White coats worn by non-physicians

[DrMetal]

We all know non-physicians (lab techs, pharmacists, NPs, etc) wear white coats in the clinical setting.

But do you ever notice how these white coats (of non-physicians) are so much more bright and well-groomed than ours? I saw one the other day on a RT that was so white, it blinded me from across the wards. So well ironed, you could bounce a quarter off it and use the edges to cut meat.

Meanwhile, my white coat looks like its been through a coal mine. If I cultured it, I'd be sure to discover new microbes.

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[Crayola227]

If it wasn't illegal and also just a wrong thing to do to a schlub trying to make a living, I'd love to run up and just toss a bucket of red paint on every single one. It's definitely the fantasy image that comes to mind when I see them.

 

[DrMetal]

If it wasn't illegal and also just a wrong thing to do to a schlub trying to make a living, I'd love to run up and just toss a bucket of red paint on every single one. It's definitely the fantasy image that comes to mind when I see them.

that's a PETA thing right, to throw paint on animal coats? yeah, we can include over-groomed white coats.

My other favorite garment-thing are the black scrubs, look like Ninja Samurais coming at you.

 

[Crayola227]

that's a PETA thing right, to throw paint on animal coats? yeah, we can include over-groomed white coats.

My other favorite garment-thing are the black scrubs, look like Ninja Samurais coming at you.

Yeah it's a PETA thing, and while I love animals and don't support fur farming, the fact it's something unhinged left wingers do is a big reason I wouldn't. But they did give me the idea.

Or maybe a better move is, "Oh whoopsie my coffee."

 

[DrMetal]

Or maybe a better move is, "Oh whoopsie my coffee."

Or urine from a specimen cup.

 

[hotsaws]

People wearing white coats who aren't physicians (or maybe legit working in a lab setting) are just posers...and they know it. In med school, I only wore the coat if I had to. After school, I don't know if I ever put one on. All the non-physicians wearing it just made it unappealing and degraded the value of it. The docs in the hospital were either the nicest dressed (wearing a suit or similar level of formality in clinic) or the grungiest (like only I can get away with a t shirt and scrub pants because I'm a physician). Now I'm in PP so I rotate between polo shirt and pants or just a comfortable pair of nice scrubs.

 

[DrMetal]

People wearing white coats who aren't physicians (or maybe legit working in a lab setting) are just posers...and they know it. In med school, I only wore the coat if I had to. After school, I don't know if I ever put one on. All the non-physicians wearing it just made it unappealing and degraded the value of it. The docs in the hospital were either the nicest dressed (wearing a suit or similar level of formality in clinic) or the grungiest (like only I can get away with a t shirt and scrub pants because I'm a physician). Now I'm in PP so I rotate between polo shirt and pants or just a comfortable pair of nice scrubs.

What's even funnier , is that so many people wear white coats, you can't tell who the physicians are. So hospitals/clinics now mandate everyone wearing these hug labels, that clearly describe what they are:

I don't know how much more douchey our profession can get. I want a badge that sais 'HMFIC'

 

[SunBakedTrash]

The lab techs wear those disposable paper ones that is part of their PPE since they handle fluids and other biohazards. Im a pathologist and i haven’t worn mine for years it just hangs in my office. I see some heme-oncs and radoncs still wear them to tumor boards but so do all the noctors. For me, rads and surgeons, it’s patagucci or gtfo.

 

[tantacles]

Real physicians don't wear white coats. It's the star bellied sneeches but one group actually has credentials.

 

[VA Hopeful Dr]

Real physicians don't wear white coats. It's the star bellied sneeches but one group actually has credentials.

My experience has been that women physicians almost always do (less likely to be mistaken for a nurse) while with male physicians about 1/3rd do. For men, it seems to be the older ones that do more often than younger. Obviously location dependent.

 

[dozitgetchahi]

My experience has been that women physicians almost always do (less likely to be mistaken for a nurse) while with male physicians about 1/3rd do. For men, it seems to be the older ones that do more often than younger. Obviously location dependent.

I’ve been practicing for about 5 years.

I started off wearing the coat, then stopped for a while when I was in Alabama (very informal environment in that office, and no other doctors in the practice wore white coats). At my current job (semi-rural Midwest), I put the white coat back on after several months on the job and like it. My patient satisfaction ratings went up when I put the coat back on. Older patients have told me that I “look like a doctor”.

 

[RangerBob]

I’ve been practicing for about 5 years.

