Scrubs as a Med Student (not a debate!)

[mmmcdowe]

So I know that most schools do a coat system where you have a shorter one when you are a student, but do they have any system at your schools to ID students that are in scrubs?

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[LadyWolverine]

So I know that most schools do a coat system where you have a shorter one when you are a student, but do they have any system at your schools to ID students that are in scrubs?

No. At the hospitals where I rotate, the med students wear the exact same scrubs as the residents.

 

[mmmcdowe]

Dumb question, but do residents wear different scrubs than the attendings?

 

[LadyWolverine]

Dumb question, but do residents wear different scrubs than the attendings?

On most rotations (surgery and OB/Gyn being the notable exceptions), attendings don't wear scrubs - they wear suits or other professional-looking clothing.

Why does it matter, anyway? Afraid that someone might know you're a rookie?

 

[howelljolly]

Every place that Ive rotated in, the white coat rule applies even when you are wearing scrubs. Id est, you must wear your short white coat, over your scrubs. So, the med students are still identifiable as such.

And yes, attendings who aren't in surgery and sometimes OB/gyn, do not wear scrubs.

 

[mmmcdowe]

On most rotations (surgery and OB/Gyn being the notable exceptions), attendings don't wear scrubs - they wear suits or other professional-looking clothing.

Why does it matter, anyway? Afraid that someone might know you're a rookie?

Not at all, I just was curious because so many schools do the coat system. I hadn't heard of any med student scrubs on my interviews.

 

[howelljolly]

With some exceptions of hospitals that choose otherwise, the short, mid, long lab coat is a tradition of medical education.... like the differently shaped caps and hoods for different levels of students and professors at Graduation Ceremony. Its not really a rule of the med schools or hospitals... just something they use to tell folks apart.

But anyway.

 

[NJDIF]

op to answer your question, in those OB/surgery depts, the attending do wear differently colored scrubs than the residents. at my hospital at least.

 

[ACSurgeon]

Our school's hospital has one locker room for men and one for women. Attendings/residents/students/scrub-nurses all wear the same scrubs. Although some scrub nurses chose to wear other kinds of scrubs (the more colorful ones).

As a side note, when I shadowed in the OR as an M1, I wore disposable scrubs, as only 3rd and 4th year students get access to the scrub machines.

 

[KnuxNole]

This may seem embarrassing, but I have no idea how to actually put scrubs on. I was asked to put some on, and I spent over 15 minutes trying to decide which side was right. Hopefully, there really isn't a distinct difference...

 

[ChiDO]

Scrubs are reversible at least in the hospitals I've been to.

 

[howelljolly]

Scrubs are reversible at least in the hospitals I've been to.

what has that got to do with anything?

 

[phospho]

what has that got to do with anything?

 

[146233]

Scrubs are reversible at least in the hospitals I've been to.

what has that got to do with anything?

Well...

I was asked to put some on, and I spent over 15 minutes trying to decide which side was right.

 

[howelljolly]

oops

 

[phospho]

oops

for what it's worth, i still thought you were funny...

 

[jbp100]

In other news, scrubs are made from cotton (although I am not sure what a disposable scrub is made from??? Hemp?? ).

 

[howelljolly]

In other news, scrubs are made from cotton (although I am not sure what a disposable scrub is made from??? Hemp?? ).

Nah, if you must know, its the same material that they make the full-body surgical field drapes from.

 

[jbp100]

Nah, if you must know, its the same material that they make the full-body surgical field drapes from.

Debbie Downer!

J/K, sorry to make light of your embarassment!

 

[howelljolly]

Debbie Downer!

J/K, sorry to make light of your embarassment!

no worries, this is all in fun.

 

[Mayhem]

In theory we're not allowed to wear scrubs. In practice, only few people enforce the rule. It's a win/win for everyone.

 

[mjl1717]

On most rotations (surgery and OB/Gyn being the notable exceptions), attendings don't wear scrubs - they wear suits or other professional-looking clothing.

Why does it matter, anyway? Afraid that someone might know you're a rookie?

Thats funny..

 

[mjl1717]

no worries, this is all in fun.

Yes, there is a good amount of comic relief.... {can't get stressed out}

 

[45408]

Nah, all the scrubs are the same. Except for surgery, anesthesia and OB/GYN though, you'll be in business casual or business professional attire. I also wear the white coat whether I'm in scrubs or not, except my general surgery rotation. None of the attendings or residents wore any coats, and since we were in and out of the OR so much, the other students and I ditched the white coats as well (except in clinic). The attendings never said a word.

 

[bnoosha]

At our hospital...the med students do wear different colored scrubs. We must wear dark grey scrubs. A couple of the attending even refer to MSIII and MSIV's as the grey suits. The residents and attendings pretty much wear the traditional blue or green.

 

[Blesbok]

The only time we don't wear a white coat over scrubs is when you are actually in the OR and even a trained monkey could pick out the med student in that setting.

 

[meister]

The only time we don't wear a white coat over scrubs is when you are actually in the OR and even a trained monkey could pick out the med student in that setting.

Wouldn't take a trained one, as an untrained one would attack the med student immediately for appearing so weak and bereft of confidence.

 

[JeffLebowski]

Wouldn't take a trained one, as an untrained one would attack the med student immediately for appearing so weak and bereft of confidence.

Nice.

