Have you worn scrubs in Year 1 & 2?

[LeLu]

Do you wear scrubs before the clinical years? I just bought a pair mainly for the fun of it, will I get to wear them in the next 2 years?

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[smq123]

Do you wear scrubs before the clinical years? I just bought a pair mainly for the fun of it, will I get to wear them in the next 2 years?

I didn't even wear scrubs during gross anatomy - everything that I wore during lab got thrown away, so I just wore an old t-shirt and jeans. Made life much simpler.

You might not even get to wear scrubs during the clinical years - you'll have to wear hospital-issued scrubs for surgery and OB/gyn, and most people end up wearing those free scrubs during internal medicine and peds call.

Just wear them as pajamas. There isn't much of a reason to wear your own private scrubs in the hospital or at school, so you might as well enjoy them at home.

 

[Ashers]

I had about 8 pairs of scrubs from working as a phlebotomist. Wore each one to lab once before it was washed, so none of them smelled bad.

I also wear scrubs as pajamas -- I had a pair specifically dedicated for that.

 

[janedoe4]

Outside anatomy lab, only when shadowing in Ob/Gyn, and those were hospital-issue scrubs.

 

[kdburton]

My preceptor for my clinical practice of medicine is in an ER and I'm taking a pre-clinical years EM elective at school which I wear scrubs to. So I pretty much wear scrubs once a week on average (outside wearing them every day for Gross Anatomy)

 

[DocPsychosis]

You know, if you actually wash them after gross lab, you get to keep them instead of dumping them in the trash. Just a thought.

 

[cpants]

You know, if you actually wash them after gross lab, you get to keep them instead of dumping them in the trash. Just a thought.

Impossible to get the smell out. Plus after a semester of dissection they are gross and stained. Scrubs cost less than 20 dollars a set. The point of them is that you can throw them out when they get messed up.

 

[DoctaJay]

I really only wear them now when I'm in anatomy lab. Once i take my anatomy final tomorrow, I plan on finding somewhere to burn them. Although I'm SoCal, so I need to find someplace that won't start a brush fire that burns half of the state.

 

[Flaxmoore]

Impossible to get the smell out. Plus after a semester of dissection they are gross and stained. Scrubs cost less than 20 dollars a set. The point of them is that you can throw them out when they get messed up.

Really? I wore one set of scrubs for lab, washed them every day, and they're still good. No stains, no smell. I did a lot of the dissection, as well.

 

[GreenShirt]

We have a mandatory dress code: either business casual or school-issued scrubs...so most people just end up wearing scrubs all the time.

 

[cpants]

Really? I wore one set of scrubs for lab, washed them every day, and they're still good. No stains, no smell. I did a lot of the dissection, as well.

Maybe you are just used to the smell.

 

[tkim]

Saw a guy at the local Panera with scrub bottoms and a T-shirt studying for Step I. He looked like a tool.

 

[Law2Doc]

Do you wear scrubs before the clinical years? I just bought a pair mainly for the fun of it, will I get to wear them in the next 2 years?

Some schools even have rules against wearing scrubs to class (to circumvent folks wearing their gamey anatomy scrubs to class). You will want scrubs in anatomy lab, and will want to dispose of those thereafter. Then in 3rd year you will want to use the hospital scrubs, not your own, because you want to be able to return them for cleaning and not bring all the MRSA and blood home with you.

 

[TheRealMD]

I really only wear them now when I'm in anatomy lab. Once i take my anatomy final tomorrow, I plan on finding somewhere to burn them. Although I'm SoCal, so I need to find someplace that won't start a brush fire that burns half of the state.

Or give you a fine like you've never seen before.

 

[IcedTea]

I first wore scrubs in high school lol, I was doing this internship at my local hospital where I got to observe surgeries and help out in the OR.

 

[Rogue Synapse]

Scrubs, at first blanch, may seem kind of cool to wear as you start your medical school experience. Then you realize that opinion is incorrect.

Preclinical med student wearing scrubs = tool.

"But they're so comfy! It's just practical to wear them."
No. The reason you are using that argument is because you are a tool. Hoodies and jeans are pretty damn comfy too.

