When do medical students stop being so pretentious?

[xanthomondo]

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I'm just curious, because I'm tired of seeing all of the first years in anatomy wear their scrubs everywhere (I really hope they're clean when I see them in local stores/car/etc) and tired of seeing second years wear their stethoscopes around their necks and white coats everywhere.

Contrary to popular belief if you have a 30-45 minute car ride to the hospital/Dr's office to shadow (where you will need your white coat) you don't need to wear it while you sit in your last hour of lecture, walk to your car, drive, stop at wawa/gas/dunkin donuts, etc. You can put it on in the parking lot of the place you're going to . And you can even leave in your car while you're in class all day! (Double !)

Also if you have a physical exam workshop where you're learning the cardiac exam, you don't need to take your stethoscope out of the box that's in your bookbag and wear it around your neck all during lunch. You won't be using it for over an hour and half later.

I haven't experienced third or fourth year yet, please tell me things go up from here?

 

[dotdash]

For what do we live, but to make sport for our neighbors and laugh at them in our turn? -- Jane Austen

 

[zenlike]

Live and let live.

 

[weightyheart]

I hate to be antagonistic here, but....you should clarify that these medical students *seem* to be pretentious in your mind, which doesn't mean that they are.

Have you thought to consider that the problem doesn't actually exist anywhere except within your thoughts? That these students are simply doing what is most convenient for them, rather than calculating how awesome their white coats are making them look?

And even if they are being pretentious. What is it to you? Do the pretentions of others make you angry? Or do you just like to complain about everything that happens around you? Because I have met people who do, and they are not fun to be around.

This is how I would approach the situation,
1. Let them do what they want, if they aren't violating any rules.
2. Stop speculating over the possible intentions of others.
3. Stop being so emotional over actions that aren't affecting you directly in any way.

I'm just curious, because I'm tired of seeing all of the first years in anatomy wear their scrubs everywhere (I really hope they're clean when I see them in local stores/car/etc) and tired of seeing second years wear their stethoscopes around their necks and white coats everywhere.

Contrary to popular belief if you have a 30-45 minute car ride to the hospital/Dr's office to shadow (where you will need your white coat) you don't need to wear it while you sit in your last hour of lecture, walk to your car, drive, stop at wawa/gas/dunkin donuts, etc. You can put it on in the parking lot of the place you're going to . And you can even leave in your car while you're in class all day! (Double !)

Also if you have a physical exam workshop where you're learning the cardiac exam, you don't need to take your stethoscope out of the box that's in your bookbag and wear it around your neck all during lunch. You won't be using it for over an hour and half later.

I haven't experienced third or fourth year yet, please tell me things go up from here?

 

[ChiDO]

I wear my white coat to the bar.

 

[Perrotfish]

If you care about what other people are wearing and you're not a paparazzi covering the red carpet crowd you need a new hobby.

 

[Dral]

Eh, if their idea of a good time is wearing the equivalent of a white burlap bag with a few buttons on it everywhere they go, let 'em.

 

[randomized1df374d41]

.

 

[womp]

I'm just curious, because I'm tired of seeing all of the first years in anatomy wear their scrubs everywhere (I really hope they're clean when I see them in local stores/car/etc) and tired of seeing second years wear their stethoscopes around their necks and white coats everywhere.

Contrary to popular belief if you have a 30-45 minute car ride to the hospital/Dr's office to shadow (where you will need your white coat) you don't need to wear it while you sit in your last hour of lecture, walk to your car, drive, stop at wawa/gas/dunkin donuts, etc. You can put it on in the parking lot of the place you're going to . And you can even leave in your car while you're in class all day! (Double !)

Also if you have a physical exam workshop where you're learning the cardiac exam, you don't need to take your stethoscope out of the box that's in your bookbag and wear it around your neck all during lunch. You won't be using it for over an hour and half later.

I haven't experienced third or fourth year yet, please tell me things go up from here?

Maybe it's a Philly thing. 😕

 

[username456789]

Maybe it's a Philly thing. 😕

Nah, I'm almost positive it's an "I go to a medical school with at least one undergrad nearby" thing. Of all the friends I have at medical schools, all of them say they see some weirdos in their class wearing their white coat/scrubs to the store, the library, etc, and point out that it always seems to be places where people from the associated (or other nearby) undergrad institutions will be. There's no reason to be studying in the library in a whitecoat. Ever.

