Surgeon attire

[Madz25]

Does this whole clinic days thing apply for residency or clerkship?

 

it works for whenever you're on a surgery rotation...clerkship or residency...or when you're an actual surgeon

[Guest copacetic]

I always get a kick out of people who equate how you're dressed (i.e. vainglorious pandering of ego) with your "professionalism". Maybe, instead - and here's a pretty radical thought - we could invest our efforts into doing actual teaching for residents/students on the wards, and providing all around better care for our patients.

 

But No! It's not the fact that Mrs. J almost died last night because the sleep-deprived resident forgot how much albumin was too much, it's the fact that that useless nit, that snot-encrusted sonofa*****, forgot to wear a tie to rounds this morning. Now we're going to grill him hard!

 

Keep toe'in the line.

 

(Oh, and here is where the follow up arguments that run along this particular line go - Well, how would you like it if your doctor wore x,y or z? Where the unknowns usually denote colloquial manner of dress, or goodness no, perhaps a tattoo. Who cares! You want to lather your vanity and make sure that all the threads are in the right places and all shoes are shined? Join the Army.)

 

 

physicians dont dress professionally for the sake of themselves. Many patients, especially the older ones have come to expect that their physicians dress and act a certain way, and feel less comfortable otherwise.

[tuss]

When a patient shows up to see a surgeon with a surgical problem, they are terrified. They are meeting someone for the first time and are about to let that person cut into their body and mess around with their insides. This is terrifying for most people and they at least want to think that the person they are going to let do this is a competent professional. At least try to look the part.

[coastalslacker]

I always get a kick out of people who equate how you're dressed (i.e. vainglorious pandering of ego) with your "professionalism". Maybe, instead - and here's a pretty radical thought - we could invest our efforts into doing actual teaching for residents/students on the wards, and providing all around better care for our patients.

 

But No! It's not the fact that Mrs. J almost died last night because the sleep-deprived resident forgot how much albumin was too much, it's the fact that that useless nit, that snot-encrusted sonofa*****, forgot to wear a tie to rounds this morning. Now we're going to grill him hard!

 

Keep toe'in the line.

 

(Oh, and here is where the follow up arguments that run along this particular line go - Well, how would you like it if your doctor wore x,y or z? Where the unknowns usually denote colloquial manner of dress, or goodness no, perhaps a tattoo. Who cares! You want to lather your vanity and make sure that all the threads are in the right places and all shoes are shined? Join the Army.)

 

I used to agree with this. I never wore a white-coat in clerkship, and wore scrubs whenever I could both then and in the first couple years of residency. I used to make fun of people's white coats... I've come to believe that a significant percentage of one's patients have expectations as to how a doctor should behave. If you appear and act more "doctor-ly" I truly believe it helps set (some) people at ease, gives them greater confidence that they're being well taken care of, and also increases their compliance. The above-quoted post says "Who cares! you want to lather your vanity etc etc" - I would say your patients do (admittedly not all of them, and certainly not as many as say 20 years ago). I'd also say that the greater vanity is consciously trying to "be yourself" rather than just taking the small amount of time it takes to look like a professional. Anyways, just a counterpoint. I'm still pretty laid back, but very careful about being TOO laid back unless I'm damn sure I'm dealing with someone I can joke around with.

[Ian Wong]

Similarly, I agree with tuss. I toed the line in med school with everyone else, and dutifully wore the white jacket with shirt and pants throughout clerkship.

 

I wore scrubs throughout residency, which is easy to do in some radiology departments.

 

However, since becoming staff, it's been back to the shirt and pants, with tie. Even in my role, I still see patients on a daily basis given that I might be doing a procedure on them, or simply looking over the shoulder of an ultrasound tech. While wearing scrubs is infinitely more comfortable, I think the additional burden of dressing up is pretty minimal, and the increase in professionalism is substantial.

 

People are putting their trust in you, and it helps them to see you as a professional. Even if you are already acting the part, dressing like it definitely helps.

 

Ian

[A-Stark]

I don't see wearing scrubs as unprofessional at all, and I doubt that patients do either in general. It probably creates an expectation for your role might be in their care, though. Personally I like the white coat for the pockets as I had carrying around papers and bags everywhere. But I never wore it once while on general surgery, and only ever wore professional clothes on the two half-days I was in clinic.

[tuss]

I don't see wearing scrubs as unprofessional at all, and I doubt that patients do either in general

 

In many hospitals you are not allowed to wear scrubs outside the OR (if you leave the OR area between cases you have to change out of scrubs and back into street clothes and then put fresh scrubs on when you return).

 

Scrubs look sloppy. For seeing a patient in the ER or seeing a quick followup or if you are doing minor procedures then it's fine, but otherwise isn't that professional. My office is outside the hospital anyway, so there is no reason why any resident or clerk would ever show in scrubs, but if they did then they would be told to go back and change into something more appropriate.

[A-Stark]

I wouldn't wear scrubs to clinic.

[degoo_]

I don't - I feel you have to earn the right to wear that coat first. Actually I have found some students mistaken for doctors and it is confusing for patients - but again that is one of those personal choice things.

 

really? Its worth it for the pocket space alone dude.