Medical student asks what to wear with my white coat?

[bowmanjp]

I recently started medical school and now wear business clothes with a short white coat several days a week. One thing I did not think of now that it is starting to get chilly is what to wear with it to keep warm? I have a trench coat for bad weather and I think that would be ok, but I would think an overcoat would look weird with it. I don't know of too much else I could wear under it? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

 

[akatsuki]

Just take off your coat and wear a normal jacket...

I think I lived in scrubs for those years mostly anyway.

 

[Holdfast]

I recently started medical school and now wear business clothes with a short white coat several days a week. One thing I did not think of now that it is starting to get chilly is what to wear with it to keep warm? I have a trench coat for bad weather and I think that would be ok, but I would think an overcoat would look weird with it. I don't know of too much else I could wear under it? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Am I missing something? You mean outside the wards, right? Take off the white coat, and wear whatever you like on top instead.

(Personally, I could never stand wearing a white coat; I think I wore them for my first 6 months or so and then never again, outside of one or two attachments where someone insisted. They never fit right, are inordinately hot and look a bit daft IMO too. Especially these days where you don't even need to carry lots of books/etc as you can get an electronic version of almost anything you need (so don't need the big pockets). But that's besides the point of what you're asking.)

 

[GBR]

Surely you would NEVER wear your white coat outside the wards? It is intended to cover your clothes to prevent blood etc contaminating them and also the reverse. What have you learned about hygiene?

The question surely does not then arise.

 

[Holdfast]

They're pretty much filth magnets anyway; and no-one ever washed them as frequently as they ought to. Another reason I didn't see much point in wearing them.

These days, many acute wards are - theoretically - bare below the elbow anyway, with white coats being a thing of the past as a result. Scrubs are far more common than they used to be in the UK, as a result. Even so, clinicians in other specialities frequently retain normal business dress, removing jackets and rolling up shirt sleeves as needed. Thankfully, my own speciality is far enough away from all the messy blood & gore to not need more than basic hygiene practices (handwashing, etc.)

 

[akatsuki]



Am I missing something? You mean outside the wards, right? Take off the white coat, and wear whatever you like on top instead.

(Personally, I could never stand wearing a white coat; I think I wore them for my first 6 months or so and then never again, outside of one or two attachments where someone insisted. They never fit right, are inordinately hot and look a bit daft IMO too. Especially these days where you don't even need to carry lots of books/etc as you can get an electronic version of almost anything you need (so don't need the big pockets). But that's besides the point of what you're asking.)

You didn't have yours tailored with a nice spalla camicia?