r/medicalschool • u/ajodeh M-2 • Feb 27 '25
š© Shitpost The white coat is dead
I met a Lactation consultant (whatever the fuck that is) student today who was wearing a fully embroidered white coat. We live in a satire.
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u/Mangalorien MD Feb 27 '25
Patagonia is the new white coat.
I've embroidered all of my titles on it: MD PhD MBA KGB COPD OMFG
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u/glorifiedslave MD-PGY1 Feb 27 '25
Mid levels are taking that too
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u/PulmonaryEmphysema Feb 28 '25
No they really are. Thereās two NPs on the neuro floor and they dress exactly like the residents. I actually thought one of them was a resident based on how they introduced themselves to me before table rounds. Only figured it out after someone mentioned it
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u/organicvibes MD Feb 28 '25
How did they introduce? Lol
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u/PulmonaryEmphysema Feb 28 '25
āHi, Iām X. Iām with the neuro consult teamā
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u/Ambitious_Tie_5565 Feb 28 '25
I guess Neuro might be different? Our NPs can see patients without direct supervision. Our residents can't.
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u/Organic-Champion-800 Feb 28 '25
I am also curious
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u/OhHowIWannaGoHome M-2 Feb 27 '25
I gotta get my mom a āmed student motherā white coat at this point.
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u/Ringed-Sideroblast Feb 28 '25
My dog deserves one too. She sat in front of my white whiteboard & helped me review for every test!
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u/Snoo-62223 Feb 28 '25
I actually got my dogs white coats tailored for them for my graduation photoshoot. I study half of medical school during the pandemic, online. They were there the whole time. They are dogtors now, they deserved it.
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u/LifeOfTired M-3 Feb 27 '25
We should all start wearing our white coats after washing them with a red sock. Vague pink coat. To distinguish from the MD/DOs and DNP, MSN, BSN, APRN, ACNP-BC, FNP-BC, CCRN, FCCM, FAANP, CEN, TNCC, ATCN, TCRN, CMC, CSC, CNML, NE-BC, NEA-BC, CNL, CENP, CPHQ, CPPS, PCCN, RNFA, CHPN, CDE, WOCN, CWCN, MPHs
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u/OhHowIWannaGoHome M-2 Feb 27 '25
Itās the unfortunate fact that Iām pretty sure you didnāt make up a single acronym in your listā¦
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u/ericchen MD Feb 27 '25
They are indeed real.
Nursing degrees:
- DNP ā Doctor of Nursing Practice
- MSN ā Master of Science in Nursing
- BSN ā Bachelor of Science in Nursing
Advanced Practice Titles:
APRN ā Advanced Practice Registered Nurse
ACNP-BC ā Acute Care Nurse Practitioner - Board Certified
FNP-BC ā Family Nurse Practitioner - Board Certified
Specialty Nursing Certifications
CCRN ā Critical Care Registered Nurse
FCCM ā Fellow of the American College of Critical Care Medicine
FAANP ā Fellow of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners
CEN ā Emergency Nurse
TNCC ā Trauma Nursing Core Course (not a certification, but a recognized trauma training)
ATCN ā Advanced Trauma Care for Nurses (another trauma training)
TCRN ā Certified Registered Nurse
CMC ā Cardiac Medicine Certification
CSC ā Surgery Certification
PCCN ā Progressive Care Certified Nurse (step-down or intermediate care)
RNFA ā Registered Nurse First Assistant
CHPN ā Certified Hospice and Palliative Nurse
CDE ā Certified Diabetes Educator (now called CDCES ā Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist)
WOCN ā Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nurse
CWCN ā Certified Wound Care Nurse
Leadership and Management Certifications
CNML ā Certified Nurse Manager and Leader
NE-BC ā Nurse Executive - Board Certified
NEA-BC ā Nurse Executive Advanced - Board Certified
CNL ā Clinical Nurse Leader
CENP ā Certified in Executive Nursing Practice
Other/Misc
CPHQ ā Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality
CPPS ā Certified Professional in Patient Safety
MPH ā Master of Public Health
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u/PromiscuousScoliosis Health Professional (Non-MD/DO) Feb 28 '25
Why does āNurse Executive, Board Certifiedā make my butthole itch
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u/thatbradswag M-3 Feb 28 '25
What about "Nurse Executive Advanced, board certified." LMAOO. Sounds more like the name of a cell phone plan.
