Is there anyone who doesn’t get to wear a long white coat?

[FutrrENT]

I’m an ENT resident, and quite frankly I’m getting pretty sick and tired of seeing mid-level providers waltzing around in long white coats as though they are the same thing as doctors.

Some RN’s wear long white coats, even. Hell, I’ve even seen a few social workers wearing them.

When I’m done with residency, I am going to chuck my white coat and never wear one again. Once the mid-levels started wearing them, it became a completely meaningless item. Wearing the white coat seems to send the message to people that you could be something other than a doctor.

Maybe doctors (i.e. physicians, dentists, podiatrists, optometrists, and veterinarians) should start wearing green coats -- something to distinguish us from everyone else who wishes they were us.

Just my rant.

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[476515678234896]

Maybe doctors (i.e. physicians, dentists, podiatrists, optometrists, and veterinarians) should start wearing green coats -- something to distinguish us from everyone else who wishes they were us.

But then the golfers would get mad.

 

[gschl1234]

Is there anyone who doesn’t get to wear a long white coat?

Medicine interns at Hopkins.

 

[ZagDoc]

Wizard hats. Then patient's can be like, "That woman is wearing a wizard hat, she's not a nurse, she's a doctor!"

 

[JaggerPlate]

Docs need to just change the color.

 

[JaggerPlate]

Wizard hats. Then patient's can be like, "That woman is wearing a wizard hat, she's not a nurse, she's a doctor!"

Personally, I would also feel 100% comfortable/safe with someone in a wizard hat treating me. What, you think the WIZARD isn't going to be able to fix my ailments? You think the WIZARD will let harm come to me???

... I think not.

 

[Osteoimperfecta]

Midlevels trying to be like physicians reminds me of those KIA adds that compare a kia to a mercedes, and at the end of the day the only thing they communicate is that they feel inferior.

 

[deleted109597]

I've seen people rock the black coats. They stay "clean" longer.
Looks too much like a trench coat to me.

 

[anonperson]

In the last week, I've seen a nutritionist, social worker, NP, PA, midwives, and the person who complains about inpatient billing (Obs vs inpatient) all wear long white coats.

You absolutely cannot tell who is a physician anymore.

It's ridiculous but just goes to show you how strong the desire is get the benefits (higher pay, respect etc) of being a physician without undergoing medical training to become a physician.

 

[fergustsi]

Docs need to just change the color.

If you change the color, what is preventing the other providers from following suit?

 

[mydogtobbi]

I noticed something interesting: A few years back, I decided to change PCPs. When I walked in to my new PCP's office, I noticed that everyone including all the medical assistants and receptionists were wearing white coats. I found out that the doctors there were requiring all staff members to wear them.

 

[RTrain]

If you change the color, what is preventing the other providers from following suit?

For some reason this just reminded me of Dr. Seuss.

"All the rest of that day, on those wild screaming beaches,
The Fix-It-Up Chappie kept fixing up Sneetches.
Off again! On again! In again! Out again!
Through the machines they raced round and about again,

Changing their stars every minute or two. They kept paying money.
They kept running through until the Plain nor the Star-Bellies knew
Whether this one was that one or that one was this one. Or which one
Was what one or what one was who."

 

[ShyRem]

Perhaps the doctors should STOP wearing white coats. They should go to business attire. Suits for all the docs.

 

[Neuro or Derm]

Perhaps the doctors should STOP wearing white coats. They should go to business attire. Suits for all the docs.

you took that suggestion right from my mouth! there are already some institutions that do that so why not start a new tradition?

 

[Maybeknot]

Perhaps the doctors should STOP wearing white coats. They should go to business attire. Suits for all the docs.

Or a cape. Love the capes.

 

[803]

all doctors should wear turtle necks.... then you could tell the difference between them and other providers

 

[WorkaholicsAnon]

or better yet, just introduce yourself and state you're the doctor.

(though true, you'd be surprised how many patients still call me "nurse" even after I do so, especially old men at the VA and very elderly females ).

 

[WorkaholicsAnon]

Perhaps the doctors should STOP wearing white coats. They should go to business attire. Suits for all the docs.

Yeah doesn't the Mayo Clinic do this?

 

[McGillGrad]

Perhaps the doctors should STOP wearing white coats. They should go to business attire. Suits for all the docs.

That's what they do in England. No one wears white coats except the lab techs. The nurses have uniforms (different for each level) and so does everyone else.

It makes it crystal clear who's who.

 

[JaggerPlate]

If you change the color, what is preventing the other providers from following suit?

Of course ... but the docs will just have to stay one step ahead of the game and change colors fairly frequently without letting the Noctors know. That way, by the time they scramble to get the next color and trick people into believing they're a physician ... BAM - doctors come to work the next day all wearing the same, new color coats.

Like the popular high school clique in some 1980s coming of age comedy ...

 

[Slack3r]

If I can get away with it, I'll refuse to ever wear a white coat. The short coats for students look ridiculous and the long white coat doesn't mean anything anymore.

 

[McGillGrad]

If I can get away with it, I'll refuse to ever wear a white coat. The short coats for students look ridiculous and the long white coat doesn't mean anything anymore.

Yup, as soon as I am not required to wear a white coat, I will be rocking 'business chic'.

 

[DrVanNostran]

It is annoying to see every person in the hospital wear a long white coat. When I was on OB, every single person (nurses, docs, midwives, etc) had green scrubs and a long white coat. It does seem that trend of mid-levels in white coats is a more recent one.

 

[taylormade2006]

or a cape. Love the capes.

this.

 

[JaggerPlate]

If I can get away with it, I'll refuse to ever wear a white coat. The short coats for students look ridiculous and the long white coat doesn't mean anything anymore.

Ugh, agree 1000%. I remember the day I got my white coat, all embroidered, excited, etc ... flash forward 8 months - I DREAD having to wear that thing; it seems to attract EVERY little particle of dirt, dust, anything that makes it look dirty, and it just looks odd. Like my mom said at the white coat ceremony " you look like a chef."

Don't plan on ever rocking the full length - unless I'm forced to.

 

[JaggerPlate]

Yup, as soon as I am not required to wear a white coat, I will be rocking 'business chic'.

Slick

 

[docbill]

You will definitely trust someone wearing this outfit.
The mini - turtle neck will please the above.

 

[docbill]

Perhaps the doctors should STOP wearing white coats. They should go to business attire. Suits for all the docs.

They do at the Mayo clinics. So not really far fetched.

 

[Tenacious DO]

The attendings at my hospital rock the Lt gray long coats. They look pretty sharp, don't show as much dirt, and you can tell the difference between the Residents (Long Wt), Med Students (Short Wt) vs. Other (Various length Wt). Also, you can see who is leading the "White Clots" in the hallway...Note, I have already seen 1 Ortho PA that has managed to procure a Gray Coat that has thrown me for a loop a few times.

 

[mTOR]

Or a cape. Love the capes.

lmao

 

[johnmendes]

I don't know how no one came up with the idea of wearing speedos. It would make patients think twice before going to the hospital for no good reason

 

[ShyRem]

It would make folks think twice before becoming a doctor if they had to wear a speedo.

 

[gutonc]

I don't know how no one came up with the idea of wearing speedos. It would make patients think twice before going to the hospital for no good reason

This is both horrifying and brilliant.

 

[greenbottleblue]

I don't know how no one came up with the idea of wearing speedos. It would make patients think twice before going to the hospital for no good reason

unless you happen to look pretty damn good in one

 

[discodoctor]

So true.
In one of the hospitals I rotated not only did everyone some how steal a long white coat (except students strictly enforced!) your name tag on one side said your name and title M.D. resident, Medical student, P.A. student etc.. but on the other side it only had which department you were in Pediatrics, OB/Gyn etc. and I swear everyone who wasn't a physician would display the misleading side, it was very confusing for us. I asked a woman wearing a white coat and a name tag that said Pediatrics at the desk a question about a patient and she stated she was a social worker. Ohh and most of the staff wearing scrub surgery gowns with caps OUTSIDE of the hospital! one would think surgery was going on in the deli across the street.
It is kind of flattering that people would go out of their way to look like a physician, when you think about it.

disco

 

[MedicineMan99]

What peeves me the most is that my medical school mandates all their med students wear short white coats. However, we rotate at some hospitals where PA and NP students wear long white coats.

I hate white coats.

This is why when I did my residency interviews I asked PD's point blank if I would be mandated to wear a white coat (or blue is some hospitals). My idea is to have 8 suits and rotate them (just like Ronald Reagan did).

I've also been to many hospitals where attendings do not wear white coats just because they don't want to. Which made me realize how funny it is... as a pre-med you can't wait to wear the short white coat... as a med student you can't wait to wear the long white coat... and as an attending you can't wait to ditch the coat all together.

 

[WholeLottaGame7]

I dunno, looking at all the crap that gets on my white coat, I'd much rather it go there than any of my personal belongings...

 

[CardiacIntensivist]

I dunno, looking at all the crap that gets on my white coat, I'd much rather it go there than any of my personal belongings...

Everytime I touch my white coat, I want to rewash my hands (and I wash mine every once in a while with bleach). I tolerate the white coat because I need all those damn pockets. I don't see too much of a problem with random people wearing the white coats unless they pretend to be a real doctor.

 

[nitemagi]

Become a psychiatrist. We never wear white coats (except in consult/liason situations).

My favorite was seeing the clerk at the hospital cafeteria wearing a long white coat while she rung up my order. By that point I knew it was hopeless. Distinguish yourself by your aptitude, rather than the length of your coat.

We could also go back to the turn of the century practice of wearing black coats, which were used in anatomy dissections and passed from a med school class to the next class. And were never washed. The prestige was for those wearing the heaviest coat.

 

[GasEmDee]

There is a guy who is always walking around the parking lot outside my hospital in the morning. I don't know what his job is, but he is often walking around when I arrive at 630 AM. I never actually see him doing anything other than pacing around the lot. He is almost always carrying a cup of coffee in his hand. And he is always wearing a long white coat.

 

[MedStudentWanna]

Is there anyone who doesn't get to wear a long white coat?

Med students. It's blasphemous if we do.

 

[MJB]

All I know about white coats is that I absolutely cannot wait until I no longer have to/need to wear one. I hate wearing that thing.

 

[gutonc]

There is a guy who is always walking around the parking lot outside my hospital in the morning. I don't know what his job is, but he is often walking around when I arrive at 630 AM. I never actually see him doing anything other than pacing around the lot. He is almost always carrying a cup of coffee in his hand. And he is always wearing a long white coat.

Anesthesia attending. The coffee and nothing to do at 6:30 am are a dead giveaway.

 

[CardiacIntensivist]

Anesthesia attending. The coffee and nothing to do at 6:30 am are a dead giveaway.

Nah, anesthesiologists don't wear white coats.

 

[GasEmDee]

Nah, anesthesiologists don't wear white coats.

Winner!

 

[odieoh]

Sorry folks, the wizard hat has already been reserved for psych:


From the 1/26/96 editorial page of the Manchester Union Leader,
with credits to the Western Journalism Center:

In the New Mexico Legislature's 1995 session, Sen.
Duncan Scott, a Republican from Albuquerque, proposed an amendment
to a psychologist regulatory bill offered by another senator.
The Scott amendment would have dramatically changed the face
of New Mexico's legal system:

The amendment said: ``When a psychologist or psychiatrist testifies
during a defendant's competentcy hearing, the psychologist or
psychiatrist shall wear a cone-shaped hat that is not less than
two feet tall. The surface of the hat shall be imprinted
with stars and lightning bolts.

``Additionally, a psychologist or psychiatrist shall be required
to don a white beard that is not less than 18 inches in length,
and shall punctuate crucial elements of his testimony by
stabbing the air with a wand. Whenever a psychologist or
psychiatrist provides expert testimony regarding a defendant's
competentcy, the baliff shall contemporaneously dim the
courtroom lights and administer two strikes to a Chinese gong.''

The bill, with the wizard amendment, passed the Senate by
voice vote and cleared the House 46-14. Unfortunately,
Gov. Gary Johnson vetoed the legislation.

One of my favorite all time pieces of legislation

 

[SFO-IST]

I've seen people rock the black coats. They stay "clean" longer.
Looks too much like a trench coat to me.

Maybe if Virgin America decides to move into healthcare?

 

[danielmd06]

Don't sweat it.

This topic goes along with everybody wanting to be called "doctor" and not "mister." It's all about the glamour of perception, feeling special, and wanna-be elitism.

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery...

 

[johnmendes]

´Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery...

These have to be some of the wisest words I've seen on SDN... 100% agree.

 

[Deferoxamine]

I'm not sure if I get all that offended anymore when I see other health professions wearing long white coats - after all, imitation is the finest form of flattery. But if it's that much of a problem, doctors just need to 1-UP all the wankers who decided to start wearing white coats. We need to be trendsetters.

Someone above mentioned turtle necks... not bad.

Other suggestions:
-- Hooded sweatshirts
-- Track jackets with our names embroidered on them <--- MY PICK
-- Sweater vests (with nothing underneath)
-- Sombreros
-- Camouflage (how symbolic )