They have tried everything to discourage me and get me to fail. I wonder if the admins will care if I don't show up to white coat.

 

[ChEMD]

It isn't about feeling awkward, its about hating those damn people. They have tried everything to discourage me and get me to fail. I wonder if the admins will care if I don't show up to white coat.

I'm sorry to hear that, your case in unique. I was more referring to the people who don't want family there just simply because they don't see it as a big deal.

 

[DermViser]

It isn't about feeling awkward, its about hating those damn people. They have tried everything to discourage me and get me to fail. I wonder if the admins will care if I don't show up to white coat.

Whether you like it or not, you will need your family and support system more than ever in medical school. At least do the emancipated minor **** AFTER you get into residency. Family is good to sometimes tell the realities of things even though you may not wish to hear it. Better than the you can do anything you put your mind to **** no matter what the reality on the ground is.

Seriously, you're going to go for the title of "that guy" with admins, before school has even started? Seriously, I realize not everyone's family life is perfect or optimal, but that's no excuse. Use it as a model to not follow, as everyone else is not going to understand the back story.

 

[Anastomoses]

We have our first patient encounter on Day 6 of school. We have to take a social history basically of an inpt.

That's sort of odd. Real patients?

Do you ask them to name the organ/muscle to which they are referring when they say "it hurts here"?

 

[DermViser]

That's sort of odd. Real patients?

Do you ask them to name the organ/muscle to which they are referring when they say "it hurts here"?

It's only a social history.

 

[DermViser]

True. What a waste of precious M1 time.

You don't have to answer this if you would rather not, I'm only being nosy...but do you really believe your family has with effort and intention tried to discourage you or to design your failure?

I guess it's for medical students to gain confidence and calm the nerves in communicating with patients. Better than being thrown to the wolves in MS-3.

 

[ChEMD]

I'm genuinely fascinated with people (med students) who can't fake a confident interaction with...people who are not even as smart as they are. No offense to the masses or anything.

And the latter question was specifically for EMDO. I suspect most med students have the support and pride of their families, even if not a fantastic upbringing.

It has nothing to do with the relative intelligence between the med student and the patient. Often you go to talk with a patient knowing what you want to ask, but then the patient answers your question in a way that catches you off guard and throws off your flow. You can't always just go on with your list of questions if you have to follow up on something a patient said. It takes practice to be able to conduct an effective and efficient interview.

Interviewing patients (even for just a social history) may seem like a waste of time while you're doing it (I definitely guilty of thinking this), but I think that skill is probably one of the more valuable things you can try to learn during preclinical years.

 

[Arkangeloid]

And the latter question was specifically for EMDO. I suspect most med students have the support and pride of their families, even if not a fantastic upbringing.

Uh, pride is not a good thing. It is not the antithesis of shame, but its progenitor.


It's amazing what you can learn from a children's Nickelodeon show lol.

 

[DermViser]

I can see how some people need it to be refined a little more than others. My socially awkward clinical manner of pursuing information in normal life conversations is finally providing some benefit.

Not really. Asking an educated person the question and asking a patient are completely different.

 

[DermViser]

Uh, pride is not a good thing. It is not the antithesis of shame, but its progenitor.

It's amazing what you can learn from a children's Nickelodeon show lol.

And too little pride is also bad as well and I would say is even more destructive.

 

[DrCharlemagne]

I'm pretty excited for mine, but as an ex-Catholic I have always enjoyed goofy ceremonies with awkward clothing. I get to see my father, who lives across the country from me and has been my primary support person throughout two application cycles, and I get to meet his fiancee for the first time ever, which I guess means I win the first impression game. My mother, a nurse who would have sooner seen me become a garbagetruck woman than a physician, is not coming. Overall, I think it will be a nice ceremony, a great weekend and a decent way to signify the transition from Medical Student (Accepted) to Medical Student.

 

[Arkangeloid]

Oddly, this might be one of the more...interesting things you've ever said. I might reflect on that.

I didn't come up with it, I paraphrased General Iroh from Avatar, damn he was a badass and an inspiration. Also, I guess this pretty much states the point in a different way.



In any case, he's got a point. You're not going to be ashamed of yourself unless you took pride in either what you were or what you wish you were.

 

[DermViser]

I'll refrain from making further assumptions until I've finished this year...but I'd say I have a natural inclination to pursue a piece of information/red flags thoroughly and systematically (not that I won't make mistakes - I will without a doubt - but none of this feels other than the natural course of action to me). I see how others act as if they are learning an entirely new discipline when they ask things...but then I was a journalism major.

Oddly, this might be one of the more...interesting things you've ever said. I might reflect on that.