"But we're going to have to wear them for the rest of our lives anyway!"
Probably not all the time, depending on what specialty you go into. What's the rush, anyway?

"It makes me feel like a doctor!"
You don't get to feel like a doctor until you get blood/fecal matter/vomit (at least) on your scrubs.

"But they're so fashionable!"
Again, this is an incorrect opinion. They are utilitarian, not fashionable. The only reason you might think of them as fashionable is if you want civilians in Panera to notice your scrubs and think you're some sort of cool medical person. I guess if the image matters to you that much...

 

[daman4886]

very well put

 

[45408]

anatomy - yes

Only a few other times, like during shadowing. I don't think they're any more comfortable than jeans and a hoody, so I don't wear them unless I need to. Scrub pants are excusable, I guess, but wearing the whole outfit = terrible.

 

[TXSurgResident]

Preclinical med student wearing scrubs = enormous tool.

"But they're so comfy! It's just practical to wear them."
No. The reason you are using that argument is because you are a tool. Hoodies and jeans are pretty damn comfy too.

"But we're going to have to wear them for the rest of our lives anyway!"
Probably not all the time, depending on what specialty you go into. What's the rush, anyway?

"It makes me feel like a doctor!"
You don't get to feel like a doctor until you get blood/fecal matter/vomit (at least) on your scrubs.

"But they're so fashionable!"
Again, this is an incorrect opinion. They are utilitarian, not fashionable. The only reason you might think of them as fashionable is if you want civilians in Panera to notice your scrubs and think you're some sort of cool medical person. I guess if the image matters to you that much...

Absolutely concur with all of the above.
IMHO, acceptable scrub-wearing behaviour for MS3's and MS4's outside the hospital should follow same guidelines as residents.
My personal rules would be:
1) OK for brief errands on way home from hospital (stopping to pick up food/dry cleaning etc.)
2) OK if going for post-call beers and burgers in a group with rest of your team and you're all wearing them and look like *ss anyway.
3) PJs. What you where in the comfort of your home is your business.

Not for going to bar, regular grocery shopping, THE GYM (=huge douchebag), "studying at Starbucks" (=trying to let hot girl/guy know someday you might be a doctor) etc.
Sorry for the rant- this is a pet peeve of mine, and I was guilty of it in my younger years... but now am very reformed.

 

[tkim]

Preclinical med student wearing scrubs = tool.

Preclinical, *not* during gross, *not* in gross lab.

I knew a guy who used to go grocery shopping in his short white coat. Street clothes underneath. WTF.

 

[cpants]

Preclinical, *not* during gross, *not* in gross lab.

I knew a guy who used to go grocery shopping in his short white coat. Street clothes underneath. WTF.

Wow that is really douchey.

 

[flumazenil]

who the hell wears a short white coat in REGUlar clothes at the grocery store... absolutely no logic whatsoever...

 

[MartianOddity]

I wore them only while watching some surgeries during the clerkship of first year as it was mandatory.

You seriously get too warm in them.

I wear labcoat to classes which have stated it as mandatory in the regulations however, while the majority won't wear them (rule breakers).

 

[Ashers]

I wore them only while watching some surgeries during the clerkship of first year as it was mandatory.

You seriously get too warm in them.

I wear labcoat to classes which have stated it as mandatory in the regulations however, while the majority won't wear them (rule breakers).

Really? I'm always cold in scrubs.

 

[kdburton]

Absolutely concur with all of the above.
IMHO, acceptable scrub-wearing behaviour for MS3's and MS4's outside the hospital should follow same guidelines as residents.
My personal rules would be:
1) OK for brief errands on way home from hospital (stopping to pick up food/dry cleaning etc.)
2) OK if going for post-call beers and burgers in a group with rest of your team and you're all wearing them and look like *ss anyway.
3) PJs. What you where in the comfort of your home is your business.

Not for going to bar, regular grocery shopping, THE GYM (=huge douchebag), "studying at Starbucks" (=trying to let hot girl/guy know someday you might be a doctor) etc.
Sorry for the rant- this is a pet peeve of mine, and I was guilty of it in my younger years... but now am very reformed.