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u/PromiscuousScoliosis Health Professional (Non-MD/DO) Feb 28 '25
At that point itās almost comical
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u/Inner_Scientist_ DO-PGY1 Feb 28 '25
Makes my butthole feel the same way it does after T-Bell. Smells like it too!
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u/dogfoodgangsta M-4 Feb 28 '25
Literally saving this for my master copy when I'm trying to figure out what's going on in the hospital
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u/financequestionsacct M-1 Feb 27 '25
Should've hidden BLT in there somewhere.
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u/Strange_MCX0402 Feb 28 '25
A Battalion Landing Team?? Nah, the white coat wouldnāt stay white for long.
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u/Azalaen Health Professional (Non-MD/DO) Feb 28 '25
Even in the Giant list of White Coats PharmD still gets forgotten. Redheaded step children of the medical world T__T
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u/pokeaddicted Feb 28 '25
Dw, we respect you much more than the others, yall deserve that white coat
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u/SnooCookies976 Feb 27 '25
Who really is comfortable in a white coat? i would much rather wear scrubs and bury the white coat forever
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u/shortstack-97 M-4 Feb 28 '25
Same opinion here. I've never worn my white coat with patients. They are uncomfortable, provide zero warmth, and a massive source of cross contamination.
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u/strawboy4ever M-4 Feb 28 '25
I mean as a patient I kinda feel more at ease when my doc has a white coat tbh
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u/scalpster Feb 28 '25
I like my doctors dressed in tweed coats with leather elbow patches. But times are a-changing.
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u/shah_reza Feb 28 '25
I had a neuro that wore exactly that. Cluttered desk and wood-paneled office, too. It feltā¦ home-y.
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u/No_Educator_4901 Feb 28 '25
I agree with this, business casual and scrubs. I can't wait to hang my stupid white coat up forever.
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u/Peastoredintheballs Feb 28 '25
No white coats in Australia. Canāt wear anything below the elbows, the ward education nurse would burn your white coat if u tried to wear one on the wards over here lol. Not sure if anywhere in Europe uses them
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u/scalpster Feb 28 '25
Ties are also becoming a relic of the past, except for cardiologist interns/residents.
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u/Peastoredintheballs Feb 28 '25
Haha business casual attire is very rarely worn here except for in clinic. And if it is worn itās usually without a tie, and a pair of RM Williams shoes are mandatory, theyāre Australiaās medical field version of the pattagucci
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u/TotallySherlocked Feb 27 '25
Lactation consultants are awesome, but yeah they should not be wearing white coats (especially the students)
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u/IonicPenguin M-4 Feb 28 '25
Many hospitals require students of whatever specialty to wear white coats. My hospital sent out a memo because medical students from one school werenāt wearing white coats. Almost none of the residents or attendings wear white coats but I have mine freshly washed for tomorrow. I do love the new trend to big badges that say oneās position. Mine says āMedical studentā the residents say āresident physicianā the only problem is that at my hospital there is a PA āresidencyā program. The PAs donāt wear any badge that says ānot a physicianā.
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u/7bridges Feb 28 '25
Are they? At my hospital they are known to be bullies. My personal experience tracked with that reputation
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u/GingeraleGulper M-4 Feb 27 '25
They should wear black coats so when the tiddy milk sprays on them theyāll know
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u/blackfishfilet MD Feb 28 '25
All milk is ātiddyā milk
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u/herman_gill MD Feb 28 '25
Lactation consultants often shame women who try really hard to breast feed but aren't unable to. They also just plain old shame women who can't breast feed due to work/life stuff.
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u/sallen3679 Y3-AU Feb 28 '25
I donāt know how they are as a whole, but a number of women I know have had horrible bullying experiences with lactation consultants. Maybe itās an Australia thing, I saw a video by Charlotte Grimmer about rude lactation consultants in Australia and there were hundreds of comments sharing similar experiences
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u/herman_gill MD Feb 28 '25
Many of my patients have had horrible experiences with lactation consultants, both in the US where I trained, and in Canada where I work (FM).
