patagonia jacket

[croissant10947]

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I'd like to know if it is true that a Patagonia jacket (with school logo + student Name embroidered) can substitute for the short white coat that we received for the White Coat ceremony for rotations. I did not buy one from my classmates who organized it because I honestly thought $170 for a jacket was kind of ridiculous, but if I can actually use it while on rotations, I think I could find a Patagonia zip-up secondhand on FB marketplace and then pay someone to embroider the school logo + my name on it. I see Patagonia on FB marketplace sometimes for $30 so *shrug* idk

 

[Mr.Smile12]

I'd like to know if it is true that a Patagonia jacket (with school logo + student Name embroidered) can substitute for the short white coat that we received for the White Coat ceremony for rotations. I did not buy one from my classmates who organized it because I honestly thought $170 for a jacket was kind of ridiculous, but if I can actually use it while on rotations, I think I could find a Patagonia zip-up secondhand on FB marketplace and then pay someone to embroider the school logo + my name on it. I see Patagonia on FB marketplace sometimes for $30 so *shrug* idk

Has medical school become so bougie???

 

[AJS59]

I'd like to know if it is true that a Patagonia jacket (with school logo + student Name embroidered) can substitute for the short white coat that we received for the White Coat ceremony for rotations. I did not buy one from my classmates who organized it because I honestly thought $170 for a jacket was kind of ridiculous, but if I can actually use it while on rotations, I think I could find a Patagonia zip-up secondhand on FB marketplace and then pay someone to embroider the school logo + my name on it. I see Patagonia on FB marketplace sometimes for $30 so *shrug* idk

Depends on your school, but at least at mine I've never been asked to actually wear my white coat to rotations (wore it to standardized patients throughout M1 year but kind of left it behind for OSCEs in M2 year).

Do you live in a decently cold environment? Irrespective of med school "clout," they're nice jackets that keep for years — I had another 1 in a different color that I bought before med school for use in college and that thing kept me warm in all sorts of weather. But, unless you care super strongly about the logo and name (I bought one with just the logo, no name) I'd buy one of the used ones off Facebook to use in hospital.

 

[NotAProgDirector]

Due to outbreaks (esp c diff) we currently are in a "bare below elbow in all clinical spaces". Long sleeve patagucci would be a no.

 

[Smurfette]

Only if everyone on your team is wearing Patagonia jackets or similar. So no in various situations. If your team is wearing white coats, do that.
Also, how nasty do you want this Patagonia jacket to get by wearing it in the hospital and getting various body fluids on it? If I spend a lot of money on something, I am not going to wear it where something may get on it that is so gross I'd throw it out (and that happens).

 

[eyeeye_captain]

I’m trying to think back to med school and residency. Both were work hard programs, and you certainly never wore a jacket on any medicine rotation or clinic. They were ok on call and maybe some surgical rounds depending on the service (ortho let some guy wear cowboy boots). Men were required to wear ties (sorry, cover your ears NAPD).

Wasn’t a thing in school, students wore a white coat if anything, period. Residency made us buy everything so I think we had Eddie Bauer or Mountain Hardware or something even cheaper, and that was with the logo and specialty only. Still dangerous in the ED if you were on call - “hey, since you’re here could you take a quick look at Room 13?”

Also, do you really want to be identified as Jane/John Doe, student if you’re rocking it later in life?

 

[RangerBob]

I agree to wear what others are wearing in general.

Just a rant, but I sort of think the Patagonia/other brand jacket thing is overblown/overdone. It doesn't look professional (to me) and it makes docs look more like "tech bros."

My patients prefer I wear a white coat (I do inpatient rehab, so my patients skew 50 and over). A number of studies have shown patients prefer physicians in professional attire with a white coat, or scrubs with a white coat.

I know folks like to complain that everyone wears white coats these days, but patients in the hospital are so inundated with new faces they are extremely unlikely to know/remember you're a physician unless you're wearing a white coat, or you remind them constantly that you're a physician. I took care of a well-regarded local doc and he had no idea my partner saw him on my off day because my partner does the Patagonia thing.

For outpatient PCPs/pediatricians/many other specialties, I think wearing the coat mostly irrelevant. Patients typically know who they're scheduled to see. And those docs don't need pockets as they have drawers and cabinets.

With that said, I didn't like the short white coat. It looks silly. But it did help build camaraderie--you knew if you saw someone else with a short coat, there was a 95% chance they were a med student as well, and it was easy to strike up a conversation/relate to them.

We all want to be comfortable. But remember our hospitalized patients are all in vulnerable positions. They're afraid. If dressing more "like a doctor" helps put my patients at ease, I'm all for it. Kind of like how sitting makes patients think you spent more time with them, I'm generally all in favor of whatever free bonus points I can get.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Maybe I'm reminded of the unis in "Star Trek: Starfleet Academy..."

 

[Fluidity of Movement]

I remember seeing a full page on this either in psychiatric times or some other magazine. It was a big push to get rid of the white coat and the stethoscope around the neck.

One thing, however, was it this was for residence or attendings. I think a short white coat is incredibly to distinguish medical students, and if you carry your stethoscope and other things in a pocket and actually swap jackets out then that is ideal.

I’ve seen some medical students just in formal attire, but that was on a psych unit. I know that the white coat is becoming somehow looked down upon, but I am 100% against the trend of physicians and students not having one or at least some form of white attire (with extra pockets lol).

Because the truth is, this is a uniform and it should be a source of strength for us in our times of need. We can look to others wearing the same and look into the past and draw from that. It is also a symbol of our commitment and reminds us to think externally when the internal pressures are too great.

Because teamwork or not, there is something special about the training and responsibility that we go through. Just because others where our symbol doesn’t actually make it theirs. Be proud of your coat and wear it for the correct reasons. Not as an ego or authoritative gesture.


With peace to you,
- Fluid MS1