At my school, the nearest undergrad is miles and miles away, and it's an urban area with other professional schools. I don't think I've ever seen another med student wear scrubs or a white coat around in any kind of capacity like this, for the simple reason that THERE'S NO ONE TO IMPRESS. The combination of no undergrads and an otherwise indignant urban population who wouldn't know a doctor from a hole in the wall empirically helps keep the students' douchbaginess at bay.

The people on here who are telling you to mind your own business are either very, very patient with stupidity, or they themselves wear their whitecoat to Starbucks.

 

[AlexMorph]

Nah, I'm almost positive it's an "I go to a medical school with at least one undergrad nearby" thing. Of all the friends I have at medical schools, all of them say they see some weirdos in their class wearing their white coat/scrubs to the store, the library, etc, and point out that it always seems to be places where people from the associated (or other nearby) undergrad institutions will be. There's no reason to be studying in the library in a whitecoat. Ever.

At my school, the nearest undergrad is miles and miles away, and it's an urban area with other professional schools. I don't think I've ever seen another med student wear scrubs or a white coat around in any kind of capacity like this, for the simple reason that THERE'S NO ONE TO IMPRESS. The combination of no undergrads and an otherwise indignant urban population who wouldn't know a doctor from a hole in the wall empirically helps keep the students' douchbaginess at bay.

The people on here who are telling you to mind your own business are either very, very patient with stupidity, or they themselves wear their whitecoat to Starbucks.

lol, qft

 

[146233]

Who cares. If they want to be nerds, let them be nerds. Why let it bother you?

 

[surag]

when I get into med school I'm going to wear my white coat everywhere.

EVERYWHERE. in fact, ill wear it when i go to sleep so that my dreams can aprpeciate my white coat as well.

Indeed, I will also make sure that I wear scrubs underneath should I ACCIDENTALLY take off my white coat then people will definately at least see I work in the hospital.

I will dress to impress everyone! not just lowly undergraduates but also dental students, pharmacists, PhDs, nurses, and most of all my imaginary friend BOB.

 

[Deferoxamine]

When the hell did SDN become the medical school equivalent of The Algonquin Roundtable?

There have seriously been about 50 of these "So I'm in Year X, and I've observed the following... (insert witty hyperbole), *cynicism*, this sucks, when does it stop?" threads in the past month.

Admins, can you please open one single thread where everyone can post their Pulitzer Prize attempts at medical school commentary, and we can see whether or not the crowd laughs, rather than letting these threads multiply like rabbits?

[/irony]

 

[Jolie South]

[/irony]

Irony. . . .desferoxamine

 

[nlax30]

I can't stand wearing my whitecoat, and only time I'm in scrubs in public is if I have to stop by the grocery store on the way home from a shift.

Never had the desire to do that during first two years, though we had a dress code and had to be in professional dress when on campus during the day. Some still sported the scrubs at night when studying in the library but I could have cared less what they did.

First year or so I'm sure they'll still excited about being in med school and want to show it off little, even if it is a little over the top and ridiculous looking. On my last rotation I kept getting asked by strangers for directions as I was walking in from the parking garage that I wish I didn't have on scrubs and a white coat. Not too mention these coats are way to hot.

 

[cpants]

I've noticed an opposite, yet equally pretentious camp of white coat haters. These are the ones that roll up to rounds in a shirt and tie like their s don't stink. Bottom line is the white coat is the white coat. There's nothing really good or really bad about it. It just is. Anyone with strong feelings one way or the other is way too into the image. Just wear it when appropriate, and pay attention to yourself.

 

[UES Girl]

I actually think he has a couple valid points, especially about the scrubs.


1. How can anyone possibly want to continue wearing scrubs AFTER gross anatomy lab ?

Things get splashed on all the time, I can recall quite a number of times when people got urine on and etc. Top all of this with a stench of formaldehyde. How can anyone insist to continue wearing same "filthy" scrubs after the lab, let alone go grocery shopping while wearing them is beyond me.

2. Scrubs are so sheer - especially the lighter colored ones. If you are a fan of bright colored underwear, you risk major exposure. Unless you wear something like leggings underneath, as a woman be prepared that the world can you your Victoria Secret thong if you parade around in light colored scrubs.