I hate it when I see people at the gym wearing scrubs! Although scrubs may be comfortable when you're laying around your apartment watching movies, they certainly are not comfortable for doing cardio or even lifting weights if you break a sweat. The funny thing is that the people I always see wearing scrubs are the dental students and I don't even know why they wear scrubs. Anatomy is over at my school, so I know they aren't taking anatomy anymore and when I've gone to the dental school where they're working on patients teeth they all seem to be dressed up in shirts and slacks

 

[PharmDstudent]

Techs and pharmacy students can wear them at Walgreens, but I refuse to. However, I did wear them when I worked at a hospital pharmacy as a pharmacy tech, because that was my only option. I wasn't going to push around an IV cart with a button up blouse and slip-on flats.

In my opinion, scrubs = hideous looking get-up. I look so much hotter in a nice pair of khakis or a khaki skirt, so I wear that to work instead. If I wanted to walk around in something that was unflattering and baggy, I'd buy a moo moo dress and call it a day.

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20071110095906AAUxmmS ...I'm not alone.

 

[Ashers]

Techs and pharmacy students can wear them at Walgreens, but I refuse to. However, I did wear them when I worked at a hospital pharmacy as a pharmacy tech, because that was my only option. I wasn't going to push around an IV cart with a button up blouse and slip-on flats.

In my opinion, scrubs = hideous looking get-up. I look so much hotter in a nice pair of khakis or a khaki skirt, so I wear that to work instead. If I wanted to walk around in something that was unflattering and baggy, I'd buy a moo moo dress and call it a day.

Mu'umu'u. Those can actually be quite stylish if you buy a nice one (not a cheap Hilo Hatties or ABC store kine). I wore a nice one to my 8th grade graduation.

I wish I were wearing scrubs right now. As a student on medicine, I have to dress "professionally" every day, but the rest of my team is wearing scrubs.

 

[PharmDstudent]

Mu'umu'u. Those can actually be quite stylish if you buy a nice one (not a cheap Hilo Hatties or ABC store kine). I wore a nice one to my 8th grade graduation.

I wish I were wearing scrubs right now. As a student on medicine, I have to dress "professionally" every day, but the rest of my team is wearing scrubs.

The Hawaiian ones look much nicer. I saw several cute dresses on this website.
http://www.muumuuheaven.com/main/apparel/dresses.php

However, in the South, moo moo dresses look like big nightgowns that women will wear to the grocery store, hair dresser, post office, etc. They wear them while lounging around in their house or running errands.
Urban dictionary's definition:
A rectangular cloth with crude stitching worn by morbidly obese persons.

 

[barasch]

I'm not into scrubs - they're too fashionable right now. I'm going old school - cravat and smoking jacket...

 

[badasshairday]

I wish I were wearing scrubs right now. As a student on medicine, I have to dress "professionally" every day, but the rest of my team is wearing scrubs.

What rotation are you on right now?

 

[Ashers]

What rotation are you on right now?

medicine.

 

[AmoryBlaine]

Scrubs, at first blanch, may seem kind of cool to wear as you start your medical school experience. Then you realize that opinion is incorrect.

Preclinical med student wearing scrubs = tool.

"But they're so comfy! It's just practical to wear them."
No. The reason you are using that argument is because you are a tool. Hoodies and jeans are pretty damn comfy too.

"But we're going to have to wear them for the rest of our lives anyway!"
Probably not all the time, depending on what specialty you go into. What's the rush, anyway?

"It makes me feel like a doctor!"
You don't get to feel like a doctor until you get blood/fecal matter/vomit (at least) on your scrubs.

"But they're so fashionable!"
Again, this is an incorrect opinion. They are utilitarian, not fashionable. The only reason you might think of them as fashionable is if you want civilians in Panera to notice your scrubs and think you're some sort of cool medical person. I guess if the image matters to you that much...

An excellent rule of thumb for wearing scrubs (or a white coat):

If there is any part of you that WANTS TO BE SEEN in your medical garb, it is not an appropriate time to wear them.

If you are studying in a public place wearing scrubs it's b/c you want to be seen.

