And that's it. A minority of residents voted in favor of wearing short coats until their residency is completed. After receiving Dr. Ard's formal request and the results of his poll, the Graduate Medical Education committee met last fall and repealed the short-coat requirement. In announcing the change in policy, however, the committee warned residents not to let patients think they are veteran physicians. The hospital, which typically supplies the coats, already had bought short ones for residents this year.
Some residents say a foot or so of fabric can make an amazing difference.
Dr. McClure, the third-year resident, says a neurosurgeon whom she declines to name never acknowledged her when she wore a short coat. But the first day she wore a long one, the neurosurgeon said hello. He knew what I meant. But traditionalists say that behind the whole brouhaha is resident insecurity. The battle isn't necessarily over.