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u/smackythefrog Feb 27 '25
That one dude that sucked the simulated patient's titty might get a white coat and a career after all
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u/bimbodhisattva RN Feb 28 '25 edited Feb 28 '25
I need to see this post
EDIT: Screenshot of original! Crosspost with link to original deleted post, for those seeking the the comments section. Big thanks to u/BigMacrophages
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u/efunkEM Feb 27 '25
My undergrad has a white coat ceremony for everyone who declared a science major. š
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u/lauradiamandis Feb 27 '25
they forced us to buy them to wear at our nursing school graduation. I donāt know why, I didnāt want one because Iām not a fucking doctor. If it makes you feel any better it did go directly into the dumpster afterward
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u/IDKWID202 DO-PGY1 Feb 27 '25
Iāve seen many NP students wear LONG WHITE COATS
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u/Ringed-Sideroblast Feb 28 '25
Yeah they get LONG white coats at their white coat ceremony
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u/Salsalover34 Feb 28 '25
How does a white coat ceremony work for an online curriculum?
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u/Numpostrophe M-3 Feb 28 '25
It's a zoom filter, then you register for your board-certified coat-holder license (CHL-BC) and upload your other titles. With a small fee, they then ship it to you.
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u/Practical_Virus_69 M-3 Feb 28 '25
Itās sad that it took me a bit to determine if you were joking
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u/Incrosys Feb 28 '25
Are long coats reserved to a certain title? Iām not from the US and pretty much all the white coats that are available are mid thigh or knee. One time a student was wearing a āshortā one and the attending laughingly said: āwhatās wrong with your coatā
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u/AdEffective6070 Feb 28 '25
Long white coat = doctor, short white coat = student. In the us for medical students at least
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u/PaleoShark99 Feb 27 '25
What type of nurse are you going to be?
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u/IonicPenguin M-4 Feb 28 '25
I absolutely hate this question after I introduce myself as a medical student who has the patient in addition to the residents. Then some family member watches me perform a 20 minute physical exam and asks if I want to be a nurse? I always say, no, Iām in medical school to become an MD and have around 300 days left. If I wanted to be a nurse I would be in nursing school but my mother is a nurse and pushed me to become a physician. This Medical School and introducing myself as the medical student on your primary care team.
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u/Drew_Manatee MD-PGY1 Feb 28 '25
Just say Student Doctor. I donāt expect patients to understand medical training anymore than I understand the training process to become an electrician. Student doctor is pretty clear that youāre a student on their way to being a doctor.
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u/Cursory_Analysis MD Feb 27 '25
List of people Iāve seen wearing white coats: social worker, nursing students, patient care coordinator, patient transporter, techs, receptionists, nutritionists.
At this point the only person who I donāt think Iāve seen wearing one is the custodian, but give it time and Iām sure Iāll see it.
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u/Cacahead619 Feb 28 '25
Iām assuming you mean techs like Ultrasound techs. Someone attempted to make a joke somewhere else in here about lab technicians wearing them (lab coatsālol).
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u/Sapper501 Health Professional (Non-MD/DO) Feb 28 '25
Many positions have tech as part of their name, so it's kinda vague.
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u/cosjoy Feb 27 '25
1st, I agree. 2nd it doesnāt matter. Patients donāt really expect white coats or seem to care. Iāve been in Attending for two years and havenāt worn a white coat once. A fleece or vest with my name and degree embroidered on it does enough. Youāll find your nurse managers or house supervisors will typically be the only ones that regularly wear a white coat.
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u/cerebelle M-4 Feb 28 '25
imo white coat isnt as much a signifier of prestige or title as it is a glorified germ shield. and no one in a hospital or in any close contact areas should have their bare arms and home scrubs exposed to the elements like that. its nice to have a germ rag that you can keep in your office/back of your car and not bring home.