When I was doing ER I drove in wearing scrubs and you'd better believe that if I needed to pick up some eggs on the way home I was going to do it, but if I was meeting people for beers 3 hours after my shift I found some way to shower and get into some street clothes.

 

[45408]

I hate it when I see people at the gym wearing scrubs! Although scrubs may be comfortable when you're laying around your apartment watching movies, they certainly are not comfortable for doing cardio or even lifting weights if you break a sweat. The funny thing is that the people I always see wearing scrubs are the dental students and I don't even know why they wear scrubs. Anatomy is over at my school, so I know they aren't taking anatomy anymore and when I've gone to the dental school where they're working on patients teeth they all seem to be dressed up in shirts and slacks

scrubs at the gym is gross. I can't think of many thinner materials that you could quickly sweat through. I wear sweat pants so I don't get nasty sweat stains.

 

[Jalopycat]

Not to mention if you are a true medical person who has to wear scrubs everyday, the first thing you do when finished at work is take them off so you don't spread MRSA (or any other invisible disgusting germ) around.

Going to restaurants in scrubs=disgusting. (for the reason listed above)

 

[LeLu]

So now I have two pair. I won a raffle at the shop I bought the 1st pair from. Prize - a free pair of scrubs. So did you guys buy the scrubs you wore in gross or did your school supply them? Did anyone wear nice ones or just crappy ones?

 

[Ashers]

So now I have two pair. I won a raffle at the shop I bought the 1st pair from. Prize - a free pair of scrubs. So did you guys buy the scrubs you wore in gross or did your school supply them? Did anyone wear nice ones or just crappy ones?

I wore nice ones to anatomy only because I owned them from the job as a phleb. We could buy them from the school if we wanted to, $21 or so for an embroidered pair. I didn't buy them.

You can always wear both pair, rotate them and wash them.

 

[sentrosi]

Everyone at my school wore them for Gross Anatomy. We can get them from the hospital's scrub room...so we didn't have to buy them.

I do have a few pairs of my own. I wear the scrub pants a lot because they are comfortable. But I have had to wear scrubs for things aside from anatomy. Like I shadowed in the ER for a while.

 

[SomeDoc]

Scrubs, at first blanch, may seem kind of cool to wear as you start your medical school experience. Then you realize that opinion is incorrect.

Preclinical med student wearing scrubs = tool.

"But they're so comfy! It's just practical to wear them."
No. The reason you are using that argument is because you are a tool. Hoodies and jeans are pretty damn comfy too.

"But we're going to have to wear them for the rest of our lives anyway!"
Probably not all the time, depending on what specialty you go into. What's the rush, anyway?

"It makes me feel like a doctor!"
You don't get to feel like a doctor until you get blood/fecal matter/vomit (at least) on your scrubs.

"But they're so fashionable!"
Again, this is an incorrect opinion. They are utilitarian, not fashionable. The only reason you might think of them as fashionable is if you want civilians in Panera to notice your scrubs and think you're some sort of cool medical person. I guess if the image matters to you that much...

lol, bravo!

 

[la petite mort]

Scrubs, at first blanch, may seem kind of cool to wear as you start your medical school experience. Then you realize that opinion is incorrect.

Preclinical med student wearing scrubs = tool.

"But they're so comfy! It's just practical to wear them."
No. The reason you are using that argument is because you are a tool. Hoodies and jeans are pretty damn comfy too.

"But we're going to have to wear them for the rest of our lives anyway!"
Probably not all the time, depending on what specialty you go into. What's the rush, anyway?

"It makes me feel like a doctor!"
You don't get to feel like a doctor until you get blood/fecal matter/vomit (at least) on your scrubs.

"But they're so fashionable!"
Again, this is an incorrect opinion. They are utilitarian, not fashionable. The only reason you might think of them as fashionable is if you want civilians in Panera to notice your scrubs and think you're some sort of cool medical person. I guess if the image matters to you that much...

My school issues scrubs with its logo, green ones for gross anatomy and black ("Dr. 901210") ones for chem and bio lab, both are mandatory. So I just started and I have to start wearing the black ones immediately. But I've seen some newbies wear them on days that they only have theory classes, looking all smug and ridiculous.

