White coat ----> Sweating!

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bbpiano1

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My white coat is a polyester/cotton blend (65/35) and I start sweating like crazy once I put it on. I can't find any 100% cotton lab coats that are med student length. Has anybody had luck finding a cooler, more breathable white coat?
 
Is polyester hotter? I just got some polyester slacks and I believe they are comparably warm compared to my wool slacks. Not sure how they compare to cotton. Anyway I'm always hot in the hospital, it's a bummer.
 
I'm always hot. I just ditched the white coat at the end of 3rd year.

Pretty soon, people actually talked to me during rounds...instead of just cowering in the corner hoping I wouldn't drip onto them. I made a bunch of new friends to boot.
 
"Pretty soon, people actually talked to me during rounds...instead of just cowering in the corner hoping I wouldn't drip onto them. I made a bunch of new friends to boot."

LOL! I loved the rotations where I didn't have to wear my coat. The 8th and 9th floors of our hospital are always so hot it's unbearable!

I always try to wear a more breathable shirt, maybe try short sleeves. Of course it helps that I'm a girl! I don't know how you guys stand wearing long sleeved shirts and ties!
 
I'm in Miami and I only have this problem outside around this time of year. The hospital is kept icy cold so the coat actually is used to keep me warm.
 
You can order white coats from this physician-owned company in 100% cotton and many other fabrics. They are also available with zippers on inner pockets, embroidery etc. They also make very nice comfy scrubs that fit well.
www.medicalcoats.com/
 
100% cotton coats can wrinkle severely. I haven't found them to be significantly cooler than the poly-blend coats. One possibility is to keep the pockets as empty as possible so you won't need to button the coat. Also consider a good wicking baselayer to keep yourself dryer.
 
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So effective you can skip a day . . . apparently
 
I feel overheated all the time in the hospital. I am afraid to take the coat off because someone may see how sweaty I really am YUCK! I am not particularly nervous or intimidated so I am not sure why I sweat so much. I hate it!!
 
Glad to see I'm not the only one. The overheating distracts me and prevents me from working most efficiently. I also get dehydrated faster. 🙁

I will be afraid to take the coat off bc of the million things I'm going to have in it in the beginning.
 
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OMG in Houston slipping on that stoopid coat is like steping into hell momentarily. I might as well walk to class in a swim suit. Usually it isn't a problem inside the hospitals, but if you have to be out doors for more than a few minutes, you're drowning in sweat. Maybe leaving your coat at the hospital could help. Some rotations you have a break room or something.
 
Bobblehead said:
100% cotton coats can wrinkle severely. I haven't found them to be significantly cooler than the poly-blend coats. One possibility is to keep the pockets as empty as possible so you won't need to button the coat. Also consider a good wicking baselayer to keep yourself dryer.
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When you have an attending yell at you across the floor for not having your whitecoat buttoned up ALL the way, you will never forgot to button up. 👍
 
bbpiano1 said:
My white coat is a polyester/cotton blend (65/35) and I start sweating like crazy once I put it on. I can't find any 100% cotton lab coats that are med student length. Has anybody had luck finding a cooler, more breathable white coat?
Click to expand...


Try to put on less underneath if you can. Perhaps a lighter shirt and no undershirt etc. I had just the opposite problem as you, I was never warm enough and wore double T-shirts under my clothing because I was chilled in the AC all of the time. I went outside to warm up when I could.
 
surrender903 said:
i found that by ditching a tie, i kept myself cooler as well. ties are so over rated.
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Lol, absolutely absolutely agree. I ditched my tie the second week of my first rotation. Like seriously, what point do ties serve for a male MSIII student? They don't really make me look that much more "professional" all they do is swing around and distract me and pick up MRSA when I go around.