 

[howelljolly]

The only time we don't wear a white coat over scrubs is when you are actually in the OR and even a trained monkey could pick out the med student in that setting.

Yep, same in my program... about the white coat, and the monkey

 

[Law2Doc]

Yep, same in my program... about the white coat, and the monkey

Yes, but this begs the question of whether the monkey in the OR also wears the same color scrubs...

 

[smq123]

So I know that most schools do a coat system where you have a shorter one when you are a student, but do they have any system at your schools to ID students that are in scrubs?

Depends on the hospital.

At some hospitals that we rotate through, no. Everyone wears the same color scrubs.

At my home hospital, yes. Students wear different colored scrubs from residents/staff, and the device reps/visiting students wear different colored scrubs as well.

 

[tkim]

Our EM residency program just bought us black scrubs. Now I can moonlight as a ninja, too.

 

[Law2Doc]

Our EM residency program just bought us black scrubs. Now I can moonlight as a ninja, too.

That will change the second the first resident gets hit by a car walking home at night after a shift.

 

[AmoryBlaine]

Our EM residency program just bought us black scrubs. Now I can moonlight as a ninja, too.

Weren't you already doing that?

It almost makes me laugh that a hospital would spend the money to have different colored scrubs for medical students. The whole point of scrubs is that they are generic, uniform, and cheap.

 

[tkim]

That will change the second the first resident gets hit by a car walking home at night after a shift.

Did a sharp blow to the head allow your attorney half to wrest control of the keyboard?

 

[tkim]

Weren't you already doing that?

It almost makes me laugh that a hospital would spend the money to have different colored scrubs for medical students. The whole point of scrubs is that they are generic, uniform, and cheap.

Which one - wearing black scrubs or moonlighting as a ninja?

If it's the first, no, we wore whatever we wanted, and that still holds true. The black scrubs have our residency logo and names emboidered on them. Personally, I wouldn't buy them myself because I got a free supply of scrubs from the hospital.

If it's the second, well, I can tell you, but then I'd have to drip poison over a string into your lips while hiding in the drop down ceiling. You don't want that.

 

[Schlockinz]

Wouldn't take a trained one, as an untrained one would attack the med student immediately for appearing so weak and bereft of confidence.

So, how does one scrub the monkey before allowing it in the OR

 

[JeffLebowski]

So, how does one scrub the monkey before allowing it in the OR

The same way you've been doing it since you were 13.

 

[howelljolly]

 

[Blesbok]

Yes, but this begs the question of whether the monkey in the OR also wears the same color scrubs...

Depends on the hospital.

At some hospitals that we rotate through, yes. Monkeys wear the same color scrubs.

At my home hospital, no. Monkeys wear different colored scrubs from residents/staff, and the device reps/visiting monkeys wear different colored scrubs as well.

Altered for dual application

 

[Blesbok]

The same way you've been doing it since you were 13.

You were a late bloomer.

 

[236116]

So, how does one scrub the monkey before allowing it in the OR

 

[AmoryBlaine]

Which one - wearing black scrubs or moonlighting as a ninja?

If it's the first, no, we wore whatever we wanted, and that still holds true. The black scrubs have our residency logo and names emboidered on them. Personally, I wouldn't buy them myself because I got a free supply of scrubs from the hospital.

If it's the second, well, I can tell you, but then I'd have to drip poison over a string into your lips while hiding in the drop down ceiling. You don't want that.

That's stupid. The whole point of scrubs is that they are disposable/interchangeable. When I see someone with embroidered scrubs I think "just wear khakis and a nice shirt."

 

[Vihsadas]

I think the exception to the coat rule is the Cleveland Clinic. I believe all medical students wear long coats.

 

[tkim]

That's stupid. The whole point of scrubs is that they are disposable/interchangeable. When I see someone with embroidered scrubs I think "just wear khakis and a nice shirt."

I wouldn't wear a nice shirt in the ED. More often than not I wear the ER mullet - scrub top and cargo pants. If I get schmutz on the embroidered scrub top I'd have to take it home and wash them. Since I'm already wearing pants, I'm sorta halfway there.

Eh, they're free, so I can't complain.

 

[anon-y-mouse]

Its not really a rule of the med schools or hospitals... just something they use to tell folks apart.

Umm, it's definitely a rule at the short white coat med schools... rooted in tradition I guess as you said... but it is a rule. If I wore a long white coat, someone would probably kick my ass and I'd be summoned to the dean's office or something.

At any rate, my goal is (someday) to come to work every day wearing a pristinely resplendent white coat, and have absolutely nothing in the pockets... w/ no stethoscope, no nothing. Maybe a phone, but absolutely nothing else inside. must become attending soon.

also, ER mullet = gross

 

[howelljolly]

Umm, it's definitely a rule at the short white coat med schools... rooted in tradition I guess as you said... but it is a rule. If I wore a long white coat, someone would probably kick my ass and I'd be summoned to the dean's office or something.

At any rate, my goal is (someday) to come to work every day wearing a pristinely resplendent white coat, and have absolutely nothing in the pockets... w/ no stethoscope, no nothing. Maybe a phone, but absolutely nothing else inside. must become attending soon.

also, ER mullet = gross

What I meant to say.... its not a rule that was decided by the hospitals to make us look silly. Its a tradition, and the hospitals enforce it as a rule.