Asking a real patient, in a hospital, questions is something that can't be replicated by standardized patients, esp. in an H&P where your patient isn't a dedifferentiaed patient, but more a pleuripotent one. Unfortunately in a Physical Diagnosis course in MS-1/MS-2, the student doesn't have any Path background yet to start doing basic differential skills - you get bits and pieces of physical exam pathology (which are usually "classic" pathognomonic signs anyways).

The whole act of asking questions, getting answers (sometimes slow, and a bunch of "I don't know", "I don't remember", or "can't you just look at my chart?") meanwhile ruling things in and out in your head, is what makes medicine more of an art than a science (although Pathology and Radiology are the exception, if you really like only the science of medicine - but even then those fields are not clear cut all the time.)

 

[EMDO2018]

Whether you like it or not, you will need your family and support system more than ever in medical school. At least do the emancipated minor **** AFTER you get into residency. Family is good to sometimes tell the realities of things even though you may not wish to hear it. Better than the you can do anything you put your mind to **** no matter what the reality on the ground is.

Seriously, you're going to go for the title of "that guy" with admins, before school has even started? Seriously, I realize not everyone's family life is perfect or optimal, but that's no excuse. Use it as a model to not follow, as everyone else is not going to understand the back story.

Dude you don't know everything, and you don't know anything about the relationship I have with my family. If I need a support system ill build one, it just won't be my biological family. I won't be telling them anything about med school, they are basically rooting for me to fail,if I want somebody to talk to after a hard day I'll get some friends. I seriously doubt you've ever dealt with anything like my situation.

 

[DermViser]

Dude you don't know everything, and you don't know anything about the relationship I have with my family. If I need a support system ill build one, it just won't be my biological family. I won't be telling them anything about med school, they are basically rooting for me to fail,if I want somebody to talk to after a hard day I'll get some friends. I seriously doubt you've ever dealt with anything like my situation.

I'm not saying I know anything about your relationship with your family. But to stoke the flames on something SO MINOR, is ridiculous. Esp. since med school is nothing like undergrad and you may need your parents help at anytime in some way thru out your four years.

You seriously put out the statement of skipping the white coat ceremony altogether --- it's like you're asking for a target to be put on your back.

 

[WhippleWhileWeWork]

Whether you like it or not, you will need your family and support system more than ever in medical school. At least do the emancipated minor **** AFTER you get into residency. Family is good to sometimes tell the realities of things even though you may not wish to hear it. Better than the you can do anything you put your mind to **** no matter what the reality on the ground is.

Seriously, you're going to go for the title of "that guy" with admins, before school has even started? Seriously, I realize not everyone's family life is perfect or optimal, but that's no excuse. Use it as a model to not follow, as everyone else is not going to understand the back story.

I'm not saying I know anything about your relationship with your family. But to stoke the flames on something SO MINOR, is ridiculous. Esp. since med school is nothing like undergrad and you may need your parents help at anytime in some way thru out your four years.

You seriously put out the statement of skipping the white coat ceremony altogether --- it's like you're asking for a target to be put on your back.

What a strange brew of arrogance and ignorance.

 

[DermViser]

What a strange brew of arrogance and ignorance.

You are free to completely ignore and isolate your family completely. At least don't be a true hypocrite and ask for their help in any shape or form during med school. You can't have your cake and eat it too.

 

[WhippleWhileWeWork]

You are free to completely ignore and isolate your family completely. At least don't be a true hypocrite and ask for their help in any shape or form during med school. You can't have your cake and eat it too.

Nice straw man and nice try, but no. Save your tripe for someone who respects your opinion. I've already experienced your attempts at speaking on something you know absolutely nothing about.

And here we are again:
You know nothing about this guy, his family, or their relationship. Yet somehow you can declare from Mt. Olympus that he's going to need them and pontificate about the virtues of his family being involved during his time in medical school.

 

[DermViser]

Nice straw man and nice try, but no. Save your tripe for someone who respects your opinion. I've already experienced your attempts at speaking on something you know absolutely nothing about.

And here we are again:
You know nothing about this guy, his family, or their relationship. Yet somehow you can declare from Mt. Olympus that he's going to need them and pontificate about the virtues of his family being involved during his time in medical school.

Yeah, like a strawman of you saying the above, when I originally said in my quote: "I'm not saying I know anything about your relationship with your family."

 

[WhippleWhileWeWork]

You know nothing about this guy, his family, or their relationship.

Yeah, like a strawman of you saying the above, when I originally said in my quote: "I'm not saying I know anything about your relationship with your family."

Um, yeah that's what I said.
You should understand the logical fallacy before you play its card.

 

[DermViser]

Nice straw man and nice try, but no. Save your tripe for someone who respects your opinion. I've already experienced your attempts at speaking on something you know absolutely nothing about.