Definitely ditch the tie, open up that collar button, and hell by the 3rd week I'd go in and see patients without my whitecoat. I just don't give a damn. Cuz its not like the patients really are gonna have the balls to question if your a doc or not so I didn't even see the point in the white coat anymore. Also, when you go into isolation/contact rooms with your white coat + tie suffocating your neck + mask + the contact gown + you regular clothing ===> oh my goodness you'll look like you just came from a monsoon when you step outta that room.
</div>
 
TheProwler said:
wow, that's extreme. I never button my coat.
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oh please its always those old school docs that button up their white coat all the way. cuz they wanna look all proper and stuff. the white coat is just much cooler when you have it loose and flying on the sides w/o buttoning. it looks like a cape then and you kinda look like a superhero (at least I think you do).
</div>
 
If you are a dude: try not wearing an undershirt. I stopped wearing them and its been a lot better. Just make sure you got enough pit stick on to not pit out!
 
Red Beard said:
If you are a dude: try not wearing an undershirt. I stopped wearing them and its been a lot better. Just make sure you got enough pit stick on to not pit out!
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there's only one guy on my rotation that wears undershirts and he's the fat dude with bad body odor. It's absolutely hilarious. I would try to give him the same advice you just wrote but like I don't want him to take it the wrong way or hurt his feelings.
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surrender903 said:
i found that by ditching a tie, i kept myself cooler as well. ties are so over rated.
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Why don't you also ditch the whitecoat, sling the stethescope around your neck, walk around with an 8pm shadow and call yourself House MD.

JaSam said:
oh please its always those old school docs that button up their white coat all the way. cuz they wanna look all proper and stuff. the white coat is just much cooler when you have it loose and flying on the sides w/o buttoning. it looks like a cape then and you kinda look like a superhero (at least I think you do).
</div>
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You're right no need to look proper - who gives a crap about professionalism anyway?

Red Beard said:
If you are a dude: try not wearing an undershirt. I stopped wearing them and its been a lot better. Just make sure you got enough pit stick on to not pit out!
Click to expand...

My shirts are a bit too expensive to have deodorant smeared all-over the inside of them.

JaSam said:
there's only one guy on my rotation that wears undershirts and he's the fat dude with bad body odor. It's absolutely hilarious. I would try to give him the same advice you just wrote but like I don't want him to take it the wrong way or hurt his feelings.
</div>
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Ya - really hillarious, i'm sure you really care about hurting his feelings.
 
Here in Ft. Worth it's around 100 to 105 these past 2 weeks....and I find I break a shirt drenching sweat walking in from the parking lot if I wear the coat...If I sling it over my shoulder, I still sweat but it takes a little longer to drench the shirt......it's a real bummer being thermally conducive and slightly well upholstered......standing in the isolation rooms with 6 people plus the patient and their family is like being in an oven....
 
Birdeee said:
You can order white coats from this physician-owned company in 100% cotton and many other fabrics. They are also available with zippers on inner pockets, embroidery etc. They also make very nice comfy scrubs that fit well.
www.medicalcoats.com/
Click to expand...

Any opinions about coats sold here? Anyone else know a good place to buy a coat that isn't a POS?
 
LUBDUBB said:
When you have an attending yell at you across the floor for not having your whitecoat buttoned up ALL the way, you will never forgot to button up. 👍
Click to expand...

TheProwler said:
wow, that's extreme. I never button my coat.
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Not really. I've seen attendings call out students/residents for walking around with their coats open. Granted this was during a surgical subspecialty rotation, a field where attendings, generally speaking, are very well-put together. The worst are FP and IM (with some exceptions) -- those guys need some serious fashion advice.


JaSam said:
Lol, absolutely absolutely agree. I ditched my tie the second week of my first rotation. Like seriously, what point do ties serve for a male MSIII student? They don't really make me look that much more "professional" all they do is swing around and distract me and pick up MRSA when I go around.

Definitely ditch the tie, open up that collar button, and hell by the 3rd week I'd go in and see patients without my whitecoat. I just don't give a damn. Cuz its not like the patients really are gonna have the balls to question if your a doc or not so I didn't even see the point in the white coat anymore. Also, when you go into isolation/contact rooms with your white coat + tie suffocating your neck + mask + the contact gown + you regular clothing ===> oh my goodness you'll look like you just came from a monsoon when you step outta that room.
</div>
Click to expand...