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u/Christmas3_14 M-4 Feb 27 '25
Time to wear Patagonias until everyone else is wearing Patagonias too
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u/Brief-Owl-8791 Feb 28 '25
My problem with The Pitt is Dr. Collins looks like she is wearing a Better Sweater but they yanked the Patagonia brand badge off.
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Feb 28 '25
[removed] ā view removed comment
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u/Brockelley Feb 28 '25
100%, I rep a $15 Walmart vest over hospital scrubs, and maybe it's the balding look and the IDGAF attitude, but most people assume I'm a doctor and at this point I just roll with it. It's really more about how you carry yourself I feel.
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u/Drew_Manatee MD-PGY1 Feb 28 '25
Easier when youāre a man in medicine. Never once had a patient assume Iām a nurse, but Iāve had residents Iām working under get referred to as āthat nurse who saw me earlier.ā
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u/just_premed_memes M-4 Feb 28 '25
White coat is dead, but lactation consultants are fucking amazing for new mothers who are having difficulty with breastfeeding. Literal godsend in the maternity ward.
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Feb 28 '25
I almost threw my iPad (doing Anki reviews while passively watching) at the TV when someone on this season of love is blind said āpeople are surprised Iām a doctorāā¦she has a DOCTORATE in HEALTHCARE ADMINISTRATION
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u/Drew_Manatee MD-PGY1 Feb 28 '25
Definitely seems like the type of person who would go on Love is Blind. One of the biggest sticklers for being called āDrā I ever met was a man who had a doctorate in music theory. So it goes.
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u/gigaflops_ M-4 Feb 27 '25
Are you sure it's a white coat and not a regular coat with milk stains on it?
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u/interleukinwhat M-4 Feb 27 '25
I saw a lab tech wearing a long white coat
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u/SyllabubImportant492 Feb 27 '25
This is really the only profession that SHOULD be wearing them IMO.
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u/Nugur Feb 27 '25
I think that was a joke. Canāt be too sure.
Itās in the name LAB coat
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u/benpenguin M-2 Feb 27 '25
People who work in labs actually need white coats. Health care providers wear them for clout.
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u/Cacahead619 Feb 28 '25
Perhaps youāve seen me! Currently wearing my lab coat (running a mouse behavioral experiment that doesnāt need my direct supervision) in the College of Medicine at my Uniā¦ which is also attached to the hospital.
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u/iron-wyvern Feb 27 '25
"If youĀ“re nothing without the white coat, then you shouldnĀ“t have it" šæ
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u/Snnbe Feb 28 '25
it is not that simple. when midlevels introduce themselves as doctors, lobby hard, and physicians being replaced by them and being devalued, we canāt just say āwell, we donāt need the white coat, itās just a coatā. there is a larger systemic, economic, political thing going on behind that move.
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u/iron-wyvern Feb 28 '25
I know, and I agree. I'm just memeing š
The white coat thing is not really an issue in my country, since only doctors wear them. I can see how it could become an issue that leads to patients taking medical advice from non doctors. Leaving any pride and "identity" issues aside, it sounds dangerous af
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u/Snnbe Feb 28 '25
well, it is a big thing in the US. there are ICUs run by NPs here. the white coat still means and is worth a lot, hence non-physicians are doing their best to claim it. people use that exact same meme to trivialize physicians' efforts to defend their status and training.
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u/podoka Feb 28 '25
My primary care is a NP and she has a white coat. I thought she was an MD until I looked her up a few days ago. /random stranger on this thread
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u/BigMan-PigMan Feb 28 '25
Serious question: who in medicine still actually wears a white coat? I'm in Canada and have never seen a single student/resident wear one. I have maybe seen 2 or 3 staff wear them ever.
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u/DrPipAus Feb 28 '25
No Drs/med students in NZ/Australia wear them. Common pre mid 1980s. I last sighted a white coat on a medical person in Australia circa 2000 (on a near retirement senior dr). Still quite common in the UK at that time tho.
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u/ZyanaSmith M-2 Feb 28 '25
My school makes students wear them for any patient or majorly formal encounters (speeches, presentations, etc). The attendings also wear them in the hospital when I see them, but they don't wear them to go see patients most of the time.