3. Scrubs are so sheer, have I mentioned that ?

It's 50 degrees outside and freezing Norcal weather. The local library is a like a cemetery with ungodly temperatures inside the study rooms. To the left of me, a guy brings his electric blanket so he can study in warmth. To the right, a graduate student is religiously sipping hot coffee from his thermos. I'm wearing three sweaters under my coat, yet the med students at the next table are wearing their scrubs and freezing their ass off. Why all this self-induced torture is beyond me. 🤣

 

[username456789]

2. Scrubs are so sheer - especially the lighter colored ones. If you are a fan of bright colored underwear, you risk major exposure. Unless you wear something like leggings underneath, as a woman be prepared that the world can you your Victoria Secret thong if you parade around in light colored scrubs.

So far you have been the only one to pose a valid reason why anyone SHOULD wear scrubs outside of lab/the hospital.

 

[sunset823]

we had a dress code and had to be in professional dress when on campus during the day. Some still sported the scrubs at night when studying in the library but I could have cared less what they did.

Wow. That sucks. I and a pretty good majority of my classmates just wear jeans and whatever other scrubby looking clothes (that aren't scrubs) we can grab in the 5 minutes between the time we roll out of bed in the morning and leave our apartment to make our 8 AM class. Really, the only time I have ever had to wear business casual/professional dress every day was an internship during a summer in my undergrad. One of the reasons I love being a student, and planning on staying one for the rest of my life.

As for the douchiness/pretentiousness, I can't stand wearing my scrubs and get out of them as soon as I leave the anatomy lab (with the exception of one day when I was so tired I just wore a set of completely clean scrubs at my apt, and then immediately came back and put them for laundry). They STINK! I can't imagine wearing them around any type of food environment, grocery, restaurant, whatever. And I've not seen any of my classmates wearing scrubs outside our building either, and we are on an undergrad campus. Maybe it's just a stuck up east-coaster thing 😛

 

[treva]

When do medical students stop being so pretentious?

The answer is: never.

 

[Superfrost]

This is silly.

 

[45408]

I haven't experienced third or fourth year yet, please tell me things go up from here?

Sort of? Good news is that people stop wearing the white coat everywhere outside the hospital because they realize how stupid it looks. The downside is, you now get to wear it every day, realizing how stupid it looks. It's a reminder of how little authority you have, and how rarely you provide something useful at the hospital...

I studied at my undergrad a lot during my M3 year, because I live closer to my alma mater than my med school, and I just like to wear the undergrad hoodies I've got and hide.

 

[deleted263296]

-

 

[deleted128562]

You seem pretty upset about something so trivial. Can I not walk from my home to the school with my white coat on so I don't have to carry it? Can I not forget to put my stethoscope back into my pocket after learning how to do a physical exam? Can I not have to change into scrubs and then back out of them in the middle of the day? There are reasons people wear these things and it's not because they are pretentious.

Your obsession with what others are doing is the real problem with medical students. There is an insidious sense of insecurity among us where we worry too much about what our classmates are doing and not enough about ourselves.

I agree that worrying too much about what others are doing is stupid. But I can kind of understand where the OP is coming from. It's not that I inherently care if my classmates want to wear their white coats everywhere. If they want to look silly by wearing them to the bar, that's their business.... except.... The problem is that it forms the IMPRESSION in many people's minds that med students in general are pretentious d-bags who are looking for attention. And that impression affects me each time I have to put on my white coat for a legitimate reason.

Think about it this way - if every time you walked into Starbucks you saw an off-duty firefighter sitting there sipping coffee in his full gear, and showing off his gear (no pun intended) to the ladies, would you keep going "hey cool, a fireman!" Or would you be like, "What is another dork doing in full fire gear in a Starbucks? What a freak." And how would that affect your impression of firefighters in general?

 

[treva]

You seem pretty upset about something so trivial. Can I not walk from my home to the school with my white coat on so I don't have to carry it? Can I not forget to put my stethoscope back into my pocket after learning how to do a physical exam? Can I not have to change into scrubs and then back out of them in the middle of the day? There are reasons people wear these things and it's not because they are pretentious.