Sounds like you've convinced yourself.

Personally, I think that whole MRSA argument is a BS excuse for lazy people who want to be "comfortable" all the time. Does wearing a tie make you that uncomfortable? Is your neck really that big? Or does your shirt wardrobe need upgrading? Moreover, if you BUTTON YOUR COAT your tie will not rub up on things. Problem solved.

Listen, guys whatever you do is up to you and your attending. Just know that you MAY get called out for not wearing your white coat, for showing up with no tie, for walking around with your coat open and for wearing that damn stethoscope around your neck (a personal pet peeve of mine!).
 
DOCTORSAIB said:
Not really. I've seen attendings call out students/residents for walking around with their coats open. Granted this was during a surgical subspecialty rotation, a field where attendings, generally speaking, are very well-put together. The worst are FP and IM (with some exceptions) -- those guys need some serious fashion advice.




Sounds like you've convinced yourself.

Personally, I think that whole MRSA argument is a BS excuse for lazy people who want to be "comfortable" all the time. Does wearing a tie make you that uncomfortable? Is your neck really that big? Or does your shirt wardrobe need upgrading? Moreover, if you BUTTON YOUR COAT your tie will not rub up on things. Problem solved.

Listen, guys whatever you do is up to you and your attending. Just know that you MAY get called out for not wearing your white coat, for showing up with no tie, for walking around with your coat open and for wearing that damn stethoscope around your neck (a personal pet peeve of mine!).
Click to expand...


well i see some of your points. and i gotta say initially i was absolutely annoyed by people who wore their steths around their neck because i thought it was a little show - offish for some reason like they were walking around going "i'm a doctor, look at my stethescope around my neck, where's your stethescope? Oh i guess your not a doctor then."

But that was before I started med school. My views towards that have changed dramatically albiet slowly. I mean at our school the company that made the white coats is just ******ed. The coats don't fit well and more importantly, the pockets are way way too small. Everything falls outta there. So now I can totally see why people here wear the S around their neck instead of trying to cram it into their coat pocket. I mean other than neck or coat pocket or carrying it around all day what other option do we have for placing the S?
</div>
 
DOCTORSAIB said:
Listen, guys whatever you do is up to you and your attending. Just know that you MAY get called out for not wearing your white coat, for showing up with no tie, for walking around with your coat open and for wearing that damn stethoscope around your neck (a personal pet peeve of mine!).
Click to expand...
I don't see why everyone is so worried about what everyone else does. The chairman of medicine often walks around with his coat open, and I saw him going without a tie often. I always wear a tie and my white coat, but with all the stuff in my pockets, it's uncomfortable to button the coat, and why stuff the scope in there too? I've got a perfectly functional neck.
 
i hate ties. esp with $hitty hospital air conditioning.


i'm finally in a rotation where i don't have to where a white coat. i love it.
 
DOCTORSAIB said:
Personally, I think that whole MRSA argument is a BS excuse for lazy people who want to be "comfortable" all the time. Does wearing a tie make you that uncomfortable? Is your neck really that big? Or does your shirt wardrobe need upgrading? Moreover, if you BUTTON YOUR COAT your tie will not rub up on things. Problem solved.

Listen, guys whatever you do is up to you and your attending. Just know that you MAY get called out for not wearing your white coat, for showing up with no tie, for walking around with your coat open and for wearing that damn stethoscope around your neck (a personal pet peeve of mine!).
Click to expand...

Well put. I just laugh now when people bring up the MRSA/other bacteria & ties thing, because it's so obvious that they're on a "comfort" agenda.
 
