Do I have to wear my White coat as a physician?

[Robotman]

Is it possible to never have to wear your white coat in the hospital but only for certain occasions such as meetings or conventions?

I hate wearing my white coat during hospital rotations.

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[JP2740]

Yea I've seen some docs do this. Some hospitals have dress code rules. Idk if they include this.

 

[W19]

I think I read somewhere that the white coat projects confidence especially when you are seeing a patient the first time... I don't know how true is that, but I won't wear white coat anyway unless it's mandated by the institution I will be working at.

 

[Jabbed]

With the way medical hierarchy is changing, you'll probably be able to identify doctors as the only ones who aren't wearing white coats.

 

[Priapism4tooLong]

Are you robotman or robotwoman?

 

[HoboCommander]

They did research showing that the white coat garners patient trust. This is especially pronounced in the pediatric population, where children much prefer that their doctors wear white coats.

 

[sinombre]

Are you robotman or robotwoman?

RobotGangaMaster

 

[Robotman]

Does Versace make a white coat?

 

[Psyche Estrelle]

As a med student I would definitely err on the side of wearing it until you're told it's ok not to (such as on psych or peds rotations).

In general, I too think the white coat is super overrated and avoided wearing it during residency (mostly to not get recognized as a doctor on the wards 😉 ) BUT some jobs will definitely have a dress code mandating that doctors/healthcare providers must wear white coats... so you may be stuck even after med school. Depends on your specialty of course.

 

[Mass Effect]

Most psychiatrists don't wear white coats.

 

[mimelim]

Once you are in practice, you can do what you please, for the most part.

I wear mine to our department conference once a week because our chairman prefers all attendings/residents/medical students to wear white coats. This is for practical reasons as there are a good 20+ non-physicians (mostly reps) in the room and they need to know who they can pimp. 😉 Other than that, I really only wear my white coat when I'm cold, which seems to be maybe a couple of times a month.

Take my experience with a huge grain of salt, because I also wear scrubs every day and other than presenting at conferences out of town, haven't worn a tie in umm... 3 years...

 

[DermViser]

They did research showing that the white coat garners patient trust. This is especially pronounced in the pediatric population, where children much prefer that their doctors wear white coats.

I've heard the opposite. Mainly bc the kids think they are going to get vaccinations. So they associate vaccinations with white coats.

 

[Psyche Estrelle]

I too remember reading a study done using patient surveys that concluded that, based purely on physical appearance, (adult) patients are most likely to think a doctor is competent if he/she is wearing a white coat. Scrubs came in second place. All other attire was ranked lower. I don't have the study offhand to link.

Either way, I still can't stand them 😉 They get so filthy!

 

[sinombre]

I've heard the opposite. Mainly bc the kids think they are going to get vaccinations. So they associate vaccinations with white coats.

I've heard the opposite as well. Honestly I think he intentionally posts wrong information to get responses out of people.

edit: for pediatrics specifically

 

[DermViser]

I've heard the opposite as well. Honestly I think he intentionally posts wrong information to get responses out of people.

edit: for pediatrics specifically

Yeah, pretty much. I don't know if it's purposefully to get a response, but yes.

 

[Jabbed]

I've heard the opposite as well. Honestly I think he intentionally posts wrong information to get responses out of people.

edit: for pediatrics specifically

I've heard this anecdotally for peds in the context of gaining the parents' trust. He might have misread an abstract or something.

 

[sinombre]

I've heard this anecdotally for peds in the context of gaining the parents' trust. He might have misread an abstract or something.

That's a good point, and I might be wrong as well. But he does have a pretty remarkable posting history.

 

[HoboCommander]

Look at this paper showing patient preference for white coats among pediatricans:

http://www.atmph.org/article.asp?is...lume=6;issue=5;spage=508;epage=512;aulast=Obu

The conclusion is that both the children and the parents preferred their doctor wear the white coat.

 

[HoboCommander]

Paper studying ICU doctors also showing patients associated the white coat with greater knowledge, honesty, and trust:
http://archinte.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1653992

Just wear a white coat. Forget about fashion.

 

[Jabbed]

Look at this paper showing patient preference for white coats among pediatricans:

http://www.atmph.org/article.asp?is...lume=6;issue=5;spage=508;epage=512;aulast=Obu

The conclusion is that both the children and the parents preferred their doctor wear the white coat.

I don't know how applicable a Nigerian social study is going to be to American demographics..

 

[HoboCommander]

There are more papers if you guys are interested in reading about the importance of wearing the white coat. Please wear a white coat.

 

[SouthernSurgeon]

I wear my white coat with the buttons buttoned.

Like a boss.

 

[jw3600]

Do you have to continue making threads?

 

[67552931811]

There are more papers if you guys are interested in reading about the importance of wearing the white coat. Please wear a white coat.

I was just at a hospital where the docs there wear light blue coats. So much easier to distinguish them from the hoards of white coat wearers. I'm 99% sure I saw a chaplain wearing one the other day.....

 

[DermViser]

That's a good point, and I might be wrong as well. But he does have a pretty remarkable posting history.

I liked his mean surgeons post the most. You would think surgeons were spawns of Satan from that post.

 

[DermViser]

I wear my white coat with the buttons buttoned.

Like a boss.

You don't wear it unbuttoned so that it flys in the wind like a cape when you're walking fast?

 

[nemo123]

If you work at Mayo, then you'll never wear a white coat!

 

[DermViser]

If you work at Mayo, then you'll never wear a white coat!