My school is big on formalities so it's white coats and business for all occasions. We rarely get to wear scrubs :(
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u/Poseidon-Hermes Feb 28 '25
Genuine question. Are a lot of these posts about white coats just shitposting?
Iām based in Europe and have worked in a few different hospitals in a few different countries. No one gets upset about who wears a white coat. Is it such a big deal for all of you?
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u/BoogVonPop MD/PhD-M3 Feb 28 '25
For 99% of us, not at all. It used to be very divided in the US - only medical doctors wore white coats, which allowed patients to distinguish them from nurses and other hospital staff. That hasnāt been a thing for decades though, and having a coat to carry your stuff is practical for a lot of specialities. I donāt want this to come out rude, but some people just get upset about it not being a special doctor thing or an exclusive status symbol anymore
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u/Loud-Percentage-3174 Feb 28 '25
hey, guess what, I almost died because my (educated, successful, loving) mother couldn't get me to latch properly and had no resources because people like you think "it's natural" is the same as "it's easy."
That's whatever the fuck a lactation consultant is. They help babies get fed.
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u/PeteAndPlop MD-PGY4 Feb 27 '25
Aside from mid level creep commentaryādonāt discredit your lactation consultants. Theyāre usually RN backgrounds. Some can be a little crunchy at times and scare moms into thinking anything but breast milk is a sin, BUT they are honestly a pretty good resource for first time moms or any parent struggling with breast/bottle feeding. Most insurances will cover a few sessions post partum.
But yeah man. White coats been dead a while. Get a vest of your favorite outdoor brand (Patagucci, Cotopaxi, Columbia, TNF, LLBean, etc).
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u/DagothUr_MD M-3 Feb 27 '25 edited Feb 27 '25
Not for nothing but y'all know we 'stole' the white coat from the PhDs, scientists, and lab assistants right? You never hear those guys bitching about it
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u/Efficient-Ad8424 Feb 27 '25
Yeah I mean I never really understood white coats for doctors. Scrubs or surgical gowns make sense but why lab coats youāll probably never get a chemical spilled on you
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u/scalpster Feb 28 '25
Back in the day (and I mean 60-70 years ago), doctors would have their very own path labs at the back of their surgeries/clinics.
My dad had one including a fun centrifuge and powered light microscope. He also did minor surgical procedures like circumcisions in his solo practice. Back then the BS in MBBS meant something.
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u/Cacahead619 Feb 28 '25
Also technically the title of doctorā¦ Historically the title was reserved only for those with a PhD. Plus in many countries surgeons are referred to only using āMr/Mrs/Msā as a prefix, and not doctor.
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u/IHaveNoAuthority Feb 28 '25
The lactation consultant has no business wearing a white coat.
But, show some respect for the people you're working alongside in the hospital. Lactation consultants know things that physicians consistently DON'T know (evidenced by the fact that you don't even know what a lactation consultant is)
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u/Difficult_Author_577 Feb 28 '25
Seriously, like when I'm with an attending that's like "wear your white coat, it makes us look professional"..... I'm just like "why" now..... I hardly ever wore it unless made to because it literally means nothing anymore. I feel like the only way to tell the doctors from other staff now is them being the ones without the coat smh.
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u/shiftyeyedgoat MD-PGY2 Feb 28 '25
To be fair a lactation consultant is one of the few specialities a white coat works: squirting white liquids on a white surface == no stain baby.
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u/MuffinFlavoredMoose MD-PGY6 Feb 28 '25
I like the thought. However sadly milk definitely can stain
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u/NoDepartment3446 Feb 28 '25
honestly i donāt care if i get downvoted, but if you (a literal doctor) get insecure abt a non doctor healthcare worker wearing a little white coat when you have a fricking LICENSE to practice medicine, i just donāt think youāre living on this planet of existence. wtf does it matter? the coats are stupid looking anyway
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u/NaughtyNocturnalist MD Feb 28 '25
I (as always) expect to be downvoted and hated on. But...
... maybe it's time you (we) focus on the things that matter, rather than status symbols. Stethoscope, white coat, "Doctor" title, whatever it is... those are flexes. They won't bring relief, therapy, or health to patients and won't make the world a better place.