JeffLebowski said:
Well put. I just laugh now when people bring up the MRSA/other bacteria & ties thing, because it's so obvious that they're on a "comfort" agenda.
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👍👍
 
LUBDUBB said:
👍👍
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Since we're on the tie issue it seems. I just have a question. Why are we somewhat required to wear ties in the first place? I mean is it to look "professional" or whatever? Like if you go to see a doctor who doesn't wear a tie vs. one who wears one are you less inclined to think you're getting good care? Or is the tie just so that we look presentable , whatever that means?

I really really just don't see the point of ties. What's wrong with a nice dress shirt and khakis? Huh?
 
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JaSam said:
Since we're on the tie issue it seems. I just have a question. Why are we somewhat required to wear ties in the first place? I mean is it to look "professional" or whatever? Like if you go to see a doctor who doesn't wear a tie vs. one who wears one are you less inclined to think you're getting good care? Or is the tie just so that we look presentable , whatever that means?

I really really just don't see the point of ties. What's wrong with a nice dress shirt and khakis? Huh?
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What's so hard to understand? Ties are part of professional dress. They always have been. Yes, it makes you look more professional. If you're really struggling, feel free to look up the historical context of wearing a necktie if you need an explanation of why it came about. But the fact remains that it's part of expected professional dress in most settings. I mean could do studies and argue all day about whether each component of professional dress actually contributes to patient care, but that would be...silly? Why be part of the push to further degrade the professionalism of physicians? Your patients and colleagues prefer you to uphold professionalism, even in appearance. And don't say "comfort", because there are plenty of dress clothes that are comfortable, and frankly you aren't entitled to be as comfortable as you possibly can be as if you're in a t-shirt and jeans sitting on your couch watching a movie. The bottom line is that it's not worth your comfort/casual crusade.
 
JeffLebowski said:
What's so hard to understand? Ties are part of professional dress. They always have been. Yes, it makes you look more professional. If you're really struggling, feel free to look up the historical context of wearing a necktie if you need an explanation of why it came about. But the fact remains that it's part of expected professional dress in most settings. I mean could do studies and argue all day about whether each component of professional dress actually contributes to patient care, but that would be...silly? Why be part of the push to further degrade the professionalism of physicians? Your patients and colleagues prefer you to uphold professionalism, even in appearance. And don't say "comfort", because there are plenty of dress clothes that are comfortable, and frankly you aren't entitled to be as comfortable as you possibly can be as if you're in a t-shirt and jeans sitting on your couch watching a movie. The bottom line is that it's not worth your comfort/casual crusade.
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You are a RARE breed my friend. Sound like my twin.

What field are you going into, btw?
 
DOCTORSAIB said:
You are a RARE breed my friend. Sound like my twin.

What field are you going into, btw?
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Some field where I don't have to wear a tie.


Kidding. But really I haven't decided (M3). Probably a surgical specialty. I figure I'll decide the old-fashioned way: SDN poll before M4 year.
 
What if you wear your white coat buttoned up with only a bikini top underneath (or topless and extra special long swimming trunks for the men)

Would anyone notice?
 
Um I'm not a medical student but I always thought they kept it fairly cold in hospitals.
 
JeffLebowski said:
Some field where I don't have to wear a tie.


Kidding. But really I haven't decided (M3). Probably a surgical specialty. I figure I'll decide the old-fashioned way: SDN poll before M4 year.
Click to expand...

I knew it. Keep up the strong work!
 
JeffLebowski said:
Well put. I just laugh now when people bring up the MRSA/other bacteria & ties thing, because it's so obvious that they're on a "comfort" agenda.
Click to expand...

You say that like it's some horrible thing to care about personal comfort. I'll admit it -- I'd rather be comfortable than adhere to some random tradition just because "that's how it's always been" or whatever.
 
Doctor Bagel said:
You say that like it's some horrible thing to care about personal comfort. I'll admit it -- I'd rather be comfortable than adhere to some random tradition just because "that's how it's always been" or whatever.
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Random tradition?

You mean to be professional.
 
Doctor Bagel said:
You say that like it's some horrible thing to care about personal comfort. I'll admit it -- I'd rather be comfortable than adhere to some random tradition just because "that's how it's always been" or whatever.
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Like I said, if your professional clothes aren't comfortable, that shouldn't be your patients' & colleagues burden, get comfortable professional clothes, there's plenty out there. It's not like you're being asked to wear burlap.