Your obsession with what others are doing is the real problem with medical students. There is an insidious sense of insecurity among us where we worry too much about what our classmates are doing and not enough about ourselves.

Pretentious!

 

[riceman04]

I'm just curious, because I'm tired of seeing all of the first years in anatomy wear their scrubs everywhere (I really hope they're clean when I see them in local stores/car/etc) and tired of seeing second years wear their stethoscopes around their necks and white coats everywhere.

Contrary to popular belief if you have a 30-45 minute car ride to the hospital/Dr's office to shadow (where you will need your white coat) you don't need to wear it while you sit in your last hour of lecture, walk to your car, drive, stop at wawa/gas/dunkin donuts, etc. You can put it on in the parking lot of the place you're going to . And you can even leave in your car while you're in class all day! (Double !)

Also if you have a physical exam workshop where you're learning the cardiac exam, you don't need to take your stethoscope out of the box that's in your bookbag and wear it around your neck all during lunch. You won't be using it for over an hour and half later.

I haven't experienced third or fourth year yet, please tell me things go up from here?

Sigh!!!...I miss WAWA! Who cares about other med students...all I want is some WAWA in my life...:cry::cry:

Damn La Jolla is too pretentious to have any real 24hr convenience stores...

 

[hpriya]

I'm just curious, because I'm tired of seeing all of the first years in anatomy wear their scrubs everywhere (I really hope they're clean when I see them in local stores/car/etc) and tired of seeing second years wear their stethoscopes around their necks and white coats everywhere.

Contrary to popular belief if you have a 30-45 minute car ride to the hospital/Dr's office to shadow (where you will need your white coat) you don't need to wear it while you sit in your last hour of lecture, walk to your car, drive, stop at wawa/gas/dunkin donuts, etc. You can put it on in the parking lot of the place you're going to . And you can even leave in your car while you're in class all day! (Double !)

Also if you have a physical exam workshop where you're learning the cardiac exam, you don't need to take your stethoscope out of the box that's in your bookbag and wear it around your neck all during lunch. You won't be using it for over an hour and half later.

I haven't experienced third or fourth year yet, please tell me things go up from here?

i think u r correct

 

[riceman04]

when I get into med school I'm going to wear my white coat everywhere.

EVERYWHERE. in fact, ill wear it when i go to sleep so that my dreams can aprpeciate my white coat as well.

Indeed, I will also make sure that I wear scrubs underneath should I ACCIDENTALLY take off my white coat then people will definately at least see I work in the hospital.

I will dress to impress everyone! not just lowly undergraduates but also dental students, pharmacists, PhDs, nurses, and most of all my imaginary friend BOB.

emoticons please!!!...otherwise I will assume you are being serious and place you in my TOOL category

 

[deleted263296]

-

 

[Deferoxamine]

i think u r correct

Oh God. Now we've progressed to the OP creating ghost accounts to support his post.

Merge this whiny thread with the others, please.

 

[xanthomondo]

Oh God. Now we've progressed to the OP creating ghost accounts to support his post.

Merge this whiny thread with the others, please.

Fail. Do you think I really would resort to petty crap like that? give me a break. Also, there are no threads similar to this one on the first three pages of Allo, so I'm not sure what your complaint is. And no, you don't need to do a search to find old ones.

To others, this isn't something I lose sleep over as many try to make it out to be it. It's simply a mere observation of something that I think is ridiculous.

It's not the people who do this stuff because it's convenient. The ridiculous people are the ones who go out of their way to display their status (as Cheb pointed out.)

 

[xanthomondo]

I agree that worrying too much about what others are doing is stupid. But I can kind of understand where the OP is coming from. It's not that I inherently care if my classmates want to wear their white coats everywhere. If they want to look silly by wearing them to the bar, that's their business.... except.... The problem is that it forms the IMPRESSION in many people's minds that med students in general are pretentious d-bags who are looking for attention. And that impression affects me each time I have to put on my white coat for a legitimate reason.

Think about it this way - if every time you walked into Starbucks you saw an off-duty firefighter sitting there sipping coffee in his full gear, and showing off his gear (no pun intended) to the ladies, would you keep going "hey cool, a fireman!" Or would you be like, "What is another dork doing in full fire gear in a Starbucks? What a freak." And how would that affect your impression of firefighters in general?

