Clothes for a Future Doctor

[Sator]

Originally Posted by LabelKing

I understand cigars are the most potent of the bunch.

Are we talking phallic symbols or nicotine hits?

 

[not really]

Originally Posted by Sator

Are we talking phallic symbols or nicotine hits?

Our former president demonstrated that cigars are more than symbols.

 

[poorsod]

Remember that medical training is more of an apprenticeship with a pretty rigid hierarchy staunched in ritual. The way you are taught to present a case, to scrub and to talk to one another can be thought of as ritual and uniformity is important. In the 50s and 60s the uniform for housestaff was a white shirt, white pants and a short white lab coat. The state of dress has somewhat changed since then.

The flexibility in dress varies with the specialties. There is quite a bit of flexibility is Psych; much less so in surgery.

 

[Sator]

Originally Posted by not really

Our former president demonstrated that cigars are more than symbols.

But I thought Fidel still was your president?

Sorry, but I don't know where you are based.

 

[coachvu]

Originally Posted by Sator

I really do find it strange that a student, intern or resident should be looked upon as though he had turned up to work in a morning coat and top hat just for wearing a sports coat to work. I guess the white coat usually takes the place of the sports coat on the wards, but why not wear a sports coat at other times?

What other times? In your third year, you are nearly always on the wards. We have been instructed that the white coat is part of our uniform in the hospital. Whenever you start out with some sort of clinical experience, unless you are an attending, you should wear the white coat. If they want you to wear something else, they will tell you.

 

[Sator]

Originally Posted by coachvu

What other times?

Coming and going from work. Unless you wear your white coat in the car or public transport. I have this old fashioned thing about not being dressed unless you are wearing a coat.

 

[Holdfast]

Originally Posted by poorsod

The flexibility in dress varies with the specialties. There is quite a bit of flexibility is Psych; much less so in surgery.

I seem to remember an article a little way back (might have been Xmas BMJ) describing the surgical "uniforms": Consultant: suit; Reg: blazer & Royal College tie; SHO: shirt & tie; PRHO: white coat. Scarily and amusingly accurate, even today.

I could never work in teams with that sort of mindset. Part of the fun of psych is the relative flexibility and autonomy in how you work. To me, it's actually a much more respectful way to work with colleagues.

 

[JPYPSU07]

Originally Posted by coachvu

What other times? In your third year, you are nearly always on the wards. We have been instructed that the white coat is part of our uniform in the hospital. Whenever you start out with some sort of clinical experience, unless you are an attending, you should wear the white coat. If they want you to wear something else, they will tell you.

I know at one of the school's I was at the third years I saw wore scrubs with their white coat, while at others they had the pants shirt tie uniform. To tell you the truth I spent a fair amount of time shadowing in the operating room and look forward to being able to get out of bed, throw on scrubs, my coat, get a cup of coffee and show up to my cases.

 

[coachvu]

Originally Posted by JPYPSU07

I know at one of the school's I was at the third years I saw wore scrubs with their white coat, while at others they had the pants shirt tie uniform. To tell you the truth I spent a fair amount of time shadowing in the operating room and look forward to being able to get out of bed, throw on scrubs, my coat, get a cup of coffee and show up to my cases.

Yeah, it depends on your rotation. The chief of surgery at my hospital hates it when people wear scrubs outside of the hospital. He thinks it gives the impression that you just walked out of the operating room and are still dirty. That being said, it can be a hassle to change every time you walk outside. I'm hoping I never give in and start wearing those hideous clogs that are so popular in the hospital.

 

[JPYPSU07]

Originally Posted by coachvu

Yeah, it depends on your rotation. The chief of surgery at my hospital hates it when people wear scrubs outside of the hospital. He thinks it gives the impression that you just walked out of the operating room and are still dirty. That being said, it can be a hassle to change every time you walk outside. I'm hoping I never give in and start wearing those hideous clogs that are so popular in the hospital.

While entering to win a stethoscope on allheart.com I noticed that they make birkenstock medical clogs which are a very nice alternative to the typical "croc" style clogs (but quite a bit more expensive) that everyone and their brother wears now.

 

[whodini]

Originally Posted by JPYPSU07

While entering to win a stethoscope on allheart.com I noticed that they make birkenstock medical clogs which are a very nice alternative to the typical "croc" style clogs (but quite a bit more expensive) that everyone and their brother wears now.
I'm glad I happened upon this thread as I normally stay away from this side of the forum as much as I do CE but maybe I'll check in now every once and again. I'm pretty in favor in not trying to make it a point to outdress your colleagues or superiors. When it comes to DTD wear, none of the doctors I'm friends with or have rotated with have had a taste for fashion outside the common stock of an upscale department store; dinners and other social events were more reserved for the Neiman Marcus, et. al variety. I'd like to think it's because the "look" of professionalism from a patient's POV doesn't extend much further than a shirt, tie, slacks, and dress shoes. Hell, who even knows you'll even want to dress up based on your specialty. Right now I'm heavily leaning towards anesthesiology, particularly critical care, and can't imagine how often I'd ever have to dress up for that. BTW, I quoted your message because I've been pretty anti-croc myself. The problem is that I talked to a number of "manly" doctors who received them as gifts from their wives and would never want to go back. I know when I'm doing peds rounds I'd like something that's easy to wipe vomit off.