And just because it's part of a long tradition doesn't make it wrong, nor the only reason anyone's still dressing professionally.
 
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persevere and you might just find that you made it; life can be really tough at times...
 
Doctor Bagel said:
Still not buying that wearing a tie is a core element of being a professional.

If it makes you feel good, though, knock yourself out.
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Professional male attire includes a tie. I expect my lawyer, accountant, dentist, etc. to be professionaly dressed. This includes a tie.

Comfort comes second.
 
MSHell said:
Professional male attire includes a tie. I expect my lawyer, accountant, dentist, etc. to be professionaly dressed. This includes a tie.

Comfort comes second.
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well, yes traditionally, it is that's true. But I think those traditional views are going to be challenged in the near future. for istance, AT our hospital, alll the old school doctors have their coats buttoned up the the max, and ironed to perfection, but the new students all let them white coats swing and blow in the wind.

Honestly, yes it would be nice to see my attorney wear a tie, but as long as he/she can win the case, I could give a rats Ass what they wear.
 
Nike should make a dri-fit version of the whitecoat with a neat swoosh on the pocket.

This already has elements of the pro/con having red hair on the psych rotation discussed on medscape medical student.

If you are the only one showing up to a costume party, you feel stupid having dressed up. If you are the only one dressing in a white coat, and nice shoes, you feel stupid. Peer pressures makes it legitimate to be vain, that is why it is important to wear the white coat, so the other doctors feel comfortable wearing one too.

As for the professional issue, a uniform serves the purpose of creating authority and distance. Authority is good, because then patients will STFU, stop asking questions you can't answer nevertheless, and don't dare to bark if the physical exam is uncomfortable, or if they can't get the answers they want right away. Distance is good, so they don't expect you to be a pal, etc.

It is kinda funny that casual dressing is something pushed by individuals, whereas formal attire is something your boss is interested in. E.g, as a boss, I would believe it to be good for business if my doctores dressed in a less intimidating way, and were more approachable, and less elevated. As an individual, the logical solution would be the other way around. I do not benefit from dressing down, but I do benefit from dressing classy. The chances of focking a girl is substantially higher, the better you dress. If you are hoping to fock a female superior, how can you overcome the status disadvantage if you dress like a slob? Think they all secretly have a fetish for rock stars?

I suppose some people still wear a t-shirt and their favorite converse shoes, because they feel that a decent tie and some nice shoes are too associated with the upper class, and some intellectuals are not too keen on being perceived as snobs.
 
TheProwler said:
The act of wearing a knotted piece of silk around your neck does not make you professional. Sorry.
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Leave your tie at home and one day you will be home with it.

Damn that was hot..haha.
 
JaSam said:
well, yes traditionally, it is that's true. But I think those traditional views are going to be challenged in the near future. for istance, AT our hospital, alll the old school doctors have their coats buttoned up the the max, and ironed to perfection, but the new students all let them white coats swing and blow in the wind.

Honestly, yes it would be nice to see my attorney wear a tie, but as long as he/she can win the case, I could give a rats Ass what they wear.
Click to expand...

That's the thing though - all things equal, you'd prefer a lawyer who wears a tie. Right? I mean you may not be offended if he didn't (and the outcome was good for you), but you'd prefer that he did, if we took performance out of the equation.

We can't start basing our expectations of professionalism on performance. Regardless of outcomes, clinical competency, and interpersonal skills, professional dress & appearance should be maintained. We should set a standard (or at least not tear down the one that's been in place for more than a century) that doesn't compromise professionalism based on whether or not someone can forgive deviation because "the ends justify the means".
 
Are there any social psych studies about this issue?

Any hospitals in the U.S that have tried to lose the white coats, and work in sneakers and t-shirts?

Who needs professionalism?

Why do doctors need to be respected?
 
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