Wednesday, October 25, 2006

White Coats

I had the brilliant idea today to iron the white coats. As a student, we never gave much thought to the condition of our white coats. The dirtier the were, the more "hard-working" you were. Or so we told ourselves. When it needed a wash, I'd use the local dry cleaners... who had time to make it look good? Now that I'm making the big bucks (!!) as a resident, thought I'd try to save some money by doing it myself...

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One hour later, am happy (sad?) to report that after a burn and two close calls, both white coats are ironed. Well, less wrinkly than before. They still have these wrinkles that don't want to come out... not sure why.

At least we now know that it's a good thing I was born in my generation and not the one before, and that I'll have to think twice before opening a dry cleaning business... good things to know. :)

photo credit

3 Comments:

Blogger Keagirl said...

Crisply starched white coats are my favorites. I could never get them completely wrinkle free on my own, so now I get them professionally cleaned and it's so worth it.

11:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

In my training we surgeons were never allowed to wear scrubs out of the OR. Always a white coat, and a tie, and clean-shaven. I saw the looks on the faces of some patients admitted to a medical resident in the CCU, dressed in dirty and wrinkled coat, peace buttons, scruffy beard (San Francisco, in the 70s): they looked scared, and I understood why our boss insisted as he did.

7:15 PM  
Blogger Aisling said...

Hi Keagirl - Definitely need to go the dry cleaners route. Starched extra stiff too :)

Welcome Dr. Schwab! There are still programs that do not allow scrubs outside the OR... :) Agree that looking the part is important. Shows respect for patients.

9:09 PM  

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