White Coat Length

[bbabul01]

Interesting article today in the Boston Globe about all the different hospitals in Boston. It seems a short coat for students and a long coat for physicians is not that cut and dry.

http://www.boston.com/yourlife/heal..._or_student_consult_the_white_coat/?page=full

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[MChitty]

I had heard about this. I think that the Harvard hospitals are all wacky in coat length as compared to the other area hospitals.

Oh Harvard!

 

[sagemedecon]

Pritzker students have long coats.

 

[GreenShirt]

Some hospitals have uniform dress for specialties (ie surgery wear green scrubs, gen med wears blue), but a lot don't. When I started out in the ER, I assumed this one nurse was a Dr. b/c he wore a long white lab coat over his scrubs. It was embarrassing. Nowadays, its harder to figure out who's who in the hospital since nurses don't wear the little stripper dress outfits anymore.

 

[Orthodoc40]

As an MGH employee I can officially say there is no way to tell who is what based on coat length here. Unless they have their name & title embroidered on the coat, it's pretty much impossible to tell. When I started, they just asked me if I wanted a short one or a long one. I think all you can be sure of is that the med students get short ones!

 

[freetheyaz]

Ya..at MGH length doesn't matter, you just need a fund number and you get anything you want...even our secretaries wear white coats!

plus our scrub colors designate the size - so if you are fat, you get the dark dark blue, and thin get the green. Grey is a nice size to be, for a guy.

 

[XildUpNawth]

The students at Miami wear long coats, which to me seemed representative toward the whole attitude of cooperative learning there. Maybe I'm seeing what I want to see, but I asked about it and it seemed like the whole school is just less interested in enforcing a hierarchy, maybe because Jackson Memorial is such a nuthouse (in a good way) and the students do so much hands-on clinical work there. But as for the Boston hospitals, rank is pretty important so I think the short coats for students are just one symptom of that. On the other hand, patients have a right and a need to know if they're being treated by a student or attending, so it's not all bad.

 

[typhoonegator]

At MGH, BIDMC and BWH, all medical residents wear short coats. The old school medicine attendings also wear the short coats. So, as you can see, it really isn't about hierarchy at all. The idea behind it is that the long coat is a false symbol that you have "risen above" the level of the student, when in reality we should all be students of medicine throughout our careers. Kind of BS, but that's the official reason.

 

[bbabul01]

At MGH, BIDMC and BWH, all medical residents wear short coats. The old school medicine attendings also wear the short coats. So, as you can see, it really isn't about hierarchy at all. The idea behind it is that the long coat is a false symbol that you have "risen above" the level of the student, when in reality we should all be students of medicine throughout our careers. Kind of BS, but that's the official reason.

Yeah, the article mentioned that. And I thought it was really interesting. It seems like a lot of people have a problem with it though. Residents want to feel that they have "risen above." I'm obviously not there yet, but it will be interesting to see my opinion on it when I get there.

 

[silverlining1]

At Stanford, all the med students I've seen have worn long coats. For me, like someone who was quoted in the article, it isn't about status; it's about which looks better. I think a long coat is classier and more stylish, but nothing to get all bent out of shape over.

 

[Hurricane95]

Yep, XildUp has it right...in miami we wear the long coats from the beginning. I think it's cool because to me the whole short coat thing is kind of demeaning...kind of like, "well hold it right there junior, you're only a student! Look at his short coat!" kind of thing. We're treated at a more equal level, except of course for the obvious things that we are not yet allowed to do.

Oh come on guys, does length REALLY matter? Is longer always better? hmmm...
haha

 

[husky0684]

plus our scrub colors designate the size - so if you are fat, you get the dark dark blue, and thin get the green. Grey is a nice size to be, for a guy.

HAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAH ....this is probably one of the funniest thing I have heard in a loong time, thanks for that...maybe it is to encourage the workers to slim down? dark blue is the mark of shame to get you motivated...

 

[the POONisher]

Yep, XildUp has it right...in miami we wear the long coats from the beginning. I think it's cool because to me the whole short coat thing is kind of demeaning...kind of like, "well hold it right there junior, you're only a student! Look at his short coat!" kind of thing. We're treated at a more equal level, except of course for the obvious things that we are not yet allowed to do.

Oh come on guys, does length REALLY matter? Is longer always better? hmmm...
haha

everytime the topic of 'white coat length' comes up, the annoying smart-asses from da U have to chime in and tell us AGAIN that they get to wear the long coats from the get-go

 

[Ridcully]

At Stanford, all the med students I've seen have worn short coats. For me, like someone who was quoted in the article, it isn't about status; it's about which looks better. I think a long coat is classier and more stylish, but nothing to get all bent out of shape over.

That's weird, all the med students I've seen have a long coat.

 

[63768]

why does it matter? it's a rite of passage. for those schools who let students wear long coats, good for them but is it really something that one should create a fuss over? to me, it is more the education i'd receive rather than a little piece of cloth i'm wearing over my shoulders.

sure the length can lead to patients looking at us differently as student doctors, but i think they should know we're student doctors. that and i doubt they know the intricacies of coat length.

 

[docmode]

silverlining1, Stanford students are given long white coats the beginning of first year.

 

[silverlining1]

silverlining1, Stanford students are given long white coats the beginning of first year.

Indeed; that's what I meant. It was a typo. How strange!

 

[Critical Mass]

Schools vary. The most common standard is still the small examination coat for med students.

Somebody on SDN told me that Mayo did away with them altogether.

 

[LifetimeDoc]

I'll just wear whatever coat they give me, and worry more about learning my stuff and not killing/hurting the patient. I've worn a 1950's-era volunteer outfit at my local hospital for 3 years. I think I can handle whatever silly garb they make us wear as medical students. Thanks

 

[CCLCMer]

Schools vary. The most common standard is still the small examination coat for med students.

Somebody on SDN told me that Mayo did away with them altogether.

We have both kinds of coats. We wear the long ones at CCF, but we have short ones from Case that we are apparently supposed to wear if we ever rotate in one of the Case hospitals. So far though my short coat is just gathering dust in my closet at home.

 

[MedicineForLife 777]

I went to nursing school, and ironically we wore long coats while med students wear short coats

 

[Tired]

I went to nursing school, and ironically we wore long coats while med students wear short coats

Actually, it's less "ironic" and more "stupid". Of course, that thread has been beaten to death, so I'll just leave it at that.

 

[SupergreenMnM]

Actually, it's less "ironic" and more "stupid". Of course, that thread has been beaten to death, so I'll just leave it at that.

Sorry, I just couldn't resist.

 

[ChessMess]

How about scrapping the white coat all together and moving to a younger and hipper black leather coat, or (for the ladies) a nice mink shawl?

Does the suit make the man? Or does the man make the suit?

"Ponderous man, reeeeally ponderous." (pop quiz: name that song, artist and year)

 

[baylormed]

My future school (see my sig) gives us long coats.

I don't think it really matters since all patients see is "white coat = doctor."
Our young, scared looks give us away anyhow.

 

[45408]

Most senior doctors, called attending physicians, wear long coats, except at Massachusetts General Hospital. There, the strong tradition for doctors is short coats just like those worn by medical students; older physicians theorize that this unusual formulation was adopted to symbolize that Mass. General doctors are learners for life.

Pffft, guess I'm not going to MGH!

 

[Critical Mass]

My future school (see my sig) gives us long coats.

I don't think it really matters since all patients see is "white coat = doctor."
Our young, scared looks give us away anyhow.

I spoke with your school, baylormed, and they have decided that your uniform will consist of scrub bottoms and a sports bra. I will be present at your white bra ceremony to cloak you.