And here we are again:
You know nothing about this guy, his family, or their relationship. Yet somehow you can declare from Mt. Olympus that he's going to need them and pontificate about the virtues of his family being involved during his time in medical school.

Um, yeah that's what I said.
You should understand the logical fallacy before you play its card.

You are free to say and believe he will never need his family ever during his time in medical school. It's no skin off my back either way. No one said that his family would become virtuous during medical school. My point which you obviously missed is that at one time or another it is more likely he will need their help in one way, shape, or form. No man is an island. If you don't like what I say (since you're more than happy to make things up and project), feel free to click the ignore button.

 

[Successful BM]

My parents were planning on going to mine, but they found that they have the opportunity to go to Hawaii during the same time frame. I told them to go to Hawaii instead.

 

[Great White Buffalo]

I wanted to pass on this the white coat ceremony, but as my Dad is faculty at the same school, they already contacted him about doing the honors instead of the Dean. Geez, now he is looking for his "long" white coat to get it dry cleaned - as he is a child psych, he nevers wears his white coat in the hospital.

The ceremony at U of M is put on by the alumni/development office, so this the first foray into fund raising from both you and your parents (the cost of the whole ceremony is $150 which they fund raise for that too!). Welcome to the world of medical development. However, it does give your parents a chance to be publicly proud, so don't deny them the opportunity to enjoy it (that whole "it takes a village" thing)

 

[Pasmal]

It isn't about feeling awkward, its about hating those damn people. They have tried everything to discourage me and get me to fail. I wonder if the admins will care if I don't show up to white coat.

I have a hard time believing you were surprised at the responses you got after giving a vague explanation of how you disagree with most people on this thread (at least those who have a somewhat amicable relationship with some of their family members). If you want DermViser or anyone else to understand your family situation instead of prodding at your logic, perhaps writing more than "I hate my family, they all suck" would be a good starting point. If not then shut up and take the pity party elsewhere.

 

[EMDO2018]

True. What a waste of precious M1 time.


You don't have to answer this if you would rather not, I'm only being nosy...but do you really believe your family has with effort and intention tried to discourage you or to design your failure?

I was born in type of environment where if you say you are going to become a doctor, people look at you as if you are insane. And I'm gonna say this and it will probably start a racial argument, but in the black community, especially impoverished black communities in the deep south where I grew up, there is an overwhelming sense of hopelessness and a brooding mentality of "if it hasn't been done then it can't be done." There is also a very strong crab in a bucket mentality. I never wanted much from my family, I only wanted them to support and believe in me. Just a little support would have made this journey a whole lot easier for me. Yet, when I would discuss my plans of becoming a physician with my family- I would get told I'm not smart enough for it, im too lazy, im too stupid, it takes too long, I have no business trying to become a doctor, I would constantly get sued if I was a surgeon because I'm dumb and there is something wrong with me, etc. I got 3 acceptances this year and never once did anybody tell me congratulations. Not even my own mother( the emotionless drone). They know how long and hard I have bee working towards this. Yet they take every chance to get me to doubt myself, and these are the people I am suppose to bring to my white coat ceremony? F that. I constantly think about why they are like this. Maybe its jealousy? Maybe my own family is jealous of me. I am a first generation college student and I chose to take advantage of the resources available to me ( grants, scholarships, loans, because EFC was always =0) but you would have to be petty and childish as hell to be jealous of the only person in the family who is doing something great with their life. But mostly I think its just hopelessness and im really bitter about their lack of support.

I'm not saying I know anything about your relationship with your family. But to stoke the flames on something SO MINOR, is ridiculous. Esp. since med school is nothing like undergrad and you may need your parents help at anytime in some way thru out your four years.

You seriously put out the statement of skipping the white coat ceremony altogether --- it's like you're asking for a target to be put on your back.

I may invite them to the white coat ceremony, not because I actually want them there, but because it seems like the type of school where you have to keep up appearances. I may show up and take a few pictures to let the administration think that all is fine and dandy at home, when in reality I wish I was born into another family.

 

[DermViser]

I may invite them to the white coat ceremony, not because I actually want them there, but because it seems like the type of school where you have to keep up appearances. I may show up and take a few pictures to let the administration think that all is fine and dandy at home, when in reality I wish I was born into another family.

And that's good enough of a reason by itself to do it. You'll learn soon enough that in medicine a lot of it involves putting your head down, doing you work, and not causing waves. That's in medical school, residency, and beyond.

 

[EMDO2018]

And that's good enough of a reason by itself to do it. You'll learn soon enough that in medicine a lot of it involves putting your head down, doing you work, and not causing waves. That's in medical school, residency, and beyond.

Dude what are you doing up this time of night? Its 5am central time.