White coat ceremonies

[MedStudentWanna]

There's some discrepancy in this topic in the pre-allo board archives, so I thought I'd ask here since you all should know better than the pre-allo people would.

Which schools don't have white coat ceremonies? I heard it was only a handful, but someone said there are more and more each year that get rid of them. Is that true?

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[braluk]

Not that I know of any figures or if there is a decline in white coat ceremonies- but I wouldn't be surprised if schools did do so because controversy and criticisms exist in that it elicits some sense of entitlement for students. Personally I think its a rite of passage, and traditions/rituals are what gives unique characteristics to groups of people with special interests (you could say that graduation gowns/caps is another rite of passage as well).

 

[NonTradMed]

I have not heard of anyone getting rid of it, nor have I heard of any controversy or criticism of it, except on SDN. As far as I know, white coat ceremonies are a common rite of passage into med school and will continue to be so for years to come.

 

[Dr.Watson]

.

 

[Critical Mass]

The WCC is actually a fairly new addition to medical education. Schools started doing it in the 90's. Read about it at every medical student's favorite resource:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_coat_ceremony

Schools do vary, however, in when they hold their WCC. I heard somebody on SDN say that they had one in April.

I am one of the critics of it because I think that white coats create barriers and even has it's own "syndrome" associated with it. With the progressive nature of medicine, I would have thought that ceremonies like this would be fading out rather than gaining in popularity. I know of no schools that don't have a WCC, but I suspect that Mayo's dress code (which doesn't include white coats AFAIK) miight suggest that they don't have a WCC.

I think that I might be more accepting of the WCC if it were placed after step 1 when we've actually completed the "pre-medical" stage of our careers. And yes, I do believe that M1-2 is still considered pre-medical because the content is what most lay people think you're learning in college as a pre-med. It's kind of a joke for me to walk around behind a doctor for a couple of hours with a white coat on when I'm not even allowed to do any procedures. I don't exactly feel like a "student doctor" as an M1.

 

[psipsina]

The WCC is actually a fairly new addition to medical education. Schools started doing it in the 90's. Read about it at every medical student's favorite resource:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_coat_ceremony

Schools do vary, however, in when they hold their WCC. I heard somebody on SDN say that they had one in April.

I am one of the critics of it because I think that white coats create barriers. With the progressive nature of medicine, I would have thought that ceremonies like this would be fading out rather than gaining in popularity. I know of no schools that don't have a WCC, but I suspect that Mayo's dress code (which doesn't include white coats AFAIK) miight suggest that they don't have a WCC.

I think that I might be more accepting of the WCC if it were placed after step 1 when we've actually completed the "pre-medical" stage of our careers. And yes, I do believe that M1-2 is still considered pre-medical because the content is what most lay people think you're learning in college as a pre-med. It's kind of a joke for me to walk around behind a doctor for a couple of hours with a white coat on when I'm not even allowed to do any procedures. I don't exactly feel like a "student doctor" as an M1.

At my school we don't get ours until the beginning of 2nd year. I think that makes it mean more, you have to achieve something more than just getting in. I doubt I'll wear one once I'm practicing on my own, as I think they are a bit silly too, but the whole symbolic induction into the fraternity of medicine thing is cool.

On another note, one of the things I love as a first year at my school is that we actually get to do stuff that makes me feel as though I am a student doctor. We do alot of shadowing but we get to start doing H&Ps and if your up for it we get to get our hands dirty in a few procedures too. I think that this is something premeds should be worrying about at their future school, not when they get a whitecoat, or if they have to invoke Zeus when they get it, or if US news thinks their schools is just super, or if the gross lab smells like roses . . . getting to actually start on the path of being a practitioner of medicine in the beginning has made all the difference in the world in my first year experience.