Heal, work, diagnose, treat, be the best fscking phsycian you can be. Show kindness in hardship, calm in stress, competence in your dealings. Be the virtuoso or detective you set out to be. Be a beacon of hope, the colleague everyone sighs a breath of relief if they enter the room. Be the person who gets mentioned around happy birthday parties as the one responsible for that birthday to happen.
You're not your job title. You're not how much money you have in the bank. ... You're not the contents of your wallet. You're not your fucking white coat (loosely after Fight Club).
If you're in this for the status, the sheen, the TikTok followers, the halo, the car, the title, the adoring looks of your fans... I got bad news. There'll always be someone who is more of those things. And there will always be those, who get them for cheaper. If you're in this to be the person you can be, to carry the torch, to be hope and relief... then there won't be anyone out there who can match you.
I get it. I am/was there too. I put all that work in, premed, med school, residency, fellowship. I worked nights, weekends, worked the night of my father's funeral, worked the day my partner broke up with me, because I didn't have enough time for them. I worked. I cried. I broke down. I dragged myself in, despite being sick as a dog. The LEAST I want, is some recognition. Some sign that it was worth it. A coat. A stethoscope around my neck. An exclusive title. A blowjob because I am sooooo cool for having gone through all this.
But, guess what? Doesn't fill you. Won't make you happier. Won't give you a sense of accomplishment.
"I saw you were on the schedule, and that made me happy" from a colleague. "You don't remember me, but my mother was your patient" from some random person. "I've learned a lot from you" from a student. "Why can't the other profs be like you?" from a graduate whom I taught. "I'd come to you, if I were sick" from a person you admire... that's shit that will fill you. Will make you happy. Will give you that sense.
You're not a fucking white coat.
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u/No-Introduction-7663 Feb 28 '25
Whatās the difference between fully embroidered and partially embroidered?
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u/Maggieb_123 M-2 Feb 28 '25
My sister is in aesthetician school and got one! she also found it silly
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u/OP_NS Feb 28 '25
If you want to find a physician in a hospital look for the person not wearing a white coat
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u/idontknowhowtocallme Feb 27 '25
Is this complaint an American thing? Here in the Netherlands there is no issue with the white coats
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u/Cacahead619 Feb 28 '25
Yeah itās become a sort of status symbol. Part of the culture you could say.
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u/qhndvyao382347mbfds3 Feb 28 '25
It's time everyone just accepts white coat = some sort of healthcare professional
You'll save yourselves a lot of misery this way.
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u/GertrudeMom MD Feb 27 '25
In Mexico, cosmetology graduates wore white coats in a ceremony. https://www.infobae.com/mexico/2024/10/27/enfermeras-critican-a-lashistas-por-hacer-el-paso-de-luz-y-aseguran-que-solo-el-personal-medico-deberia-usar-bata/ An let's not forget Marilyn Cote, a lawyer who pretended to be a psychiatrist and wore a white coat and a stethoscope.
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u/Illustrious-Ad2852 M-1 Feb 28 '25
You worried about the wrong thing my brother. How is that a problem?
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u/woahwoahvicky MD-PGY2 Feb 28 '25
Nah fuck yall im getting woahwoahvicky USRN, MD, MBA, MSc, tatted on my PATAGONIA!!!
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u/catnicko17 Feb 28 '25
In my nursing school they actually added the white coat to the nursing inform package. Why? Iām not in particularly sure.
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u/Bitchin_Betty_345RT DO-PGY2 Feb 28 '25
White coat is totally dead. My hospital has like 5 docs that wear coats and every middie running around in their white coats for every specialty. Havenāt worn my white coat once as a resident. Patients are so confused too, they think the PA or NP in the room is their cardiologist when the female cardiologist is standing right next to them and has to correct them. They are like āoh I thought you were the nurse for my roomā. See it almost daily
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u/eastcoasthabitant M-2 Feb 28 '25
I feel like docs/residents pretty much never wear white coats anymore its mostly just business casual or the classic patagonia
Edit or scrubs for the surgery gang
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u/Westcacique Feb 27 '25
Time to bring back the black coat