 

[Doc Martin]

Originally Posted by coachvu

Yeah, it depends on your rotation. The chief of surgery at my hospital hates it when people wear scrubs outside of the hospital. He thinks it gives the impression that you just walked out of the operating room and are still dirty. That being said, it can be a hassle to change every time you walk outside. I'm hoping I never give in and start wearing those hideous clogs that are so popular in the hospital.

Scrubs worn outside the hospital ARE dirty and inappropriate. You risk the safety of patients and the general public by wearing them from home to work or from work to outside the hospital.

I admit to wearing the hideous clogs, they are the most comfortable shoes when standing for 8+ hours straight of surgery. Mine are Dansko Parkers, which have some stitching around the toes and actually make them look a little more manly... if you can call a clog manly.

 

[Mr Sola]

So, I'm sorry I'm jumping on this late, but I thought I'd give my advice. Just for back ground, I'm currently an MS-3 on my surgery rotation @ Walter Reed Army Hospital.

1. Medicine is, as has been alluded to, a very teritorial profession. Attendings, residents, and interns expect to see students dress and act a certain way. Any deviation from this will anger them, and you don't want to have to work up hill to earn their respect. Yourgoal should be to look professional and presentable but to not stand out. I would use this opportunity to invest in the wardrobe staples. As has bee said before, you'll be short on cash, so stick to items that will last you at least 5 years.

2. I wear my white coat at all times in the hospital (unless I'm in the OR). That being said, do you really want to buy a coat you'll be wearing from your car to the locker room? I'd say invest in better quality staples, and skip the sports coats (or at least kepp it to 1-2 like a blue blazer and a tweed for winter/fall).

3. There are times when function should outweight fashion. I used to wear running shoes with my scrubs. That was until I scrubbed in on my first c-section. I ended up wearing wet (amniotic fluid) shoes for the next 24 hours (I was on call that night). Since then I bought a pair of crocs. They look horrible, but they're EXTREMELY comfortable and if they get nasty, I can just rinse them off and dry them with a paper towel. I'm sure some on this forum will cringe at the thought of crocs, but then again most of them haven't had to go through what I have gone through. I wouldn't be caught dead wearing them outside the hospital though.

I'm not sure this helps, but it's my advice.

 

[JPYPSU07]

Great advice. I already own the typical blue blazer and a very fine wale courderoy that gets me through most blazer/sport jacket situations. I never really thought about the use of crocs till you said that about the c-section. I'd imagine getting something nastier like meiconium on your sneakers wouldn't be fun either. I was always advised to wear 2 pairs of shoe covers when in surgery just incase something were to go unplanned. I just want to get through and not ruffle any feathers. Good luck to you in school!

Originally Posted by Mr Sola

So, I'm sorry I'm jumping on this late, but I thought I'd give my advice. Just for back ground, I'm currently an MS-3 on my surgery rotation @ Walter Reed Army Hospital.

1. Medicine is, as has been alluded to, a very teritorial profession. Attendings, residents, and interns expect to see students dress and act a certain way. Any deviation from this will anger them, and you don't want to have to work up hill to earn their respect. Yourgoal should be to look professional and presentable but to not stand out. I would use this opportunity to invest in the wardrobe staples. As has bee said before, you'll be short on cash, so stick to items that will last you at least 5 years.

2. I wear my white coat at all times in the hospital (unless I'm in the OR). That being said, do you really want to buy a coat you'll be wearing from your car to the locker room? I'd say invest in better quality staples, and skip the sports coats (or at least kepp it to 1-2 like a blue blazer and a tweed for winter/fall).

3. There are times when function should outweight fashion. I used to wear running shoes with my scrubs. That was until I scrubbed in on my first c-section. I ended up wearing wet (amniotic fluid) shoes for the next 24 hours (I was on call that night). Since then I bought a pair of crocs. They look horrible, but they're EXTREMELY comfortable and if they get nasty, I can just rinse them off and dry them with a paper towel. I'm sure some on this forum will cringe at the thought of crocs, but then again most of them haven't had to go through what I have gone through. I wouldn't be caught dead wearing them outside the hospital though.

I'm not sure this helps, but it's my advice.

 

[HappymaN]

I'm a 5th year student here in Australia. My daily uniform consists of a pair of wool flat-front trousers, a dress-shirt, with or without a tie depending on what the doctors on my unit wear. Some units, such as the Professorial Surgical Team, expect you to wear a tie. I'm currently doing my paediatrics rotation with the Cardiology Team, and not a single doctor, including the consultants, wear ties. So no tie for me at the moment.