And all the med student body, MSI-IV, wear their lab coats day and night. I've seen them do banking and supermarket shopping with it on. So silly.

 

[Iquitos]

Saw a guy at the local Panera with scrub bottoms and a T-shirt studying for Step I. He looked like a tool.

Then in 3rd year you will want to use the hospital scrubs, not your own, because you want to be able to return them for cleaning and not bring all the MRSA and blood home with you.

Very true. I knew a girl who was a CNA who wore scrubs home after every shift. It was nasty to say the least.

Scrubs, at first blanch, may seem kind of cool to wear as you start your medical school experience. Then you realize that opinion is incorrect.

Preclinical med student wearing scrubs = tool.

"But they're so comfy! It's just practical to wear them."
No. The reason you are using that argument is because you are a tool. Hoodies and jeans are pretty damn comfy too.

"But we're going to have to wear them for the rest of our lives anyway!"
Probably not all the time, depending on what specialty you go into. What's the rush, anyway?

"It makes me feel like a doctor!"
You don't get to feel like a doctor until you get blood/fecal matter/vomit (at least) on your scrubs.

"But they're so fashionable!"
Again, this is an incorrect opinion. They are utilitarian, not fashionable. The only reason you might think of them as fashionable is if you want civilians in Panera to notice your scrubs and think you're some sort of cool medical person. I guess if the image matters to you that much...

Absolutely concur with all of the above.
IMHO, acceptable scrub-wearing behaviour for MS3's and MS4's outside the hospital should follow same guidelines as residents.
My personal rules would be:
1) OK for brief errands on way home from hospital (stopping to pick up food/dry cleaning etc.)
2) OK if going for post-call beers and burgers in a group with rest of your team and you're all wearing them and look like *ss anyway.
3) PJs. What you where in the comfort of your home is your business.

Not for going to bar, regular grocery shopping, THE GYM (=huge douchebag), "studying at Starbucks" (=trying to let hot girl/guy know someday you might be a doctor) etc.
Sorry for the rant- this is a pet peeve of mine, and I was guilty of it in my younger years... but now am very reformed.

Agree

Preclinical, *not* during gross, *not* in gross lab.

I knew a guy who used to go grocery shopping in his short white coat. Street clothes underneath. WTF.

Man I wish I could have seen this guy. I would have done the appropriate thing in this situation and thrown a banana at him while he was in the produce section.

 

[Trismegistus4]

Really? I wore one set of scrubs for lab, washed them every day, and they're still good. No stains, no smell. I did a lot of the dissection, as well.

Same for me. I don't know where this "you can never get the smell out" business comes from. I suspect the thinking underlying it is the same attitude that makes people want to wear scrubs in public: the desire to impress people by making it seem that your activities are more weighty, significant, serious, etc. than they actually are. "OMG! Gross anatomy is so disgusting, and the chemicals are so intense, the smell NEVER comes out of your clothes! Yeah, I'm a pro now!"

Look, the smell is formaldehyde. Formaldehyde is a water-soluble compound. Heck, the embalming fluid, in which it is dissolved, and which is the source of it in anatomy lab, is an aqueous solution. When you wash your scrubs in water, the formaldehyde comes out and is rinsed away.

Our course director for gross anatomy just recommended at the beginning of the year that we wear "something that can be washed" to lab. She didn't even mention scrubs. I, like most students, bought scrubs just because I didn't want to wear old sweatshirts and t-shirts I had previously used for painting, changing the oil in my car, etc. But I wash them after every lab session and they don't smell at all.

If you wear scrubs outside of anatomy lab during the first 2 years of med school, you're a tool. Heck, I'm in favor of going back to the days when scrubs were for the OR only. Enough of these med students and residents wearing them on the general medicine floors just because they're comfortable. People need to re-learn the value of dressing professionally.

Nurses should go back to the little white dresses, too.