 

[Critical Mass]

On another note, one of the things I love as a first year at my school is that we actually get to do stuff that makes me feel as though I am a student doctor. We do alot of shadowing but we get to start doing H&Ps and if your up for it we get to get our hands dirty in a few procedures too. I think that this is something premeds should be worrying about at their future school, not when they get a whitecoat, or if they have to invoke Zeus when they get it, or if US news thinks their schools is just super, or if the gross lab smells like roses . . . getting to actually start on the path of being a practitioner of medicine in the beginning has made all the difference in the world in my first year experience.

Trudat.

{psipsina}

 

[ChessMess]

I have heard that at UCD they don't have a white coat ceremony, (the donning of the white coat serves to separate one from the patient), but they do have an induction ceremony, (where they present you with a stethoscope, which connects one to the patient).

Definitely California. Definitely Right On.

 

[MacGyver]

Why the **** would you want a dumb ceremony just to wear the same coat that the ****ing janitor wears in the hospital? Thats a real distinguishing piece of attire you got there when in fact the WHOLE DAMN HOSPITAL WEARS IT, INCLUDING THOSE WHO DIDNT EVEN GRADUATE FROM HIGH SCHOOL.

 

[Green Chimneys]

Why the **** would you want a dumb ceremony just to wear the same coat that the ****ing janitor wears in the hospital? Thats a real distinguishing piece of attire you got there when in fact the WHOLE DAMN HOSPITAL WEARS IT, INCLUDING THOSE WHO DIDNT EVEN GRADUATE FROM HIGH SCHOOL.

Because the shorty white coat is what distinguishes us from a manicurist

...oh wait...

 

[Droopy Snoopy]

Why the **** would you want a dumb ceremony just to wear the same coat that the ****ing janitor wears in the hospital? Thats a real distinguishing piece of attire you got there when in fact the WHOLE DAMN HOSPITAL WEARS IT, INCLUDING THOSE WHO DIDNT EVEN GRADUATE FROM HIGH SCHOOL.

My school/hospital has this worked out pretty well. On the floor the nurses and ancillary staff wear a designated color scrubs (respiratory is blue, radiology is purple, medsurg is green, etc.). The students have short coats, residents have long coats, and staff has long coat + shoulder patch. Of course the OR is just the OR. Anyway, the long coat ceremony takes place a few weeks after Match Day and a few before graduation, the idea being if you have a large family you can spread out the invitations between the three. We have our short coat ceremony all bundled up with registration, the Hippo Oath, and a meet-and-greet dinner prior to M1 year and is strictly for students.

 

[NonTradMed]

Why the **** would you want a dumb ceremony just to wear the same coat that the ****ing janitor wears in the hospital? Thats a real distinguishing piece of attire you got there when in fact the WHOLE DAMN HOSPITAL WEARS IT, INCLUDING THOSE WHO DIDNT EVEN GRADUATE FROM HIGH SCHOOL.

Why do kindergartens and elementary schools now have graduation ceremonies now? It's the new trend.

 

[LuckyBambooGirl]

We have our white coat ceremony during second year at the end of March to mark the transition from the pre-clinical years to the clinical years. However, it is kind of dumb that they will be presenting us with the same white coat we have been wearing for the past 2 years for standardized patient exams and H&P's. My family is way more excited about it than I am!

 

[swpm]

Why do kindergartens and elementary schools now have graduation ceremonies now? It's the new trend.

Heh, I was just thinking about the line from the Incredibles about the 4th grade graduation ceremony.

It's psychotic! They keep creating new ways to celebrate mediocrity.

Sure, preclinical-->clinical is a significant transition, but I thought the seriousness and solemnity of the ceremony was a bit overdone at my school. Maybe if every tech, nurse, and "allied health professional" didn't wear long white coats at my hospital, I'd have been more proud to don the short white one.

 

[soeagerun2or]

Heh, I was just thinking about the line from the Incredibles about the 4th grade graduation ceremony.



Sure, preclinical-->clinical is a significant transition, but I thought the seriousness and solemnity of the ceremony was a bit overdone at my school. Maybe if every tech, nurse, and "allied health professional" didn't wear long white coats at my hospital, I'd have been more proud to don the short white one.

