MD & DO Is daily scrub attire are now universally acceptable on inpatient services? (in lieu of dress clothes)

[Redpancreas]

Some good things came out of COVID. Hygiene practices improved. Video conferencing became more widely accepted. Some companies have announced work-from-home's the new normal. Most medical schools/residency programs pre-COVID advised us that dress clothes needed to be worn on inpatient wards. Somewhere during COVID, people just said screw it, scrubs every day...and it stuck

1.) What's your hospital doing? (yes, I know most places haven't announced an official policy but what's the vibe)?
2.) What's your opinion on the matter?
3.) Please feel free to delete if this is against ToS, but shameless note...FIGS is an IPO as of this Friday. July 1st is also coming up.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Cath Up]

Community hospital I rotate in accepts all scrubs all the time except on the inpatient psych unit where you can wear business-y attire if you want, but scrubs also accepted there. Obviously the neurologists and nephrologists continue to wear plaid shirts and khaki pants though. I wouldn't want to live in a world that deprived them of that.

I support all scrubs all the time though think the fashionista race to the bottom with scrubs is annoying. I personally preferred life when no one felt any pressure to make a fashion statement with hospital work attire, but here we are ("ooh, they have shorter sleeves and tighter fabric around their ankles, amazing"). Not a huge deal.

I also wish white coats had some meaning too. The social workers, chaplain services, and everyone else under the sun wear them in my hospital. But this is an old phenomenon. Oh well.

Also for what it's worth not only are ties microbially gross, in my opinion they almost always look worse than a top button unbuttoned dress shirt.

 

[Banco]

I mean, it makes sense to have scrubs/hospital clothing on inpatient services honestly. Hope it sticks.

Having my tie drag C Diff from patient to patient isn’t ideal.

What I also have seen though is that people wear scrubs at home, commute to work in them, and that’s okay at some hospitals, while at others there is a strict “change when you come in to work” policy (which makes more sense).

 

[Redpancreas]

I support all scrubs all the time though think the fashionista race to the bottom with scrubs is annoying. I personally preferred life when no one felt any pressure to make a fashion statement with hospital work attire, but here we are ("ooh, they have shorter sleeves and tighter fabric around their ankles, amazing"). Not a huge deal.

Also for what it's worth not only are ties microbially gross, in my opinion they almost always look worse than a top button unbuttoned dress shirt.

I used to think the fashionista vibe is annoying, but medicine's so serious all the time. Why not add a little flair to it? It's not harming anyone.

Yeah I don't know why ties are still a thing on wards. It's difficult because you don't know if your attending leans on the conservative side and wants a tie or not.

I mean, it makes sense to have scrubs/hospital clothing on inpatient services honestly. Hope it sticks.

Having my tie drag C Diff from patient to patient isn’t ideal.

What I also have seen though is that people wear scrubs at home, commute to work in them, and that’s okay at some hospitals, while at others there is a strict “change when you come in to work” policy (which makes more sense).

Definitely gross. I personally like the scrubs because it offers a quick put-on-n-go option. What ruins it is the strict change when you come into work. It’s no different than people wearing dress clothes to work. People totally don't do this at times.

 

[differentiating]

My hospital has switched from scrubs only when on-call or in ICU/ED to scrubs preferred when inpatient during the pandemic, but they haven't said if/when that policy will be revoked. Hoping it stays!

 

[Lem0nz]

I also wish white coats had some meaning too. The social workers, chaplain services, and everyone else under the sun wear them in my hospital.

White coats should be banned in all practice settings. They are disgusting. Even under the absolute best scenarios you might wash them once a week if you're trashy and don't care that they'll get destroyed in conventional laundry, or once every 2-4 weeks through dry cleaning IF its provided by the hospital and you have like, at least five of them.

And those best case scenarios are not good enough. They should be burned.

Scrubs should be the standard in most if not all practice settings unless you're not going to touch someone and never do procedures. Mostly because they're going to be washed after a single use with detergent in scalding water (or they should be, anyway). Depending on the quality of business clothes you're looking at dry cleaning a lot of the time so you may re-wear some. Maybe not. But if you're wearing a jacket what're the odds its really going to get washed every day? Every week even? Once a month at best. Also short sleeves are key. If you wear the scrub jackets that's fine because those can also be dumped in acid and still come back looking the same. If you wear a jacket or fleece you really should take the time to take it off when you see patients unless you're not going to touch them, and wash that stupid thing every two weeks please.