I started off wearing the coat, then stopped for a while when I was in Alabama (very informal environment in that office, and no other doctors in the practice wore white coats). At my current job (semi-rural Midwest), I put the white coat back on after several months on the job and like it. My patient satisfaction ratings went up when I put the coat back on. Older patients have told me that I “look like a doctor”.

At our hospitals here (rural-ish area), not too many folks wear white coats--physician or not. A mentor advised I wear one, particularly as patients tend to like the more traditional/formal look (at least when they're in the hospital). It also helps to look more like a doctor when you're a new grad and still have the baby fat on your cheeks....

I find they really do appreciate it. They think I'm a lot more competent. It's like how sitting down makes a patient think you spent more time with them. Dressing professionally and wearing a white coat makes them think you're a better doctor.

These days I honestly like to wear it to stay warm, and for the pockets (PM&R uses big reflex hammers--hard to fit in your pant pockets). The alternate is wearing a sweater vest (I'm not into the Patagonia/fleece look), and I'm just not ready for that.

Anyway, the studies do back up the fact that patients prefer their docs to dress in scrubs/white coat, or business casual/white coat. They don't really like suits, or casual.

 

[gutonc]

At our hospitals here (rural-ish area), not too many folks wear white coats--physician or not. A mentor advised I wear one, particularly as patients tend to like the more traditional/formal look (at least when they're in the hospital). It also helps to look more like a doctor when you're a new grad and still have the baby fat on your cheeks....

I find they really do appreciate it. They think I'm a lot more competent. It's like how sitting down makes a patient think you spent more time with them. Dressing professionally and wearing a white coat makes them think you're a better doctor.

These days I honestly like to wear it to stay warm, and for the pockets (PM&R uses big reflex hammers--hard to fit in your pant pockets). The alternate is wearing a sweater vest (I'm not into the Patagonia/fleece look), and I'm just not ready for that.

Anyway, the studies do back up the fact that patients prefer their docs to dress in scrubs/white coat, or business casual/white coat. They don't really like suits, or casual.

I am literally the only physician in this entire rural-ish town that even wears a tie, let alone a white coat.

 

[RangerBob]

I am literally the only physician in this entire rural-ish town that even wears a tie, let alone a white coat.

I started here wearing ties. When I realized no one else except the elderly cardiologist wore a tie I gave them up since I can't stand them. I also switched my shirts from solid to a "fun" plaid/check, lol.

Thankfully patients almost never judge you for dressing too professional. If you wore a slick Italian suit it might be different, but unless you're a plumber or other job where a tie looks ridiculous, I only think more positively about people who dress well. So if you like wearing ties (I'm assuming you do), then wear them and people will only think better of you for it (except the ID docs...)

Here in CA people are very casual with how they dress--too casual in my opinion. I was just at the movie theater where all the people working there were young and not a single one was dressed professionally/appropriate for their job or even wearing a smock/some kind of uniform. I'm guessing there are no smocks/aprons so thee company saves money, but still, it looked like a bunch of random high school students decided to jump the counter and make popcorn. I get jeans are more comfortable, but at least put on a nice polo or button-up shirt and tuck it in.

Does it mean I'm officially old if I think the youth need to dress better?

 

[DrMetal]

My experience has been that women physicians almost always do (less likely to be mistaken for a nurse) while with male physicians about 1/3rd do. For men, it seems to be the older ones that do more often than younger. Obviously location dependent.

I wear one, I'm a male (that's how I identify this week). But it's purely for functional reasons. I like the pockets. I store a lot of things in it: stethoscope, pens, phone, penlight, flask (coffee of course).

 

[Crayola227]

The pockets are rad. The hospital is cold. I like having somewhere to put my hands, and I like having a protective layer over my blouse & slacks, even if only ceremonial. Also doctors are just supposed to wear white coats. It's like yall don't watch enough TV.

 

[VA Hopeful Dr]

I wear one, I'm a male (that's how I identify this week). But it's purely for functional reasons. I like the pockets. I store a lot of things in it: stethoscope, pens, phone, penlight, flask (coffee of course).

Wouldn't surprise me if it's more common in the hospital. I haven't worked in one in 11 years so I wouldn't know.

 

[Bropranolol]

I wear one, I'm a male (that's how I identify this week). But it's purely for functional reasons. I like the pockets. I store a lot of things in it: stethoscope, pens, phone, penlight, flask (coffee of course).

