WHITE COAT MANIA

Right from the times the modern white coat was introduced by Dr. George Armstrong in the early 20^th C it has been the insignia of the status conscious clinician. Wikipedia claims that the white coat emphasized the transition to the more scientific approach to modern medicine contrasting the quack and the mystic from the scientific physicians. The influence of the coat and its impact on our social stature goads thousands to land in their ‘dream profession’ of medicine and allied subjects at any cost. The euphoria of elitism coupled with the conceit of superiority has made this protective barrier a ‘dress for all seasons’ that can be flaunted in civilian domains without any forethought. The lady doctors have literally made this their ‘third skin’ claiming protection from prospective voyeurs.

 The primary and sole purpose of this noble wear (or apron as it’s fondly called in the Indian context) is to function as a shield against contagion, clearly indicating its wear only in a clinical room and not anywhere else (other than a laboratory to save from spills and other contaminants). The proponents also claim that the white coat can effectively differentiate a medic from a civilian in a hospital setting thus aiding the uninitiated to approach one. But this is no justification for the ubiquitous presence of the apron- clad lot milling around in public spaces including cafes, malls (!) and cinemas (!). The glamour associated with it is short changed for the umpteen types of microbes dissipated in these public places putting many people at stake and even favouring the outbreak of an epidemic in dire circumstances! 

It’s routine for authorities of medical academic institutions to decree constant wear of apron even in theory classes and the like which is sometimes supported by the faculty too. This springs from a psyche that still cling-on to the ‘pride and prejudice’ that phantom the profession. The white coat is mandatory in an active clinical and laboratory setting but it should be kept completely out of all non-clinical domains as there are better ways now to contrast the quack from the scientific.