 

[WheezyBaby]

I've worn scrubs for like 3 years. My understanding of the literature is its preferred after suits by patients, and the idea of wearing a suit is disgusting in a clinical setting (sorry mayo). Also I mean, they're work pajamas, so

 

[Smurfette]

I'm still wearing scrubs all the time since Feb or March of last year. No one cares (I'm an attending). Students working with me can wear scrubs but shouldn't show up looking worse (and yes, I've seen students show up in what looks like workout gear thinking this was appropriate for clinic).
Prior to 2020, I would wear dress clothes (some would say it's more 'business casual') on clinic days. One of the biggest things I look for when buying clinic clothes is that they are machine washable. I don't have time or energy to deal with dry cleaners all the time. But I'm female, so no ties or jackets for me.
I do wear a white coat and a service picks them up and drops off the prior batch q2weeks at my office.

 

[Ho0v-man]

God I hope so. The only downside to a life in scrubs is that the elastic waistband doesn’t remind you that you’ve gained weight.

 

[Lem0nz]

God I hope so. The only downside to a life in scrubs is that the elastic waistband doesn’t remind you that you’ve gained weight.

A scale and daily weighing should be day one purchases on deciding to go into medicine. :x

 

[Sleepingdoc]

Scrubs are the best clothes in a clinical setting... Wearing your tie and shirt, dresses with high heels in a hospital---- YUCK--- Its not gonna go back to wearing dress unless there is a new generation of physicians that change it. I doubt it.

 

[sunshinefl]

I like scrubs inpatient but I like business casual attire in the outpatient setting.

 

[Candidate2017]

I only wear scrubs in the OR while doing ECT. Otherwise, on the floors or psych ward: freshly washed white coat and machine washable business casual. In clinic/telepsych, I used to wear dress tops and jammy bottoms. Now, I've converted to jammy tops and bottoms because I can focus the camera from the neck up.

 

[ACSurgeon]

As a student/resident i loved being in scrubs as much as possible. Just before COVID I got to the point of being sick of being in scrubs ALL the time so I started wearing dressing clothes for clinic and sometimes for rounds if not expecting to operate. Then COVID hit and back to scrubs all the time. Instead I try to dress up nicely on my days off now to feel human.

 

[ACSurgeon]

Re white coats: I haven’t worn mine much for a few years but I have more than five white coats and could essentially drop off to the cleaners weekly (so if I wanted I could wear a freshly washed coat per work day). Not sure why I stopped. Maybe I’ll go back to wearing one lol

 

[ciestar]

Ive worn my white coat for less than an hour this entire first year of residency. My PD want us in business attire for clinic but scrubs are fine for other services. It’s nice

 

[FutureInternist]

I did almost all of medical school, almost all of Residency (except Fri afternoon clinic but jeans were somehow OK on Fridays), all fellowship, and all of 1st job in scrubs.

Changed jobs in Feb of 2020.
Wore scrubs, and on my FIRST day got told to dress up.
Pandemic hits.
Now its all scrubs all the time and likely to remain that way.

 

[Gilakend]

Ive worn my white coat for less than an hour this entire first year of residency. My PD want us in business attire for clinic but scrubs are fine for other services. It’s nice

Only a med student, but my first question of any rotation is "What's the white coat situation like here?". I absolutely hate the white coat and thankfully have not had to wear it much. 95% of residents at my institution don't wear them, but almost all of my attendings have.

 

[sunshinefl]

Only a med student, but my first question of any rotation is "What's the white coat situation like here?". I absolutely hate the white coat and thankfully have not had to wear it much. 95% of residents at my institution don't wear them, but almost all of my attendings have.

I love the white coat for: pockets!!!!, warmth, completion of the look, professional presentation to patients.

 

[ciestar]

Only a med student, but my first question of any rotation is "What's the white coat situation like here?". I absolutely hate the white coat and thankfully have not had to wear it much. 95% of residents at my institution don't wear them, but almost all of my attendings have.

I think one resident in my entire program wears it. One attending does lol
It isnt a thing here and i loveee it

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

I love the white coat for: pockets!!!!, warmth, completion of the look, professional presentation to patients.

That’s what scrub pants with pockets are for. Mine have so many.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

Only a med student, but my first question of any rotation is "What's the white coat situation like here?". I absolutely hate the white coat and thankfully have not had to wear it much. 95% of residents at my institution don't wear them, but almost all of my attendings have.

Same. I haven’t worn mine in months. It’s amazing.

 

[InternistDO]

Scrubs on all services including clinic for us. There may be a world where we go back to “professional” clothing in clinic but I hope it’s long after I graduate.

 

[calivianya]

What do you all think as far as wearing scrubs on audition rotations goes?

I’m planning on wearing business casual the first day and then hopefully never again. Really hoping they say scrubs are fine when I ask. I wore business casual for maybe the first few rotations of third year, and then gave up and went back to scrubs and no one cared. Haven’t worn business casual in months at this point.

