Explainer

Re: White coats and female MDs

SGG — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 14:33:16 GMT

THANK YOU. This sort of "Sounds-good!" bologna is why the AMA no longer gets my $420 a year. Yes, they are lemmings. They have no earthly concept of epidemiology or what constitutes meaningful science. Nor do they care, because they're too busy protecting the deep pockets of the healthcare insurance biz & their GOP shills instead of actually FIXING the healthcare disaster they helped happen.

Re: White coats and female MDs

DrEvidence — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 23:22:07 GMT

The AMA needs to stop telling physicians what to wear based on weak evidence. They have no right to tell us what to wear. Who do they think they are? This is a personal choice. Most importantly, there has never been a prospective study showing improved outcomes in patients when doctors didn't wear their lab coats. All of this data is subjective and observational. Of course there are opinionated leaders in the AMA who think they know how to read and understand the medical literature, and then decide to enforce their ignorance on the rest of the medical community. Wow, all I can say is that I am disappointed that we let idiots dictate policy. This is akin to a "lemming effect". Let's all jump off the cliff because some third rate journal article quotes some garbage. Whatever...Read the articles and make an informed decision. I will not yield my freedom of choice, especially since it does not alter patient outcomes. BOO AMA, bunch of idiots.

Re: White coats and female MDs

naro — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 21:06:10 GMT

Female doctors need pocket to place their lipstick, rouge, mirror etc.

Re: White coats and female MDs

myers — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 20:36:00 GMT

I am in agreement with chidoc--I am a female physician and find the lab coat essential for carrying all my gear around. She is also spot on about patient confusion and gender issues. Many the time I was assumed to be a nurse when I was in scrubs-the white coat eliminates that confusion.

White coats also have your name and department clearly embroidered on the pocket, so patients know exactly who they are talking to.

Finally, the hospital is a messy place, and having a coat protect your clothes is a necessity.

Re: White coats and female MDs

vjin slidell — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 19:43:05 GMT

chidoc:

I was walking with a young female MD in her hospital, and a patient came up and addressed her as "Nurse" she replied "Oh please forgive me I don't work no where near hard enough to be addressed as nurse, I am Dr. Smith" It was a quick response, not the first time she had used it, allowed her to keep moving without causing any embarressing moments, and never slowed her down. Just a thought that you might want to try!

Re: White coats and female MDs

proactive90210 — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 18:47:41 GMT

I met a speech therapist that put more values on the white lab coat than my loved one and I don't think she deserved to wear it. She spoke English, but the patient spoke another language-the channel of communication wasn't there at all. When I tried to help, she said "I'm the speech therapist and showed me the white coat." I don't care about her lab coat as I have many in my closet. All I want is for my loved one to be treated fairly.

Sometimes, I feel that one day docs should take the patients' position to see what's it like so that they can provide the best care for the sick.

The white coat just doesn't mean anything and when I meet those w/lab coat that should act as health care professionals, but talk down on the sick I feel that this piece of towel should be put at the corner. Can hospitals and clinics provide that piece of object every time the health care professionals come on the job so that they can change it whenever they get dirty. One may come from home with the lab coat; therefore, may not change it when it gets dirty. However, if lab coats are provided to health care professionals on the job, that may decrease hospital acquired infection to a certain degree.

Thus, it doesn't matter who wear them as long as those who wear them won't focus more on it instead of patients' care. Imagined a day to have 24 hours and some docs work more then that w/one lab coat. At the end of the day they get socked with sweat and microbes.

Shame on that speech therapist ....

Re: White coats and female MDs

cdobbelaere — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 18:19:42 GMT

I agree. I am not a physician, but an acupuncturist and I once had a co-worker (an MSW) get very annoyed at the fact that we wear lab coats in clinic, because 'only doctors wear them'. We were taught that wearing the coat is professional. I need the pockets to hold my swabs/needles/keys/pens/notebook. Women's skirts and slacks do not generally have pockets and it protects the clothes from odor and fluids...also I like my coat since it tends to make me appear less overtly feminine and more uniform. People, like it or not, make judgements based on clothes. When you see a doctor with some loud shirt and tie, or in my case an acupuncturist wearing some hippie Asian getup, you make a judgement about their personality or professionalism. I have seen female physicians clomping about in ridiculously high heels and tight skirts, and although they look very pretty, I wonder why they chose to wear that to work...The lab coat is a blank slate. The health care provider's personality and/or gender is not supposed to be forefront...

Re: White coats and female MDs

dapperdan32 — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 18:14:35 GMT

jellfla- Good question- I would think every hospital would have some kind of dress code-maybe not..

Several SLP's I know like to wear scrubs given the high possibility that they may be "spit-up" on during treatment.

Re: White coats and female MDs

dapperdan32 — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 18:10:14 GMT

karent- Yes indeedy! I love my pockets.

Re: White coats and female MDs

jellfla — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 18:00:56 GMT

i understand what the symbolism of the white lab coat. but i work in a hospital as a speech language pathologist (a master's degree) i wear scrubs. BUT, you have respiratory therapists that just have a 2 year degree and they parade around in white lab coats. the dietician wears a lab coat. some hospitals have the speech therapists that aren't MD's but have their Master's degrees or Phd's in lab coats. So should there be hospital policies on who gets to wear a coat?

Re: White coats and female MDs

karent — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 17:52:38 GMT

I am also a female MD. I get addressed as "nurse" all the time, and although I'm used to it, the coat helps. The big reason is, however, the pockets. Every physician I know who still wears one does it for the pockets.

Re: White coats and female MDs

dapperdan32 — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 17:51:36 GMT

doctorZ- that will take out the "middleman"-we could just sue ourselves

They may be able to pry this lab coat from my cold, dead hands, but that's okay because I have another one and I'll be buried in it so I can haunt them

PS- short women are sexy

Re: Mother of a future Doctor

dapperdan32 — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 17:42:38 GMT

Crobin35-If there's any vanity to it, you'll have earned it. Speaking from personal experience of having put myself through school I know it is terribly expensive (HAH-it used to be just terribly now it's viciously expensive). Be VERY proud of your son AND yourself for making it possible.

Re: White coats and female MDs

dapperdan32 — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 17:36:29 GMT

I can remember this issue being addressed with "ties" but I'm a bit surprised about lab coats. I change jackets every other day and I'd have to see the research as to the true efficacy of wearing scrubs VS labcoat. I'm an Occupational Therapist and work primarily in long term care so thankfully it does not directly effect me as of yet. However, I have worn scrubs in the past and was asked many times by patients or family members if I could take out the garbage-so there you go chicdoc your far from alone.

Aside from not wanting to look like a transient in scrubs, I wear a lab coat and tie to let my patients know that I do in fact care enough about them to present myself as a professional. Chicdoc makes another good point regarding having pockets to carry instruments, pens, pocket knife, etc. Believe me, this is NOT a female only issue. I'm not sure if I'll ever have to actually quit over the issue, but I'm DAMN sure not giving my coat up quietly.

Mother of a future Doctor

crobin35 — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 16:04:15 GMT

I know this is extremely vain and unscientific, but I don't care so much about the germs. I'm sending my son off to college and he wants to become a doctor. As a single mother, the cost of the education will be a struggle but I'm sure one of the proudest moments for me will be when I see my son revert back to his glasses and put on his white doctor coat.

Also, I'm a woman in business predominately with men in leadership. My education, experience, etc. does not give the world the impression I'm the boss when clients reach for the hand of my younger male associates first. The power suit helps.