Indeed! It's like in A Christmas Story when Ralphie gets the pink bunny-rabbit suit and doesn't want to wear it..

 

[78222]

Well, I thought the ceremony was somewhat stupid (but then again, I hate ceremonies). Nonetheless, I see no problem with it. I don't wear a white coat a lot, but I do wear it and I think wearing it at my preceptors office definitely makes the patient more comfortable with my presence.

btw, that crap about the white coat "separating" the doctor from the patient is just that - crap. Patients, and people in general, like symbols and the white coat is a symbol of the doctor.

 

[dilated]

Honestly I didn't give a crap about ours and neither did anyone else - it was for our parents, so I was willing to take one for the team and let them have their day in the sun.

But after seeing the PC police write papers about "symbols of elitism" I'm now suddenly pro-white coat ceremony.

 

[Law2Doc]

Which schools don't have white coat ceremonies? I heard it was only a handful, but someone said there are more and more each year that get rid of them. Is that true?

Are you sure about that? From what I've heard, more schools are incorporating white coat ceremonies than getting rid of them. As was said before, it's a relatively recent "tradition", and like other new things like PBL, early clinical exposure, etc this is gaining steam, not losing it. The key reason --it's a good money maker for the school. You get all the students parents out to the school, and during this moment of pride, pomp and circumstance, in which they get to see their kid don the white coat, you use the captive audience opportunity to hit them up for donations, planned giving and the like. Even if it doesn't get immediate money, it tends ot involve the families and lock them in as future donation targets. Some schools do this more effectively than others. But expect more schools to incorporate this into their schedule, not fewer.

 

[Critical Mass]

The free cookies and punch were good. If the school hadn't tried to convince me that it was mandatory, I would have ditched it.

 

[psipsina]

The free cookies and punch were good. If the school hadn't tried to convince me that it was mandatory, I would have ditched it.

I really despise the random throwing about of the word mandatory in medschool. We had a "mandatory" meeting about our class project that half the class never contributed to anyway, so why tell them they have to come and listen if they know they aren't the contributing types. Or tomorrow we have "mandatory" yearbook photos, I could give a rats a.. about buyin or being in a yearbook, its just not my thang, but now I have to interrupt what would have otherwise been a productive study session to get all prettied up and stand in line while they take all 180 of our pictures, blech . . . please medschool, just tell me when you will and will not be taking attendance and stop pretending that the fluff is somehow important. /rant and returns to the enlightening chapter on regulation of nephron Ca2+ balance

 

[Critical Mass]

I really despise the random throwing about of the word mandatory in medschool.

It's possible that I have never loved you more than at this moment.

I really really just want them to leave us alone so that we can learn what we need to learn to become physicians. All of the bullying inhibits my learning. I was prepared to deal with the political pissing contests out on the wards as an M3/4, but the childish lengths that some deans will go to in an effort to thrust their hegemony upon us is pretty ridiculous.

As for the WCC, I wish that they would have let us choose. I didn't even want my name in the program.

 

[HopkinsOne]

I have heard that at UCD they don't have a white coat ceremony, (the donning of the white coat serves to separate one from the patient), but they do have an induction ceremony, (where they present you with a stethoscope, which connects one to the patient).

Definitely California. Definitely Right On.

Of course, an unsourced statement in the Wikipedia article on stethoscopes states that doctors previously would place their ears against the patients to listen to them. Even the Californians are separating themselves from the patients! This post is purely in jest, of course.

For those who are interested in late-in-the-year WCCs, Hopkins holds it in May of M1, although there is talk of moving it to the beginning of M1 like everyone else.

 

[Critical Mass]

Of course, an unsourced statement in the Wikipedia article on stethoscopes states that doctors previously would place their ears against the patients to listen to them.

Are you saying that I should stop doing that?

The next thing you know, somebody will start promoting a device that allows you to test for glucose in urine without actually tasting it.

 

[Steve203]

It's possible that I have never loved you more than at this moment.