 

[sunflwr85]

Same for me. I don't know where this "you can never get the smell out" business comes from. I suspect the thinking underlying it is the same attitude that makes people want to wear scrubs in public: the desire to impress people by making it seem that your activities are more weighty, significant, serious, etc. than they actually are. "OMG! Gross anatomy is so disgusting, and the chemicals are so intense, the smell NEVER comes out of your clothes! Yeah, I'm a pro now!"

Look, the smell is formaldehyde. Formaldehyde is a water-soluble compound. Heck, the embalming fluid, in which it is dissolved, and which is the source of it in anatomy lab, is an aqueous solution. When you wash your scrubs in water, the formaldehyde comes out and is rinsed away.

I think maybe it has to do with the quality of the ventilation in your lab? Because I can assure you, without any underlying desire to impress anyone, the smell in my scrubs was never, ever coming out. Or maybe I didn't use good enough detergent, I have no idea. But I washed those things a minimum of once a week (3 labs/week, with extra time on the weekends) and they came out of the washing machine smelling like an only slightly less unpleasant mix of lab and all free and clear. The oily fat stains never came out either, and I found in general my scrubs just felt kind of... greasy, even straight out of the wash. But again, maybe I missed some big tip on how to get them clean... And maybe our body in particular was an issue as well. For whatever reason, the chemical fumes from ours were worse than most - our group finally got over the eye watering and nose/throat burning after a month or so, but the professors still had trouble with it when they came by to help us, and commented on it frequently. No one ever wanted to look at our body, lol...

 

[Trismegistus4]

I think maybe it has to do with the quality of the ventilation in your lab? Because I can assure you, without any underlying desire to impress anyone, the smell in my scrubs was never, ever coming out. Or maybe I didn't use good enough detergent, I have no idea. But I washed those things a minimum of once a week (3 labs/week, with extra time on the weekends) and they came out of the washing machine smelling like an only slightly less unpleasant mix of lab and all free and clear. The oily fat stains never came out either, and I found in general my scrubs just felt kind of... greasy, even straight out of the wash. But again, maybe I missed some big tip on how to get them clean... And maybe our body in particular was an issue as well. For whatever reason, the chemical fumes from ours were worse than most - our group finally got over the eye watering and nose/throat burning after a month or so, but the professors still had trouble with it when they came by to help us, and commented on it frequently. No one ever wanted to look at our body, lol...

That's weird. Maybe you you should soak them first? Or maybe it has something to do with the oil stains. I have clothes that I've accidentally gotten vegetable oil on while cooking, and the stain never comes out. Maybe smelly stuff gets trapped in the oil.

 

[sunflwr85]

That's weird. Maybe you you should soak them first? Or maybe it has something to do with the oil stains. I have clothes that I've accidentally gotten vegetable oil on while cooking, and the stain never comes out. Maybe smelly stuff gets trapped in the oil.

Yeah, I figure that has a lot to do with it. I got over any fear of getting stuff on me quickly, and our body wasn't lacking in the adipose tissue department, so some days got kind of messy... Either way, I finished anatomy in December and the scrubs are gone, so it's only a memory now!

 

[tkim]

Enough of these med students and residents wearing them on the general medicine floors just because they're comfortable. People need to re-learn the value of dressing professionally.

Dude, wearing scrubs means never having to iron clothes, wear a tie, match your shirt and pants. Saves a f-load of time and money.

 

[Flaxmoore]

Maybe you are just used to the smell.

Even if I were, my wife's sensitive nose would pick it up. She can't handle the smell of formaldehyde.

 

[la petite mort]

Nurses should go back to the little white dresses, too.

Yes!

 

[Ashers]

Last week or something at the VA it was nurses appreciation week, so one day, all the nurses wore the white dresses and the nurse hats. It was weird.

 

[Orthodoc40]

For anatomy lab, I bought an obnoxious bright green pair and threw them out along with my sneakers after it was over. I was going to get the orange set, but it looked too much like a prison suit.

Other times, I will wear hospital scrubs when in the OR, and leave them at the hospital when done, like you're supposed to. And my own hospital scrubs (stolen) I will wear if I have no other clean clothes.

 

[Pontifex Maximus]

In Anatomy, then sufficiently burned, then over the summer in the hospital. Not otherwise.