I wear the white coat to hide the Rolex Daytona from nosy patients

 

[Crayola227]

I wear the white coat to hide the Rolex Daytona from nosy patients

It's such a versatile garment.

Nice username btw

 

[WIFEL585]

The “doctor” badge is what matters way more.

 

[eforest]

I haven’t worn a white coat for years and actually don’t currently own one. Scrubs everyday.

Blogger

 

[hopefulraddaddypls]

An msk rad at my prelim shop shows up in jeans and a t-shirt. Does procedures looking like this too

 

[Crayola227]

An msk rad at my prelim shop shows up in jeans and a t-shirt. Does procedures looking like this too

I don't know why people think this is "cool." Do they have their patients call them by their first name too?

 

[hopefulraddaddypls]

I don't know why people think this is "cool." Do they have their patients call them by their first name too?

Idk, I wouldnt do this, but I also think wearing a white coat/traditional doc clothing is peak clown level now that midlevels wear them

 

[Crayola227]

Idk, I wouldnt do this, but I also think wearing a white coat/traditional doc clothing is peak clown level now that midlevels wear them

My opinion is clown level goes down if they are paired with surgical scrubs (not nurse ones ew) which some study at one point suggested patients preferred as the "most doctorly" and indeed is not a midlevel pairing I've ever seen.

Or else, you need to wear clothes so nice & expensive no one would mistake you for anything else. I can't remember the last time a midlevel wore a tie with the coat with shiny dress shoes. I think women have it harder to match that, a very expensive blouse in a nice fabric helps.

That's the issue nowadays. Everyone dresses so casual & the white coat is so ubiquitous. I think we need a return to more formal modes of dress. Especially as taking doctors seriously is leaving the societal building.

Frankly, I also see a swagger from the doctors in white coats that midlevels never have. Not sure how observant patients are (not really) but I can tell a doctor has entered the room by sheer energy. You might think everyone who came in before might be a doctor, but when you meet the real doctor, you know it.

Not all doctors have this energy, but many do, when they do it's unmistakable I feel.

None of it takes away how obnoxious the white coats on midlevels is, of course.

It probably depends on hospital culture. I was lucky enough the community hospital only had phlebotomists in those striped white ones, although it did confuse patients anyway.

 

[Crayola227]

I think too many doctors have become too casual in various ways and it doesn't help the esteem patients hold us in. People talk about cursing in front of patients, using first names, dressing casually. All in the name of being more relatable. I think we need to be a little less down to earth, where earth is the democratization of knowledge from Google.

Many patients don't feel like an authority has entered the room otherwise. The image of the doctor in the white coat is indelibly imprinted in people's minds from their childhood (my toddler's cartoons the doctor is always in a white coat, she also has a doctor kit with a white coat. It's all over children's materials). It's a subconscious expectation and a cue we can utilize.

Ultimately, we should dress however we need to for getting patients to take us seriously. If it's an actual clownsuit...

We need to fight for midlevels not to wear our uniform as police would never let lay people, not give it up. It's illegal to impersonate law enforcement, it's illegal to present yourself as a physician when you are not or practice medicine without a license. We shouldn't let this symbol of our profession go because it isn't exclusive. We should fight for it to be exclusive to us.

 

[hopefulraddaddypls]

I think too many doctors have become too casual in various ways and it doesn't help the esteem patients hold us in. People talk about cursing in front of patients, using first names, dressing casually. All in the name of being more relatable. I think we need to be a little less down to earth, where earth is the democratization of knowledge from Google.

Many patients don't feel like an authority has entered the room otherwise. The image of the doctor in the white coat is indelibly imprinted in people's minds from their childhood (my toddler's cartoons the doctor is always in a white coat, she also has a doctor kit with a white coat. It's all over children's materials). It's a subconscious expectation and a cue we can utilize.

Ultimately, we should dress however we need to for getting patients to take us seriously. If it's an actual clownsuit...

We need to fight for midlevels not to wear our uniform as police would never let lay people, not give it up. It's illegal to impersonate law enforcement, it's illegal to present yourself as a physician when you are not or practice medicine without a license. We shouldn't let this symbol of our profession go because it isn't exclusive. We should fight for it to be exclusive to us.

