White coat buttoned or not?

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DermViser said:
:wtf:
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Some resident(s) were complaining about medical students wearing their coats unbuttoned. Still About half of the attending and residents at the hospitals wear theirs unbuttoned and there is no official policy on it. I was just wondering which is more common and if other hospitals have any sort of policies on how to wear the coat.
 
graviton said:
Some resident(s) were complaining about medical students wearing their coats unbuttoned. Still About half of the attending and residents at the hospitals wear theirs unbuttoned and there is no official policy on it. I was just wondering which is more common and if other hospitals have any sort of policies on how to wear the coat.
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Anyone who complains about students (or residents, or attendings) buttoning or not buttoning their white coats has more free time than sense.
 
graviton said:
Some resident(s) were complaining about medical students wearing their coats unbuttoned. Still About half of the attending and residents at the hospitals wear theirs unbuttoned and there is no official policy on it. I was just wondering which is more common and if other hospitals have any sort of policies on how to wear the coat.
Click to expand...

Any resident that complains about medical students not buttoning their white coats is obviously taking out the misery they currently feel in their personal lives (a.k.a. not getting any tail) on students.
 
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Unbuttoned. I have a hockey player's donk. That thing looks ghetto with the short coat strapping down on it.

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Unbuttoned for me. What is the point of buying nice dresses if they are just going to be covered up by an ugly, ill-fitted white coat?

That said, you should do whatever is deemed appropriate by the culture of your institution. You don't want to be that one slob who doesn't button or that one snob who does.
 
Buttoned. I don't have a tie clip and so the coat prevents dragging my tie through stuff.

Also, more comfortable when you have full pockets.
 
Buttoned. And it's longer than it's allowed to be.
 
I never wear it buttoned.

Depending on the service, I don't wear a white coat. Hate that thing.
 
I also hate wearing my short white coat, makes me look ridiculous, especially when my pockets are full of books/tools/notes/papers. I would never even consider wearing it buttoned because I feel like I would look like like a weird fat ball. At least the long white coats seem more proportional.
 
Unbuttoned. Both for comfort and vanity - my coat has an extremely boxy cut, and I think it looks better open.

Once I get a real coat, I may button it (if I have to wear it).
 
darkjedi said:
I also hate wearing my short white coat, makes me look ridiculous, especially when my pockets are full of books/tools/notes/papers. I would never even consider wearing it buttoned because I feel like I would look like like a weird fat ball. At least the long white coats seem more proportional.
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Word, I also hate it and don't wear it if I can get away with it. I probably won't wear a long coat either. I don't get why everyone else has a hard-on for wearing a white coat. Maybe it's because they like being mistaken for a doctor.
 
I always button two buttons because I don't like the "cape effect" that inevitably happens with it unbuttoned. The top button is too high and looks bad when buttoned, so I just do the next two.

The complaints about the short coat make me happy that our school does long coats (for some silly symbolic reason of course). Seeing the visiting students with the short coats... I just feel bad. They look so goofy.
 
Bottom two buttons when dressing myself in the morning, unbutton them when sitting, generally forget to re-button them for the rest of the day.

If people are complaining, 1) it's silly as hell, but 2) just do it however they ask you do it (buttoned or unbuttoned).

I like buttoned when wearing a tie b/c I don't have tie clips and it somewhat restricts movement.
 
I don't wear my long white coat, ever. I feel like it sets me apart, as I am pretty much the only person in the entire hospital who doesn't wear one. I think even patient's family members get them now.
 
you might aswell not wear it if you don't button up.
I just leave the last button untied so I can sit better.


Howie style coat with elastic sleeves is the best if you are indeed doing minor procedures and need protection but don't want to scrub in and out.
 
Unbuttoned. I bought it back when I was 3 sizes smaller :-/ nothing to do 4th year but eat. Lol
 
Unbuttoned always. Buttoning makes the short white coat even worse. I hope to one day not wear one entirely
 
I always leave it unbuttoned if I have tools/books in the pockets. Buttoning the coat when it's full puts awkward stress on my back and shoulders and makes me hunch forward.

But, when I'm dressed in a tie and in clinic, I like to button to look more professional.
 
it depends how fond i am of the tie i am wearing that day.
 
I always go buttoned so I can hide how stress-induced binge eating slowly ravages my once-fit physique.
 
Both. I think the buttoned look is more professional (cleaner, straighter lines). I usually button it in the clinic setting and go halfsies on the wards depending on what I'm doing.

Point: Doesn't really matter, I do it both ways 😛.
 
Most folks seem to wear them unbuttoned at my school...more comfortable I suppose. No one seems to make a big deal either way though.

Although, it would seem wearing them buttoned would better protect you form getting germs and what not on your clothes underneath...Especially if you wear a tie, and you don't want it to hang/fall out in clinics.
 
Unbuttoned. I hate wearing my white coat. I feel awkward, uncomfortable, and it makes me hot, which is especially bad because I already sweat due to nervousness with SP's and patients. I don't particularly like wearing a tie either for the same reasons. I take it off as soon as I'm done. I'm hoping to get into EM where I can just wear scrubs. This thread is now making me wonder though if wearing it unbuttoned may make people think I'm less professional, whether consciously or unconsciously 🙁 Still going to wear it buttoned though unless someone tells me otherwise.
 
NickNaylor said:
I always button two buttons because I don't like the "cape effect" that inevitably happens with it unbuttoned. The top button is too high and looks bad when buttoned, so I just do the next two.

The complaints about the short coat make me happy that our school does long coats (for some silly symbolic reason of course). Seeing the visiting students with the short coats... I just feel bad. They look so goofy.
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That's so funny bc at most schools medical students wear short white coats, and attendings wear long white coats.

Of course you have places like the Brigham where even residents wear short white coats. Something about being a "life-long" learner or some other BS: http://boston.com/yourlife/health/o..._or_student_consult_the_white_coat/?page=full

Not suprising that Harvard and the NE elite are always trying to separate themselves from everyone else.
 
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