karebear12892 Posted April 10, 2018 Share Posted April 10, 2018 A friend of mine who is in medical school shared this article on her Facebook page today. To me, PA's deserve to wear a white coat just as much as physicians do, but I'm curious as to what everyone else thinks: https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2016/05/should-white-coats-be-only-worn-by-physicians.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reality Check 2 Posted April 10, 2018 Share Posted April 10, 2018 I haven’t worn a white coat in about 20 yrs. I am hot natured and the coats are cumbersome. They don’t represent anything to me. The clerks at the Clinique counter wear them...... They get dirty and look grungy. Happier with my govt ID badge, name tag and being comfortable. just my crusty old 2 cents....actions speak louder than a coat 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Acebecker Posted April 10, 2018 Share Posted April 10, 2018 I wear one sometimes, mostly when I'm cold. Here's the thing - docs don't own the "graduated medical professional" status. We are graduates and if you elect to wear a white coat, do so. That said, they are a huge infectious disease vector. I guess if physicians want to be sole owners of that, they can be my guest. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corpsman89 Posted April 10, 2018 Share Posted April 10, 2018 They can have them. I hate those things with a passion, and will never wear one in practice unless I have to. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ICUPA Posted April 10, 2018 Share Posted April 10, 2018 Do not read the comments on that article :/ 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CAdamsPAC Posted April 10, 2018 Share Posted April 10, 2018 37 minutes ago, Reality Check 2 said: I haven’t worn a white coat in about 20 yrs. I am hot natured and the coats are cumbersome. They don’t represent anything to me. The clerks at the Clinique counter wear them...... They get dirty and look grungy. Happier with my govt ID badge, name tag and being comfortable. just my crusty old 2 cents....actions speak louder than a coat Back when I wore a Lab Coat, my pet peeve was the number of others wearing Lab Coats , didn't understand the heavily starched ,brilliant whiteness of my Lab Coat with my name and professional title embroidered on it . As a former NCO in the US Army I couldn't understand the wearing of stained, rumpled ill-fitting clothing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lkth487 Posted April 10, 2018 Share Posted April 10, 2018 I've worn one exactly three times in residency. I'm in peds and kids are scared of them, so that's one thing. They get dirty as hell, so that's the other thing. And everyone wears them, so it doesn't mean anything in terms of differentiating people, so really, who cares? Wear one if you want. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ket131 Posted April 10, 2018 Share Posted April 10, 2018 I could care less about white coats. I just want to be good PA and hope that my future colleagues can put their trust in me and my work. I do want that PA-C/PA labeled plastic tag though...connect it to my shirt :) 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lemurcatta Posted April 10, 2018 Share Posted April 10, 2018 Medicine stole the coat from scientists so how about me take their argument to the next logical step and argue that only laboratory scientists should wear the white coat... While we are at it, btw, they don’t own “doctor” either. PhDs are the O.G. Doctors. Im not a PA yet but I look foward tonersonally not wearing a white coat in clinical practice. I’ll stick with my black Patagonia jacket when it gets cold on the hospital. physicians can be a sensitive bunch it seems. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reality Check 2 Posted April 10, 2018 Share Posted April 10, 2018 5 minutes ago, Ket131 said: I could care less about white coats. I just want to be good PA and hope that my future colleagues can put their trust in me and my work. I do want that PA-C/PA labeled plastic tag though...connect it to my shirt :) Check state laws - many require a name tag at all times at work - everyone should wear one in my opinion - MA, LPN, RN, PA, NP, DO, MD. We have ones at work that say ADMIN so as not to confuse a suit with someone who can do CPR.... I always have a name tag on with my credentials. Just keeps things straight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thinkertdm Posted April 10, 2018 Share Posted April 10, 2018 The gist of the article seems to be twofold; one, I worked hard for this and I get that. Two, look at me! In civilian life, you can tell a difference between a former nco and a civilian. Usually, it is evident in the way they walk, talk, and present themselves to the world. They carry themselves with confidence, and don't need flair. If you need a white coat to show the world you are special, maybe you are doing it wrong. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quietmedic Posted April 10, 2018 Share Posted April 10, 2018 I don't like wearong one, but I've been at jobs that actally DEMANDED I wear the coat on duty! I guess it's a compliment, in a way... