I've noticed that some patients seem to feel more relaxed when we DON'T wear white coats. On the other hand, maybe other people feel like they're not seeing a real doctor. In a clinic, it doesn't really matter because chances are the entire staff knows each other, and the patients are generally clear about who the nurse is and who the doctor is.
In a hospital setting however, no one knows who the hell anyone else is... like someone pointed out, everyone from the social workers to the cheif of medicine wears a long white coat (except students at my institution). Patients can't read the tiny lettering on the nametags, and often the embroidery on the coats is hidden behind a stethescope. By the end of the day they think 10 different doctors have come to see them and have no clue who they all were. By the time a given patient, intern or resident learns everyone's role, they're discharged or move to a different rotation. As a result, everyone has to surrepticiously (sp) try to glance at someone's chest or nametag to catch it right so we can figure out who the heck we're addressing.
So, here is Fang's Plan to Reduce Hospital Confusion:
1. MS3's -- short coat with obvious red nametag
2. MS4's -- short coat with obvious green nametag
3. Intern-- short coat with green embroidered letters
4. R2 and R3 -- long coat with green embroidered letters
5. Attending -- long coat with blue embroidered letters
All the other professionals (nurses, PA's, physical therapists, social workers, phlebotomosts, nutritionists....) can come up with their own uniform if they want to but it can't be confused with the above.