I think business casual is a good option. The white coat image is elitist, spreads germs, and has been taken over by non physicians. CNAs, admin, audiologists, pharm Ds, NPs, RNs- all get a white coat. For physicians I think this is a relic of the past

 

[Crayola227]

I think business casual is a good option. The white coat image is elitist, spreads germs, and has been taken over by non physicians. CNAs, admin, audiologists, pharm Ds, NPs, RNs- all get a white coat. For physicians I think this is a relic of the past

White coat - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

The Doctor's White Coat: An Historical Perspective

Traditional physicians' garb changed from black to white at the time that antiseptic practices became common in medicine. White coats gained symbolic value, and Arnold P. Gold, MD, instituted annual ceremony for medical students.

journalofethics.ama-assn.org

 
I disagree on a few points.

Some hospitals have a service where the white coats are laundered for the physicians. I know a lot of docs don't wear their shirts and slacks only once before laundering. It's noted that by being white, it makes it easier to see if it's gotten dirty. If it's only one once before laundering I argue it isn't more of a germ issue, in fact, in that case it might be cleaer. I always take mine off in a number of scenarios where I am worried about room to room transmission, and the sleeves are rolled up, which lends it a more casual air, but more importantly is cleaner.

There's a reason all the stupid midlevels took it over, and that is because they wanted to take on the air of it.

But you do have a logic. If everyone else wears the white coat, than perhaps when the physician walks in not wearing scrubs or white coat it will signal that.

It's a shame because the history of the coat is long. It was something that connected us with all the doctors going back to Flexner, and our connection to scientists as applied scientists. It has other symbolic purpose as well.

Elitism is a whole other conversation. You're not wrong.

I still mourn it and I think it's a mistake if it goes by the wayside.

Unless yall want to bring back the black doctor's bag. That would be way cool.

 

[dozitgetchahi]

White coat - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

The Doctor's White Coat: An Historical Perspective

Traditional physicians' garb changed from black to white at the time that antiseptic practices became common in medicine. White coats gained symbolic value, and Arnold P. Gold, MD, instituted annual ceremony for medical students.

journalofethics.ama-assn.org

 
I disagree on a few points.

Some hospitals have a service where the white coats are laundered for the physicians. I know a lot of docs don't wear their shirts and slacks only once before laundering. It's noted that by being white, it makes it easier to see if it's gotten dirty. If it's only one once before laundering I argue it isn't more of a germ issue, in fact, in that case it might be cleaer. I always take mine off in a number of scenarios where I am worried about room to room transmission, and the sleeves are rolled up, which lends it a more casual air, but more importantly is cleaner.

There's a reason all the stupid midlevels took it over, and that is because they wanted to take on the air of it.

But you do have a logic. If everyone else wears the white coat, than perhaps when the physician walks in not wearing scrubs or white coat it will signal that.

It's a shame because the history of the coat is long. It was something that connected us with all the doctors going back to Flexner, and our connection to scientists as applied scientists. It has other symbolic purpose as well.

Elitism is a whole other conversation. You're not wrong.

I still mourn it and I think it's a mistake if it goes by the wayside.

Unless yall want to bring back the black doctor's bag. That would be way cool.

We need the white coat. I wear it and you can tell that patients like it. As I stated above, my pt satisfaction scores went up when I started wearing it again.

As far as it being “elitist”? Sounds good to me I guess…we physicians are indeed the most “elite” members of the medical community, and we should start acting like it again…

 

[dgdg]

Unless yall want to bring back the black doctor's bag. That would be way cool.

During the peak of pre-vaccine covid, we did Covid car visits to help isolate them from non-contagious patients and our staff. I had my black doctor's bag loaded up with supplies. Very handy.
I still use my black doctor's bag for my periodic hospice home visits!
No white coat though....

 

[Crayola227]

During the peak of pre-vaccine covid, we did Covid car visits to help isolate them from non-contagious patients and our staff. I had my black doctor's bag loaded up with supplies. Very handy.
I still use my black doctor's bag for my periodic hospice home visits!
No white coat though....

If the midlevels start carrying one I may end up going to jail....

 

[onconc]

midlevels and other affilitated professionals always flaunt their white coats or scrubs. I see so many of them shopping in the grocery stores even with their scrubs on.

 

[HemeOncHopeful19]

midlevels and other affilitated professionals always flaunt their white coats or scrubs. I see so many of them shopping in the grocery stores even with their scrubs on.

I shop in scrubs if I wore them to work that day?

 

[Crayola227]

I shop in scrubs if I wore them to work that day?

The only difference is we don't do it to look cool