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BayPAC Posted April 11, 2018 Share Posted April 11, 2018 Everybody wears white coat. Even the deli workers at the grocery store. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CAAdmission Posted April 11, 2018 Share Posted April 11, 2018 What a jerkoff. Maybe physicians should come up with something else to wear to showcase their exalted status. Propeller beanie? Viking helmet? 13 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ket131 Posted April 11, 2018 Share Posted April 11, 2018 Just now, CJAdmission said: Viking helmet? Hey now, I live in Minnesota and I need to throw on a Viking helmet! Maybe the beanie. :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boatswain2PA Posted April 11, 2018 Share Posted April 11, 2018 4 hours ago, lemurcatta said: While we are at it, btw, they don’t own “doctor” either. PhDs are the O.G. Doctors. Not in the hospital/clinic area. Our patients infer that a "doctor" is a physician. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lemurcatta Posted April 11, 2018 Share Posted April 11, 2018 I was making an observation about historical context, and also mainly being facetious. I think you missed my point Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator LT_Oneal_PAC Posted April 11, 2018 Moderator Share Posted April 11, 2018 I think it’s pretty ridiculous who wears a coat sometimes, but I don’t care enough to make any mention of it. I think someone who does is being kind of pretentious. Certainly PAs are deserving of it. Personally I’ll just keep wearing my department and name embroidered Patagonia jacket that doesn’t yellow and beads off fluids :) 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sk732 Posted April 11, 2018 Share Posted April 11, 2018 If my lab coat is on, it's because I'm cold, just got out of the OR (couple of surgical rotations I was on required them when we were not in OR - habit stuck) or I'm not wearing my 5-11's and I need pockets. My place is too cheap to get a "uniform" sweater or jacket for us...though I do have a fleece with name and credentials embroidered on it. SK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reality Check 2 Posted April 11, 2018 Share Posted April 11, 2018 White coats aside, now I want to figure out how to make my govt ID photo NOT look like a funhouse mirror..... could they possibly take a worse pic???? I found my old lab coats from school and my first job in a closet. They have my maiden name on them and well, I was not as fluffy back then. I have never done anything with them because they do have my name and credentials on them. I would donate them to a school for chem lab or for a school play or something. Just wanted to get my name off of them first. Any other ideas out there? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camoman1234 Posted April 11, 2018 Share Posted April 11, 2018 50 minutes ago, Reality Check 2 said: White coats aside, now I want to figure out how to make my govt ID photo NOT look like a funhouse mirror..... could they possibly take a worse pic???? I found my old lab coats from school and my first job in a closet. They have my maiden name on them and well, I was not as fluffy back then. I have never done anything with them because they do have my name and credentials on them. I would donate them to a school for chem lab or for a school play or something. Just wanted to get my name off of them first. Any other ideas out there? I burnt mine from my previous job! :) 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GetMeOuttaThisMess Posted April 11, 2018 Share Posted April 11, 2018 I burnt mine from my previous job! [emoji4] I did the same thing at a pool party after my last ED shift. I now wear one to hold my cellphone and to keep me warm since I’m developing old man thin skin. It also gives me something to cough at beside the patient. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BruceBanner Posted April 12, 2018 Share Posted April 12, 2018 I only wore one briefly while I was working in a hospital and it was always cold; but I was also a new grad and it made me feel special. Since then, never. They are hot, restrictive, and a bit pretentious. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest UVAPAC Posted April 12, 2018 Share Posted April 12, 2018 Agree with the above. I wore one for my first several months as a PA, primarily because I appeared to be young, and thought it would make patients more comfortable with me as a provider. I quickly realized they were not necessary, and I feel most people are more comfortable seeing "just a regular guy" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sas5814 Posted April 12, 2018 Share Posted April 12, 2018 *YAWN* If that is at the top of some physician's list of worries they need a little therapy. I worked at one place where physicians wore long white coats and we were supposed to wear short white coats. We looked like barbers and I refused. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts