No more white coats

[Taurus]

I have no doubt that every non-physician group with inferiority complexes like the nurses will follow the lead of the doctors.

May we have a moment of silence for the passing of the white coat long worn by doctors.

As we noted last week, AMA delegates holding their annual meeting were slated to vote on a recommendation that hospitals ban white coats in a bid to help protect patients from infection.

Well, the votes are in and the ban was approved. Delegates said they agreed that the risk of cuffs spreading infection between hospital patients isn’t worth the symbolism of the white coat.​

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[docB]

I will be interesting though to see how the doctor wanna bes react. Anyone can wear a white coat and it doesn't connote an institutional sanction of doctor status to who ever is wearing one. You can buy your own coat and get whatever you want embroidered on it. If the coats are gone and Joint Commission guidelines about labeling of hospital personnel are followed I would expect the next battleground to be over ID badges. For example, at my facilities, there are different colors for attendings, nurses, residents, etc. If the DNPs want to be doctors they'll have to get the institution to actually give them that on their badges. Institutions may be a bit more reluctant when they've got to be more actively complicit in the charade.

 

[Hernandez]

Idiots. This defies the very essence of evidence based medicine. At best there is half-assed correlative medicine but NO-ONE has done a study to assess the effect of England's Bare below the elbow affects on hospital associated infections. I for one am all for that type of study and THEN making recommendations. This is nothing more than reactionary medicine and will likely be used b by a bureaucrat to enforce this as standard of care

 

[Paddington]

The problem is these guys making the decisions are likely tenured brown coat academic attendings at university hospitals. When was the last time one of these guys even carried a stethoscope? Hell, examining patients for them is few and far between, unless they want to lecture you on how stupid you are for not knowing 2/6 murmur from a 3/6 murmur.

Anyway, I'm no Einstein, I'm no Obama, but even I realized a while back that getting your coat sleeves on people's drool while you're examing them in the morning is gross. So since then I've been rolling up my sleeves before rounding. Again, I'm no genius. I'm no ****ing rocket scientist here. I'm just an average guy with average scores, and somehow I was able to come up with this solution.

These guys at the AMA just like coming up with new pronouncements for the sake of seeming relevant. It's almost like the middle ages when the King would mandate that everyone must wear purple trousers or whatever just to flex his own power. I think the AMA knows they will be seen as completely limp wristed with regards to Obama's railroading through of socialized healthcare, so in an effort to seem powerful they ban white coats.

 

[Hernandez]

These guys at the AMA just like coming up with new pronouncements for the sake of seeming relevant.

Apparently this was championed by medical students

 

[MOHS_01]

This does not seem like a big deal to me. I first read about this in 2001; that was enough of an excuse for me to ditch the damn thing because I hated wearing it anyway. If it turns out to be true, everyone should ditch them without so much as a whimper. If it's bogus or unproven, then feel free to wear them. I have never felt particularly drawn to the allure of the name, title, or prestige of being a physician -- that is, after the third year of medical school at which point I realized that the "status" of being a physician was more in the minds of those aspiring to the position than society at large any more.

 

[physasst]

This does not seem like a big deal to me. I first read about this in 2001; that was enough of an excuse for me to ditch the damn thing because I hated wearing it anyway. If it turns out to be true, everyone should ditch them without so much as a whimper. If it's bogus or unproven, then feel free to wear them. I have never felt particularly drawn to the allure of the name, title, or prestige of being a physician -- that is, after the third year of medical school at which point I realized that the "status" of being a physician was more in the minds of those aspiring to the position than society at large any more.

I'm "only" a PA, but I haven't worn a lab coat in longer than I can remember, just a pair of scrubs.

The only rare times that I DO wear a lab coat, is when it's -25 here in Minnesota, and I am freezing when I get to work, then I may wear one for short while to warm up......that's maybe 1-2 times per year.

Just never understood the big deal...

 

[Paddington]

This does not seem like a big deal to me. I first read about this in 2001; that was enough of an excuse for me to ditch the damn thing because I hated wearing it anyway. If it turns out to be true, everyone should ditch them without so much as a whimper. If it's bogus or unproven, then feel free to wear them. I have never felt particularly drawn to the allure of the name, title, or prestige of being a physician -- that is, after the third year of medical school at which point I realized that the "status" of being a physician was more in the minds of those aspiring to the position than society at large any more.

Well if you don't like the white coat Moh's man then don't wear it. Some of us actually practice real medicine, for which we have to carry around a number of items all day, for which the white coat is quite handy.

 

[FatKid]

Well if you don't like the white coat Moh's man then don't wear it. Some of us actually practice real medicine, for which we have to carry around a number of items all day, for which the white coat is quite handy.

The skin is the largest organ of the body and has hundreds of pathologies that are not currently understood by medical science.

Therefore, I could argue that Dermatologists are the most "real" doctors there are, because they are in the field with the largest, most complex organ system.

 

[MOHS_01]

Well if you don't like the white coat Moh's man then don't wear it. Some of us actually practice real medicine, for which we have to carry around a number of items all day, for which the white coat is quite handy.

Ummm.... OK.

If it turns out to be true, everyone should ditch them without so much as a whimper. If it's bogus or unproven, then feel free to wear them.

 

[VA Hopeful Dr]

Apparently this was championed by medical students

You and I both know that medical students are stupid

 

[Coastie]

Apparently this was championed by medical students

LOL at medical students championing useless things.

How about they champion against DNPs, Solo CRNAs, RNs doing colonoscopies indepentdently, our dear leader Chairman Maobama socializing our system whilst the UK/Oz/Canada move away from it?

It all began with a free netter at the AMSA table..

 

[tibor75]

Well if you don't like the white coat Moh's man then don't wear it. Some of us actually practice real medicine, for which we have to carry around a number of items all day, for which the white coat is quite handy.

what an ignorant response. they carry a bag or put them in your pocket.

You can always tell a substandard doctor by all the books they have to carry around in their coat.

 

[Cp22kjer]

You can always tell a substandard doctor by all the books they have to carry around in their coat.

By the time I'm out, it will all be on a flash drive or phone!

 

[RGMSU]

Good - does that mean I can skip the stupid white coat ceremony at my school? With all the crap that's going on in the healthcare industry right now, somehow I think what we're all wearing will be the least of our worries. The basic institutions of medicine are being rearranged. Nurses don't want to be nurses, and nobody will let doctors be doctors. It would be nice if we all started focusing on the damn patient again instead of being so self-centered. As far as a labcoat, now I'm just wondering how to keep my clothes from getting dirty, assuming I don't wear scrubs. As far as status and name badges, I couldn't care less. I wish I didn't have to wear a name badge at all frankly. And, yeah, medical students are stupid. If we had any sense, we'd be in law school or business school.

 

[Instatewaiter]

And, yeah, medical students are stupid. If we had any sense, we'd be in law school or business school.

My girl friend just graduated from at low tier 1 law school and you wouldnt want to wish their circumstance on yourself. As soon as the recession hit, the jobs dried up. Now people who were sitting pretty at the top of the class with jobs in big law firms are having their offers rescinded or start dates pushed back by 6 months. The bottom 50% of the class cant find a job. Her room, after she passes the bar, will be looking for a job as a bar tender until she fan find a job as a lawyer. I would guestimate that a bit over half of her class, who mind you, just graduated with a ton of debt, does not have a job. Luckily she does. Business is just as bad.

What doctor getting out of residency or fellowship do you know that can't find a job? Even when Obama dismantles our healthcare system, at least we will all be employed (enslaved?)

 

[RGMSU]

Yeah, the economy won't be bad forever, though. Changes in the healthcare system could last our entire careers. I do feel a strange sense of enslavement - interesting word choice there. As I prepare to rack up $150,000 in debt, continue to hear talk of Medicare reimbursement cuts, and witness the uncertainty with the coming changes in the healthcare system, it causes some real anxiety for me. The truth is that nobody knows what will become of all this. I have no doubt we will all have a huge workload with the upcoming Baby Boomer graying. I just wonder what kind of lifestyle me and my future family will have to endure paying back all the debt with me working 60 plus hours per week and my salary uncertain. Will physician salaries be higher/lower? Who knows? What will the tax rates need to be by then with all the deficit spending going on? Who knows? Even if nothing is changed, there is uncertainty. When will Medicare become insolvent without any changes in the system? It's a shame that the folks who came before us allowed such a mess to develop and left it for us to worry about when we're barely getting started in our careers.

 

[docB]

Yeah, people in medicine won't be enslaved. We'll be indentured.