I really really just want them to leave us alone so that we can learn what we need to learn to become physicians. All of the bullying inhibits my learning. I was prepared to deal with the political pissing contests out on the wards as an M3/4, but the childish lengths that some deans will go to in an effort to thrust their hegemony upon us is pretty ridiculous.

As for the WCC, I wish that they would have let us choose. I didn't even want my name in the program.

You mean it's mandatory??? LAME!!! I was seriously planning on not showing up that day....stupid white coat...who the hell gets excited about stuff like this?

 

[Haemulon]

Of all of the hoops and obstacles that we have to go through as premeds and med students, out of all of the meaningless and sometimes down right wastfull stuff that we have to endure and go along with, I hardly think that having to sit through a ceremony and recite a short text is the one thing to focus on to be annoyed about. Maybe its just me, but this is the least of my concerns.

 

[IckeyShuffle]

Of all of the hoops and obstacles that we have to go through as premeds and med students, out of all of the meaningless and sometimes down right wastfull stuff that we have to endure and go along with, I hardly think that having to sit through a ceremony and recite a short text is the one thing to focus on to be annoyed about. Maybe its just me, but this is the least of my concerns.

agreed, ive worked hard to get to this point and i wouldnt mind to take a few minutes during a ceremony to slow down for a sec and reflect on it. i know it is just the beginning of the really hard work, but hey it hasnt been easy up until now. I know my family members will like the ceremony too.

 

[Ashers]

agreed, ive worked hard to get to this point and i wouldnt mind to take a few minutes during a ceremony to slow down for a sec and reflect on it. i know it is just the beginning of the really hard work, but hey it hasnt been easy up until now. I know my family members will like the ceremony too.

Between my parents and me, my parents were the only ones who liked the ceremony. At our ceremony they didn't take attendance, and had I known that, I would've told my parents not to bother flying out from home, except it was nice that they helped me with my apartment. Mine was on the Friday of orientation, it was boiling hot, I was tired from a week of orientation, and all I really wanted to do was sleep.

Some of the doctors on stage even fell asleep during the speech.

 

[Erina]

i'm actually really excited for my white coat ceremony. i think it'll make me feel like all the crap i've done through college finally paid off. being accepted to medical school was amazing, but i think it'll make it more official in my mind.

 

[Haemulon]

i'm actually really excited for my white coat ceremony. i think it'll make me feel like all the crap i've done through college finally paid off. being accepted to medical school was amazing, but i think it'll make it more official in my mind.

My thoughts as well.

 

[Steve203]

i'm actually really excited for my white coat ceremony. i think it'll make me feel like all the crap i've done through college finally paid off. being accepted to medical school was amazing, but i think it'll make it more official in my mind.

nope...getting so wasted that I couldn't get up till 3 pm made it pretty damn official for me

 

[tkatchev]

nope...getting so wasted that I couldn't get up till 3 pm made it pretty damn official for me

Why does getting wasted make it official?

 

[Critical Mass]

i'm actually really excited for my white coat ceremony. i think it'll make me feel like all the crap i've done through college finally paid off. being accepted to medical school was amazing, but i think it'll make it more official in my mind.

Wait until your first round of tests before you decide whether or not your college finally paid off. Page 1 of the Critical Mass advice file--start studying from the get go.

 

[arsenewenger]

Wait until your first round of tests before you decide whether or not your college finally paid off. Page 1 of the Critical Mass advice file--start studying from the get go.

How can I get this? Do you have a blog or something?

 

[LJDHC05]

Wait until your first round of tests before you decide whether or not your college finally paid off. Page 1 of the Critical Mass advice file--start studying from the get go.

If they only knew what they are about to pay to have done to themselves...

Enjoy your remaining time in the land of puppy dogs and sunshine kiddos, if you thought undergrad and applications sucked, just wait...

 

[Critical Mass]

How can I get this? Do you have a blog or something?

In this case, I was just being figurative; but most people on SDN would say that if I had a blog, it would be cynical in nature. (We can get into why later.) As a result, not many care that much about my advice, so thanks for the request.

