PhD/PsyD White Coat

[achaparro]

Hi I’m from Ca and wanted to know if any clinical psychologists with a PsyD degree wear a white coat?

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[Sanman]

I prefer a tan, khaki brown, or navy personally. Tan linen in the summer, corduroy in the winter.

 

[AcronymAllergy]

I have a Ph.D. and I was issued a stack of white coats, but I don't ever wear one. If I did inpatient work, I'd probably wear one more often.

 

[BuckeyeLove]

I'm wearing a velvet one today.

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

When I worked at R1 AMCs it was much more common. They were required at one hospital system, while the other it was optional. I miss the coat pockets and wearing scrubs bc both made laundry super easy.

 

[psych.meout]

I'd wear a sick leather duster.

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

You win today @psych.meout.

 

[deleted343839]

Depends. On inpatient med/surg, sure. Elsewhere, depends on the culture and norms for psychologists in the institution. If I walked into a private practice setting and saw a psychologist with a white coat I would probably laugh and turn around.

 

[jdawg2017]

FWIW, in MA most docs I’ve meet in primary or speciality care clinics (not in the hospital), MDs don’t wear white coats. The only context where I think it’s more normal and appropriate for psychologists (including those with PhDs...) is in-patient settings.

 

[WisNeuro]

White coats in general are kind of stupid, beyond just having some more pockets. They're not really worn by anyone in our hospital, in or outpatient, PhD or md

 

[Lotus143]

I work in PCMHI at a VA hospital in CA. We are all issued a white coat but I don’t think most of us really wear it. I have mine hanging on the coat rack of my exam room. I wear it when I get cold, but I think I’ve worn it maybe 5 times out of the year.

 

[foreverbull]

Hi I’m from Ca and wanted to know if any clinical psychologists with a PsyD degree wear a white coat?

My first thought was how over-the-top it would look in private practice (or community mental health, college counseling, etc.). But in inpatient settings, it can sometimes be acceptable depending on the culture of the site, although colleagues I know who worked in inpatient settings and skilled care facilities have never worn these nor had been issued one. In the vast majority of settings psychologists are employed, it would not be considered appropriate.

It is site-specific when it comes to medical settings, but even then I’d go as far as to say it’s rare.

 

[sfgucadoc]

The extra pockets are nice. I bought them for my research assistants collecting data in the VA attached to my AMC. Kept them from being hassled by nursing staff.

But if your question is what meaning does that confer to your patients/clients, it depends a lot on your work setting. I wore one at times when I was in my AMC office in a urology dept. The surgeons did, so it seemed wise to "when in Rome . . ."

 

[StellaB]

In my inpatient psych setting, a small handful of psychiatrists wear them, and everyone else laughs about the absurdity of this.

 

[bcliff]

I've seen psychologists working inpatient wear white coats, but I've also seen other psychologists working inpatient at that same institution opt not to wear white coats. Anecdotally, I've noticed some differences between those psychologists who choose to wear a white coat and those who choose not to wear a white coat, but I have no idea if these anecdotes would be born out in the data.

I've heard some psychologists, particularly neuropsychologists, (mostly) joke about wearing their white coat when delivering feedback to patients/families who they think may question their training/credentials, etc.

I've also heard some psychologists express concern regarding the social impact of wearing a white coat while providing psychotherapy (e.g., patient discomfort expressing concern, dissatisfaction, barriers to implementation, etc.) -- Not sure if this latter point is empirically supported or not.

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

I've heard some psychologists, particularly neuropsychologists, (mostly) joke about wearing their white coat when delivering feedback to patients/families who they think may question their training/credentials, etc.

I’ve had patients and family Dr. Google me in front of me, and more than one asked how to spell specific terms.

One of my fav examples of “you don’t know what you are talking about” involved a self-diagnosed case of CTE that was straight up disappointed when I told them they did well on their assessment and they didn’t have CTE.

 

[Ollie123]

Wore one doing evals in a cancer center as a practicum student. Was mostly only necessary for conveying a "Don't kick me out" to the staff given we were all over the various clinics and weren't really known to most of the staff.

I can see pros/cons. I think it matters a lot on the nature of the patient relationship. Would feel unbelievably awkward wearing one in a prototypical outpatient psychotherapy for depression/anxiety/etc. setting. Brief bedside CBT-I in a hospital or primary care setting? Don't see much need, but not nearly as awkward.

 

[PsyDr]

I’ve been issues them at a few places, and worn them like 8 times ever. They’re useless for avoiding splashes and stuff. So it’s mostly a status thing.

Used to do intraoperative stuff and wore scrubs all the time, but there was a point to those. And I stole them for pajamas.

 

[AcronymAllergy]

I’ve been issues them at a few places, and worn them like 8 times ever. They’re useless for avoiding splashes and stuff. So it’s mostly a status thing.

Used to do intraoperative stuff and wore scrubs all the time, but there was a point to those. And I stole them for pajamas.

I'd take scrubs over a white coat every day of the week.

 

[hillies]

I was given a couple when I started my current position in a large hospital. I only wear them when I walk over to inpatient (cancer floor) rounds about 3/4 of a mile away, and only about half the time when whatever pants I'm wearing either don't have pockets, or don't have pockets that are large enough to accommodate all of the stuff I need to take with me (phone, patient list, cards, pen, handouts, occasionally wallet/car keys). So I basically use it as a fanny pack. Although I have used it as a protective smock before, which is helpful when I don't always have a change of clothes in my gym bag.

When I was on fellowship at a large AMC in the midwest, it was common to wear them in integrated care settings too. Literally everyone there from case managers to nurses to social workers and psychologists wore white coats or scrubs. As a youngish female, you were usually mistaken for a patient's family member (and interrupted or asked to leave during assessments and sessions) if you did not, despite wearing a badge. Overall, I'd say read the environment you're working in and even within that, the context matters. I have certain patients that I know are uncomfortable in medical settings and I'll typically hang up my coat on the hook by the door when I walk into their room.