 

[sunshinefl]

What do you all think as far as wearing scrubs on audition rotations goes?

I’m planning on wearing business casual the first day and then hopefully never again. Really hoping they say scrubs are fine when I ask. I wore business casual for maybe the first few rotations of third year, and then gave up and went back to scrubs and no one cared. Haven’t worn business casual in months at this point.

A lot of times they’ll give you the dress code with an info packet/onboarding process. If they don’t, pack both and default to business casual the first day. And then see if scrubs are allowed.

 

[Bobblehead]

We've generally not had a dress code even pre-covid. Most people came to outpatient clinics in business casual/ties but occasionally you had the person in scrubs if they just came off an overnight shift. With covid I don't foresee myself changing from scrubs for a good long while.

 

[aldol16]

Even before COVID, scrubs were par for the course. The only exception I could think of was psychiatry, which consistently was best dressed. No one ever had a problem with scrubs as long as the work was done and done well.

 

[Osteoth]

We were shirt and tie for outpatient but with covid we’ve been scrubs for a while and will probably be so for a while .

 

[Redpancreas]

Surprised that some people are allowed to do scrubs in clinic. I suppose that makes sense if you’re a surgical/procedural specialty or if you are transitioning from inpatient in the same day.

My take is that we should go scrubs for all inpatient and never look back. It’s more sanitary and less effort for all of us. FIGS gives everyone 15% off their first order. I’m planning on buying 2-3 pairs.

What scrubs do ya’ll buy?

A) Designer (Figs/Jaanuu)
B) Bargain Pockets- less flair but equal convenience to the designer brands at a much cheaper price
C) Hospital
D) Cheap scrubs

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

Surprised that some people are allowed to do scrubs in clinic. I suppose that makes sense if you’re a surgical specialty or if you are transitioning from inpatient in the same day.

My take is that we should go scrubs for all inpatient and never look back. It’s more sanitary and less effort for all of us. FIGS gives everyone 15% off their first order. I’m planning on buying 2-3 pairs.

What scrubs do ya’ll buy?

A) Designer (Figs/Jaanuu)
B) Bargain Pockets- less flair but equal convenience to the designer brands at a much cheaper price
C) Hospital
D) Cheap scrubs

Figs is so overpriced and they had that whole **** about making an advertisement making DOs look dumb. I bought a pair of $20 scrubs on Amazon that are super comfortable.

 

[Redpancreas]

Figs is so overpriced and they had that whole **** about making an advertisement making DOs look dumb. I bought a pair of $20 scrubs on Amazon that are super comfortable.

I thought what was more annoying were some (not all) female DOs who felt the ad was literally targeting them who took to social media to explain how they were raised by a strong mother and overcame all the sexism to practice medicine against all odds.

I’m not saying the ad wasn’t wrong on Figs part. It was. They stereotyped an entire group and for a company that relies on branding, it was probably the biggest mistake you could make. I personally feel like it’s time to move on from it though or else we are just living in a society that holds grudges forever yet simultaneously follows a 24HR news cycle. IIRC FIGS donated a huge sum to AOA after the debacle. (Note: I am not employed by Figs).

I’m going with a mix of overpriced Figs and Bargain scrubs.

 

[sunshinefl]

Surprised that some people are allowed to do scrubs in clinic. I suppose that makes sense if you’re a surgical/procedural specialty or if you are transitioning from inpatient in the same day.

My take is that we should go scrubs for all inpatient and never look back. It’s more sanitary and less effort for all of us. FIGS gives everyone 15% off their first order. I’m planning on buying 2-3 pairs.

What scrubs do ya’ll buy?

A) Designer (Figs/Jaanuu)
B) Bargain Pockets- less flair but equal convenience to the designer brands at a much cheaper price
C) Hospital
D) Cheap scrubs

I have B.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

I thought what was more annoying were some (not all) female DOs who felt the ad was literally targeting them who took to social media to explain how they were raised by a strong mother and overcame all the sexism to practice medicine against all odds.

I’m not saying the ad wasn’t wrong on Figs part. It was. They stereotyped an entire group and for a company that relies on branding, it was probably the biggest mistake you could make. I personally feel like it’s time to move on from it though or else we are just living in a society that holds grudges forever yet simultaneously follows a 24HR news cycle. IIRC FIGS donated a huge sum to AOA after the debacle. (Note: I am not employed by Figs).

I’m going with a mix of overpriced Figs and Bargain scrubs.

They could never had made a mistake and I still wouldn’t buy them. I refuse to spend that much on scrubs.