Pick a school where you are comfortable learning, both financially and academically. Match lists are more based on personal choice than any other factor you can think of, and research dollar rankings aren't going to affect your education. Go to a place with a supportive environment rather than an adversarial one, and your life/training will be much better.

When you get to school, think "me vs. USMLE" not "me vs. everybody else." If you work hard and learn the material, I promise you that you will score well and stand up to clinical pimping if you understand how to succeed with the content early and often. You will be surrounded by a lot of fear, fear that students have of faculty admin, fear that students have of the next exam, fear that students have of working their butts off and being "stuck" with a specialty that they don't want to do for the rest of their lives. This will affect behavior. People will forget the fluffy essays that they wrote. Don't get caught up in it.

Work hard because it will benefit your patients in the future. Don't be self-centered. Most people actually do get the specialty that they want when match time arrives.

Don't let school take over your life. Still enjoy things that bring you happiness even if you have to do them in moderation.

Spend M1/2 with your full emphasis on step 1. Pursue a little bit of research if you are convinced that it will pan out for you later, but nothing will sink a residency app like a bad step 1. There is no cure or repair for this because you can't retake it if you pass.

I'm sure that I'll think of more pearls of wisdom later...

 

[OncoCaP]

In this case, I was just being figurative; but most people on SDN would say that if I had a blog, it would be cynical in nature. ...

Work hard because it will benefit your patients in the future. Don't be self-centered. Most people actually do get the specialty that they want when match time arrives.

Don't let school take over your life. Still enjoy things that bring you happiness even if you have to do them in moderation.

Spend M1/2 with your full emphasis on step 1. Pursue a little bit of research if you are convinced that it will pan out for you later, but nothing will sink a residency app like a bad step 1. There is no cure or repair for this because you can't retake it if you pass.
...

Hey, thanks CM & many others. I appreciate your effort to pass your suggestions along.

 

[DoctorFunk]

Between my parents and me, my parents were the only ones who liked the ceremony. At our ceremony they didn't take attendance, and had I known that, I would've told my parents not to bother flying out from home, except it was nice that they helped me with my apartment. Mine was on the Friday of orientation, it was boiling hot, I was tired from a week of orientation, and all I really wanted to do was sleep.

Some of the doctors on stage even fell asleep during the speech.

I skipped this very same white coat ceremony to attend the walkthrough and host the groom's dinner for my own wedding set to take place the next day. Believe it or not, when I was e-mailing the administration to get permission to miss this "mandatory" ceremony to attend my own wedding functions they actually gave me a guilt trip about missing such an important event.

I learned right then and there that medicine will suck you and your life dry the moment you allow others to dictate to you how much of yourself to give to the profession. I told the administrator "thanks, but no thanks" and went on my merry way to attend my frickin wedding.

 

[nickster]

Not so much about which one, as past threads have covered, but do MS1's actually need one? If so when and why.

 

[Critical Mass]

Not so much about which one, as past threads have covered, but do MS1's actually need one? If so when and why.

Whether you need/use it or not is irrelevant. In order to be cool like the other kids, a Littmann Cardio III is necessary.

 

[RokChalkJayhawk]

The WCC isn't so much for you as it is for your family. Just like graduations. I know that my family is excited about it. I plan on going, smiling, and whatever, but I'm not getting too bent out of shape over it.

 

[Ladyfingers]

Well, I think it will be fun. Especially if there is free food. Mmmm...food.

 

[sanche60]

I think white coat ceremonies are becoming more and more common because many schools have started exposing their M1's to actual clinical settings. I think that they just use it as an opportunity to give you a ceremony coat which you will have to have when you interview patients in a hospital anyway.(not because the coat has special powers, but because the coat says medical student on it, so patients dont think youre a real doctor, even though most people still do anyway)

Id rather get a stethoscope then a coat, though. $150+ compared to $30 sounds fair to me.

 

[lord_jeebus]

I'm looking forward to the white coat ceremony where I throw the short coat into a big fire.

I should invite my parents