Is wearing an AOA necktie pretentious?

[throwawayaoa69]

Is wearing an AOA necktie or pin on your whitecoat socially acceptable?

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[PhillyMed777]

It will probably "trigger" someone so don't bother

 

[radsisrad]

Very socially acceptable. In fact, if you wear it on rotation, your residents and attendings are sure to give you Honors across the board.

 

[CharlieBillings]

.

 

[Stagg737]

Imo pin is fine. I'd legit laugh at them if someone wore and AOA tie on our service.

 

[Mad Jack]

It would be a major barrier to overcome if you were one of my students if it were a necktie. A pin is a sign of pride in your achievement I'd find totally acceptable though.

 

[WedgeDawg]

Pin could be innocuous as a med student if it is the culture at your school to do so (I don’t think it is at any/many places but who knows).

Tie is way too much imo.

I personally would recommend against both.

 

[jw3600]

It would be a major barrier to overcome if you were one of my students

Aren’t you an PGY1? I don’t know if first years can “have” students yet. Never felt that way to me.

 

[Splenda88]

Aren’t you an PGY1? I don’t know if first years can “have” students yet. Never felt that way to me.

They are part of the team and we do have some control over them, but the resident has the last word...

Some days when the resident is off, we run the show.

 

[jw3600]

They are part of the team and we do have some control over them, but the resident has the last word...

Some days when the resident is off, we run the show.

Wait. I’m confused. What level of training are you at?

 

[Splenda88]

Wait. I’m confused. What level of training are you at?

PGY1

 

[jw3600]

PGY1

So aren’t you “the resident?”

 

[Mad Jack]

Aren’t you an PGY1? I don’t know if first years can “have” students yet. Never felt that way to me.

I've got students, babby MDs that I provide assessments for and everything. I'm generally very nice though.

 

[Cawolf]

So aren’t you “the resident?”

I'd imagine he is "the intern".

 

[Splenda88]

So aren’t you “the resident?”

Intern resident... lol

 

[deleted480308]

Yes, it’s pretentious

 

[VincentAdultman]

Don’t.

 

[anon6134]

Pic or it didn't happen

 

[NotYou20]

It's like a "kick me" sign you put on yourself

 

[emergentmd]

Don't do pin or necktie. The best was to impress is through humility

 

[Stagg737]

Aren’t you an PGY1? I don’t know if first years can “have” students yet. Never felt that way to me.

I'm an intern and do more teaching than most of the second years on our services. Probably couldn't do it in other fields, but I definitely have students on all my inpt psych rotations.

 

[atomi]

No, it’s not pretentious at all. I wore one every day and I wasn’t even in AOA.

 

[thegreengreatdragon]

I feel like a pin is borderline pretentious but acceptable but a tie? I didn't even know they made AOA ties.

Edit: they do indeed make ties, as well as bowties and--my personal favorite--silk scarves that come in 4 different colors.

 

[PickleRickelus]

This same question was raised in 2011 and the responses are nearly unanimous: Don't wear it.

Case in point, check out these responses from the thread.

"Just go for it and get a pin that says deuchebag."

"Haha, did you really have to ask this? You know what any attending and resident and medical student will do to you when they see that pin? Like swimming with sharks and stuffing fish heads in your speedo."

"Be sure to wear it with a ribbon to make sure no one misses it."

"While you're at it, you should embroider your STEP 1 score on your white coat."

"The geniuses in this world are ones who never have to remind everyone they are smart. Honestly if people can't tell tou are AOA quality without a visual reminder, you probably got it by mistake and should return it. This is the kind of thing that should get buried in your sock drawer and just be a nice keepsake."

"Make sure you introduce yourself as "Student Doctor AOA member ___" to patients too."

Wearing an AOA pin?

 

[IMreshopeful]

This is an immensely dull and sad idea. Reminds me of a classmate that put up a Facebook post with his AOA certificate and congratulating himself.

This is not like wearing a breast cancer awareness or heart disease awareness pin - it’s just self bragging. Just don’t do it.

 

[DrSnips]

Wearing an AOA pin? Ok, first off you can't just wear an AOA pin unadorned. You have to get it monogrammed so people know it's yours. I can hear your protests already "But won't they know it's mine because it's on MY lapel?" Oh if only it were that simple; some unscrupulous miscreant might have sticky fingers and wear YOUR pin on his lapel. The monogram will settle his hash.

Next you must make sure people know your social station is above theirs. This is typically accomplished by festooning the pin with precious stones. Make sure they can still make out the monogram behind the glint of rubies, sapphires and gold doubloons. For maximum effect the gems too should be arranged to spell out your initials.

Now the question you are probably most curious about -- where should the pin lie on the lapel relative to your boy scout merit badges. This is an area of much contention, but it is generally agreed that the AOA pin belongs above Indian Lore and below Basketry.

Congratulations, you are now presentable for wards and can be certain that your failing grade was due to your conduct rather than your manner of dress.