Exactly. There is a partial embarrassment factor here. We are all equal colleagues now, and everyone's actions to reflect back to the school and student body.

 

[146233]

Exactly. There is a partial embarrassment factor here. We are all equal colleagues now, and everyone's actions to reflect back to the school and student body.

Seriously? Whether someone wears their white coat or scrubs to "show off" or hope for admiration or whatever is just not something you need spend time being frustrated about.

 

[surag]

when I get into med school I'm going to wear my white coat everywhere.👍

EVERYWHERE. in fact, ill wear it when i go to sleep so that my dreams can aprpeciate my white coat as well.

Indeed, I will also make sure that I wear scrubs underneath should I ACCIDENTALLY take off my white coat then people will definately at least see I work in the hospital. :troll:

I will dress to impress everyone! not just lowly undergraduates but also dental students, pharmacists, PhDs, nurses, and most of all my imaginary friend BOB.

 

[surag]

emoticons please!!!...otherwise I will assume you are being serious and place you in my TOOL category

YOU'RE ABSOLUTE POSITIVELY RIGHT. 😱🙄😍

as a result and in order to follow your advice I decided to use emoticons that were very very much not relevant at all

i hope you get the hidden joke here. or I'll have to put you in MY TOOL list.

 

[Ableton]

I'm just curious, because I'm tired of seeing all of the first years in anatomy wear their scrubs everywhere (I really hope they're clean when I see them in local stores/car/etc) and tired of seeing second years wear their stethoscopes around their necks and white coats everywhere.

Contrary to popular belief if you have a 30-45 minute car ride to the hospital/Dr's office to shadow (where you will need your white coat) you don't need to wear it while you sit in your last hour of lecture, walk to your car, drive, stop at wawa/gas/dunkin donuts, etc. You can put it on in the parking lot of the place you're going to . And you can even leave in your car while you're in class all day! (Double !)

Also if you have a physical exam workshop where you're learning the cardiac exam, you don't need to take your stethoscope out of the box that's in your bookbag and wear it around your neck all during lunch. You won't be using it for over an hour and half later.

I haven't experienced third or fourth year yet, please tell me things go up from here?

When will you stop being so pretentious?

Who gives a **** what other people do, especially when it has absolutely no direct effect on you. You need to stop passing judgement on people for no good reason, this isn't high school anymore.

 

[deleted128562]

When will you stop being so pretentious?

Who gives a **** what other people do, especially when it has absolutely no direct effect on you. You need to stop passing judgement on people for no good reason, this isn't high school anymore.

Who gives a **** what other people think, especially when it has no direct effect on you. You need to stop passing judgment on other people's thoughts for no good reason, this isn't middle school anymore.

And by the way, it DOES affect you and other med students. (Unless you are naive enough to think that your short white coat doesn't make you the laughing-stock of the hospital and anywhere else nearby). See my post about 10 or 11 back.

 

[Nikki2002]

i don't own a stethoscope yet and i think my white coat is rather uncomfortable. right now i'm just chillin in my sweats cramming nearly 80 lectures into my brain. if it makes them feel better to wear their white coat everywhere then whatever..i know they are working their asses off just like me

 

[DrJD]

When I see people wearing their white coats like the OP described, I typically just assume that they are probably SDN members. This would explain the vitriolic response to the OP's feelings. 😀

Rather humorous actually...

Oh, and carry your coat don't wear it, its not that heavy.

 

[deleted263296]

-

 

[greatnt249]

Exactly. There is a partial embarrassment factor here. We are all equal colleagues now, and everyone's actions to reflect back to the school and student body.

You speak as if these personality types aren't represented in EVERY career known to man...

Worry less about how you perceive others' behavior to reflect on you and just act according to your own principles. Better yet, since this bothers you so much, why not actually step up and call people out on why they're wearing scrubs/white coats in situations you perceive to be inappropriate?

 

[ChimpanzeeMinky]

So far you have been the only one to pose a valid reason why anyone SHOULD wear scrubs outside of lab/the hospital.

👍

 

[Ableton]

Who gives a **** what other people think, especially when it has no direct effect on you. You need to stop passing judgment on other people's thoughts for no good reason, this isn't middle school anymore.