You'll just wear an actual suit. Every day.

 

[DermViser]

Once you are in practice, you can do what you please, for the most part.

Yeah, private practice.

 

[fancymylotus]

In the unfortunate event that I have to deal with a small screaming monster(pediatric pt), I usually take my white coat off so they don't flip out, at least when I first walk in the room. Then, if I'm not already wearing scrubs, I put a scrub top on over whatever I'm wearing and work in that.

Leave my scrubs at work, coz laundry service takes them from there.

Only really wear white coat for consults or to talk to pts. Don't ever do any actual work in it.

Wait who am I kidding, I don't do any actual work ever! Ha

 

[Frazier]

In regards to patient preference, depends on the specialty. I've heard the "internists come off more professional in white coats" thing. However, I've also read that patients, aggregated, prefer a psychiatrist without the white coat.

Psychology can be a funny thing.

 

[TheShaker]

You don't wear it unbuttoned so that it flys in the wind like a cape when you're walking fast?

Why not just wear an actual cape?

 

[TheShaker]

I wear my white coat with the buttons buttoned.

Like a boss.

Do white coats work like suits where you unbutton when you sit down?

 

[sinombre]

Do white coats work like suits where you unbutton when you sit down?

I was thinking the same thing. I guess surgeons never actually sit down.

 

[DermViser]

In regards to patient preference, depends on the specialty. I've heard the "internists come off more professional in white coats" thing. However, I've also read that patients, aggregated, prefer a psychiatrist without the white coat.

Psychology can be a funny thing.

Probably bc Psychiatry requires trust. No one likes thinking they might be committed.

 

[circulus vitios]

I hate wearing my white coat. It's ugly and it breathes like **** so I sweat like crazy.

 

[PlutoBoy]

Love these Robothreads keep em coming 😀

 

[SouthernSurgeon]

You don't wear it unbuttoned so that it flys in the wind like a cape when you're walking fast?

Like a slob?

 

[DermViser]

Like a slob?

This is hardly slobby:

 

[Psai]

Why would you wear a white coat as a physician? You might be mistaken for a respiratory therapist or a dietician

 

[KnuxNole]

Is it possible to never have to wear your white coat in the hospital but only for certain occasions such as meetings or conventions?

I hate wearing my white coat during hospital rotations.

I rarely wear my white coat. Either dress clothes(dress shirt, polo or zipper sweater + dress pants) or scrubs.

 

[AlmostAnMD]

One of the biggest deciding factors for me for residency was comfort. I've always hated playing dress-up. I hate ties. Frank Lloyd Wright said about ties, "form follows function." I totally agree.

One of the main things that pushed me away from IM was that my desired location requires ties to be worn in clinic by all residents. F that. I want my neck to be free.

Meanwhile, rotating through the ER, none of the docs wore white coats or ties. Residents wore scrubs, attendings looked indistinguishable from the homeless people we were treating. It was perfect

 

[KnuxNole]

Yeah, ties blow...they are suffocating. I do rock the occasional bow tie(not at work) 😀

 

[fancymylotus]

yeah ties suck, one more thing that gets in my way of getting his clothes off.

uh...i mean...they look so professional and nice! 😀

 

[tequilaonice]

So just my two cents, but I went to a medical school interview recently and the student tour guides were required to wear white coats. Later, when they took them off for lunch, they just looked five years younger and blended right in with the premeds. There was something magical about that white coat transformation.

But from another perspective, we were required to wear white coats for my brief nursing school career and I always felt like a poser. White coats are pretty universal at this point.

 

[Kahreek]

house wanabee

 

[Kaustikos]

White coats aren't "mandatory" per say... But they're something you should wear. If you don't wear it because you're coming into a hospital or had to go to an emergency, that's fine. However, as a medical student or intern, it can come across as arrogant or lazy. Arrogant because you feel like you're better than the rules. Lazy because you couldn't do the one thing you should do. I'm not talking about one time ordeals, either.
I don't have a problem with it. My problem is certain hospitals condemning you if you don't wear a tie 100%. I like wearing them and I almost always do, but I get livid when I forget to wear a tie one day and an attending has to remind me of it. Like, Jesus ****ing christ, I know I forgot it. I already feel bad. Don't lecture me.


But he still did.

 

[NontradCA]

This is hardly slobby:

Right. If only medicine were full of Jason Stahams and hot nurses who weren't satan spawn.

 

[DermViser]

Right. If only medicine were full of Jason Stahams and hot nurses who weren't satan spawn.

Oh lol! I didn't even know that was from a movie. It was from a NY Times article.

 

[Raryn]

White coats aren't "mandatory" per say... But they're something you should wear. If you don't wear it because you're coming into a hospital or had to go to an emergency, that's fine. However, as a medical student or intern, it can come across as arrogant or lazy. Arrogant because you feel like you're better than the rules. Lazy because you couldn't do the one thing you should do. I'm not talking about one time ordeals, either.
I don't have a problem with it. My problem is certain hospitals condemning you if you don't wear a tie 100%. I like wearing them and I almost always do, but I get livid when I forget to wear a tie one day and an attending has to remind me of it. Like, Jesus ******* christ, I know I forgot it. I already feel bad. Don't lecture me.


But he still did.

Dress codes are completely an institutional thing, not an "all doctors" thing. Generally, the further east you go the more formal it is.

I'm in residency on the west coast and while I do generally wear my white coat (for the pockets), outside of clinic I'm always in scrubs. And I haven't worn a tie outside of a wedding since I was a sub-i during M4 year.