 

[ciestar]

Surprised that some people are allowed to do scrubs in clinic. I suppose that makes sense if you’re a surgical/procedural specialty or if you are transitioning from inpatient in the same day.

My take is that we should go scrubs for all inpatient and never look back. It’s more sanitary and less effort for all of us. FIGS gives everyone 15% off their first order. I’m planning on buying 2-3 pairs.

What scrubs do ya’ll buy?

A) Designer (Figs/Jaanuu)
B) Bargain Pockets- less flair but equal convenience to the designer brands at a much cheaper price
C) Hospital
D) Cheap scrubs

I have more pairs of Figs than im proud to admit… eek

 

[Redpancreas]

They could never had made a mistake and I still wouldn’t buy them. I refuse to spend that much on scrubs.

That's fair. You're going wearing them daily for the next 3-6 years. Hopefully whatever people buy is durable.

 

[Smurfette]

I've gotten enough things on my scrubs over the years and needed to change them that I don't feel the need to buy them or ruin an "expensive" pair. I use hospital scrubs since they are free and plentiful. Plus I'd rather spend my money on other things.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

I've gotten enough things on my scrubs over the years and needed to change them that I don't feel the need to buy them or ruin an "expensive" pair. I use hospital scrubs since they are free and plentiful. Plus I'd rather spend my money on other things.

I only bought a pair because we wore them on psych, but they didn’t provide any.

 

[Prehealth1011]

Surprised that some people are allowed to do scrubs in clinic. I suppose that makes sense if you’re a surgical/procedural specialty or if you are transitioning from inpatient in the same day.

My take is that we should go scrubs for all inpatient and never look back. It’s more sanitary and less effort for all of us. FIGS gives everyone 15% off their first order. I’m planning on buying 2-3 pairs.

What scrubs do ya’ll buy?

A) Designer (Figs/Jaanuu)
B) Bargain Pockets- less flair but equal convenience to the designer brands at a much cheaper price
C) Hospital
D) Cheap scrubs

B. I look for promotions on Allheart and buy whichever set that has pockets and costs ~$20

 

[Prehealth1011]

Figs is so overpriced and they had that whole **** about making an advertisement making DOs look dumb. I bought a pair of $20 scrubs on Amazon that are super comfortable.

Which brand! I’m considering trying out the Dagacci ones

 

[theendisnigh]

Thrift store clean-appearing scrubs, some have tags. I burned them all of course in scalding water before wearing them.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

Which brand! I’m considering trying out the Dagacci ones

Argo. They have lots of pockets.

 

[KnuxNole]

You mean everyone else isn't wearing suits to work?????

 

[Sleepingdoc]

You mean everyone else isn't wearing suits to work?????

One of the nastiest thing i have heard... Suits can not washed, imagine the germs you are carrying... YUCK

 

[Oh_Gee]

You mean everyone else isn't wearing suits to work?????

we're not all so lucky to be at mayo

 

[Oh_Gee]

Which brand! I’m considering trying out the Dagacci ones

i would not recommend. they feel like cardboard and will take years of washing with fabric softener to get soft

 

[calivianya]

I have the expensive scrubs, I guess. My issues are that I can’t stand scratchy fabric and I also don’t want to look like I’m wearing a tent, so the shapeless unisex ones are out.

Big fan of koi lite and barco one In particular. I think they have the most comfortable fabrics and stuff that actually fits. Barco one scrubs especially feels like super silky pajamas but they also hold up very well. I have some of those I’ve had for a long time.

 

[longhaul3]

Scrubs whenever possible. Always running into and out of OR, never know when a stat case or bedside procedure will happen. Wear nice clothes to clinic every so often - last time, code 1 trauma came in, giant scalp lac with brisk arterial pumper, had to whip stitch it closed wearing a shirt/tie/nice shoes. Not fun.

 

[sunshinefl]

I have the expensive scrubs, I guess. My issues are that I can’t stand scratchy fabric and I also don’t want to look like I’m wearing a tent, so the shapeless unisex ones are out.

Big fan of koi lite and barco one In particular. I think they have the most comfortable fabrics and stuff that actually fits. Barco one scrubs especially feels like super silky pajamas but they also hold up very well. I have some of those I’ve had for a long time.

Ooooo I never heard of Barco one, and now I want to try them.

 

[Prehealth1011]

Ooooo I never heard of Barco one, and now I want to try them.

I just got Barco one's from Allheart. 3 sets cost me 70 bucks. Super comfortable and plenty of pockets!

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

I just got Barco one's from Allheart. 3 sets cost me 70 bucks. Super comfortable and plenty of pockets!

That’s not expensive!