Right. Too bad this doesn't make any sense at all since the OP is clearly asking what people think about his thoughts.

And by the way, it DOES affect you and other med students. (Unless you are naive enough to think that your short white coat doesn't make you the laughing-stock of the hospital and anywhere else nearby). See my post about 10 or 11 back.

Your previous post makes no sense. If someone wears their white coat outside of the hospital, only they look stupid, not you. When you're both wearing your white coats while working in the hospital, you both look stupid.

If you honestly think that people make such generalizations about a profession based on how they see one person dress while off duty, you're the naive one.

 

[tkim]

People find out that wearing the short white coat becomes much less fun when you are REQUIRED to wear it all day long, cannot show up without it, and it signifies to everyone that you have no power and are usually defenseless and at the mercy of everyone including the janitor. Usually mid-MS3.

I have the long white coat and can count on one hand (less the off-service rotations that I am required to wear it) the times I've worn it. Won't wear one as an attending - unless required.

I once saw an upperclassman wearing the short white coat at the grocery store. "Hi, did you just get out of the hospital?" "No, I'm not working today." "Uhhhhhhh."

 

[lildave2586]

I can out-do all of you. The dental students at my school (across the street) wear not only scrubs, but also a long white coat. These things are long! They are the butt of many a joke, especially when seen around town wearing their scrubs and long white coat, signifying that they are dental students. Wow.

 

[surag]

I can out-do all of you. The dental students at my school (across the street) wear not only scrubs, but also a long white coat. These things are long! They are the butt of many a joke, especially when seen around town wearing their scrubs and long white coat, signifying that they are dental students. Wow.

haha, are dental students looked down on or something?

so what? from what i see, the pharmacist students have long white coats too and its next toimpossible here to figure out whos dental/pharm without seeing their ID tags or the different scrub colors.

 

[Depakote]

I'm just curious, because I'm tired of seeing all of the first years in anatomy wear their scrubs everywhere (I really hope they're clean when I see them in local stores/car/etc) and tired of seeing second years wear their stethoscopes around their necks and white coats everywhere.

Contrary to popular belief if you have a 30-45 minute car ride to the hospital/Dr's office to shadow (where you will need your white coat) you don't need to wear it while you sit in your last hour of lecture, walk to your car, drive, stop at wawa/gas/dunkin donuts, etc. You can put it on in the parking lot of the place you're going to . And you can even leave in your car while you're in class all day! (Double !)

Also if you have a physical exam workshop where you're learning the cardiac exam, you don't need to take your stethoscope out of the box that's in your bookbag and wear it around your neck all during lunch. You won't be using it for over an hour and half later.

I haven't experienced third or fourth year yet, please tell me things go up from here?

those guys are n00bs... I got home an hour ago and I'm still wearing my white coat and stethoscope so I can tell people on SDN about it. 😎

 

[surag]

those guys are n00bs... I got home an hour ago and I'm still wearing my white coat and stethoscope so I can tell people on SDN about it. 😎

To the OP.....when do YOU stop being pretentious?

 

[phospho]

I'm just curious, because I'm tired of seeing all of the first years in anatomy wear their scrubs everywhere (I really hope they're clean when I see them in local stores/car/etc) and tired of seeing second years wear their stethoscopes around their necks and white coats everywhere.

Contrary to popular belief if you have a 30-45 minute car ride to the hospital/Dr's office to shadow (where you will need your white coat) you don't need to wear it while you sit in your last hour of lecture, walk to your car, drive, stop at wawa/gas/dunkin donuts, etc. You can put it on in the parking lot of the place you're going to . And you can even leave in your car while you're in class all day! (Double !)

Also if you have a physical exam workshop where you're learning the cardiac exam, you don't need to take your stethoscope out of the box that's in your bookbag and wear it around your neck all during lunch. You won't be using it for over an hour and half later.

I haven't experienced third or fourth year yet, please tell me things go up from here?

I'm shocked that they would actually wear their lab clothes outside of lab. I've just recently taught myself how to put on my scrub pants without wearing gloves. There are bone fragments all over them (from the head midsaggital cut), blood, fat, ch2o, and even feces from last week when we were doing the abdominal viscera... you name it.

But like someone else mentioned - live and let live. Atleast you know they're not getting laid 😉