 

[Tenk]

I’d think you were a tool.

One thing I’m still waiting for is for a med student to come in with tons of bling like the guy at the restaurant in office space. I’m pretty sure I’d give them $100 and the day off.

 

[operaman]

Yeah don’t do it. I have one and the only time I wear it is for AOA events. If you have white hair and are a professor emeritus, you could probably rock one on the wards too. Otherwise, not recommended.

 

[Angus Avagadro]

This is a trick question, no? This is an invitation to abuse. Someone will go out of their way to ask you questions you dont know. But I trained in the East, so might be different elsewhere.

 

[Gilakend]

This is the single best troll post I've seen all year.

 

[TeddyBears]

I feel like a pin is borderline pretentious but acceptable but a tie? I didn't even know they made AOA ties.

Edit: they do indeed make ties, as well as bowties and--my personal favorite--silk scarves that come in 4 different colors.

Thanks for the info

 

[OrthoTraumaMD]

Let your work speak for itself. I’ve won research awards for presenting the best study in the US, among other accolades. No one in my hospital knows that, unless they walk into my (very remote and locked) office and see the plaques. Half the time I roam around in scrubs and am mistaken for a janitor (which, given my love for Scrubs, is a-ok). Save the pins/awards for your office when you’re an attending so you can look at them and preen in private. Everything else is just ego, and a physician should shove his ego, especially early on, where the sun don’t shine.

 

[thegreengreatdragon]

I’d think you were a tool.

One thing I’m still waiting for is for a med student to come in with tons of bling like the guy at the restaurant in office space. I’m pretty sure I’d give them $100 and the day off.

The "pieces of flair" guy?
I own a lot of pins (nerdy fandom inside joke type pins, not pretentious look what a great student I am pins), and it's really tempting to do this one of these days.

 

[nimbus]

What about a Rotary pin?

 

[Stagg737]

I’d think you were a tool.

One thing I’m still waiting for is for a med student to come in with tons of bling like the guy at the restaurant in office space. I’m pretty sure I’d give them $100 and the day off.

I've had one or two of those. One of them was Peds and they were mostly just fun pins for the kids, enjoyed working with her and the flair was a good conversation piece. The other one had pins from every society they'd ever been in since HS and I may have pimped them a little too hard on things he was never going to need to know. Was really hoping he'd ask why I was asking so many ridiculous questions so I could ask why he was wearing so many ridiculous pins. In the end just ended telling him he should probably tone down his short coat.

 

[CyrusHabs7695]

if you wear an AOA tie you deserve to get a swirly or stuffed in a locker

 

[Styrene]

Is wearing an AOA necktie or pin on your whitecoat socially acceptable?

Depends on your motivation for doing so, as your personality will make that motivation known, and people will appreciate it, be annoyed, or be indifferent.

 

[CherryRedDracul]

Meh, I'd be OK with it. But you'd be the target of abuse from people who are still rustled they didn't make AOA.

 

[NickNaylor]

I don't think wearing a pin (I'm assuming a lapel pin) on your white coat or something like that is totally egregious. Most people may not even notice it unless it's particularly ostentatious. A tie, though... that's really taking it to the next level, and my first impression of you would not be positive.

 

[Melchizedek]

I am currently an MS1, should I buy one of the aforementioned AOA ties? I feel like this is a "dress for the accolades you want" kind of situation, plus I think it'd complement my First Aid book that I always carry in my arms quite well.

srs anserz only plz.

 

[Quantal Reasoning]

Get AOA knuckle tattoos

 

[Mad Jack]

Get AOA knuckle tattoos

A O A 4 L Y F E

I once worked with an EM guy that had a UCB tattoo on his hand, fun fact. Only physician hand tattoo I've ever seen

 

[OrthoTraumaMD]

A O A 4 L Y F E

I once worked with an EM guy that had a UCB tattoo on his hand, fun fact. Only physician hand tattoo I've ever seen

I knew a dude who had MD on one bicep and PhD on the other.

 

[Mad Jack]

I knew a dude who had MD on one bicep and PhD on the other.

Pls be an orthopod, that's just too perfect

 

[OrthoTraumaMD]

Pls be an orthopod, that's just too perfect

Nope. ER.

 

[Mad Jack]

Nope. ER.

Also works

 

[deleted407021]

I wonder if I could get an A. T. Still Little Doctors Achievement Award or whatever the DO equivalent of AOA is necktie.

 

[Mass Effect]

They are part of the team and we do have some control over them, but the resident has the last word...

I'm sorry, control? If an intern phrased it that way in front of me, I'd think it was more pretentious than the student who wore the AOA tie.

 

[Splenda88]

I'm sorry, control? If an intern phrased it that way in front of me, I'd think it was more pretentious than the student who wore the AOA tie.

Well, you got my point...

 

[TypeADissection]

Weird flex, but OK I guess...