Deconstructing the White Coat
Authors: William T. Branch Jr.
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (1998)

Editorials1 November 1998Deconstructing the White CoatWilliam T. Branch Jr., MDWilliam T. Branch Jr., MDEmory University School of Medicine; Atlanta, GA 30322Author, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-129-9-199811010-00012 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail White coat ceremonies of one kind or another have long marked the entry of medical students into clinical work. As donned by physicians in the late 19th century, the white coat signified the scientific method and the adoption of aseptic techniques. The white coat ceremonies now in vogue emphasize the humanistic values also symbolized by the coat. Adoption of these ceremonies for entering students by 93 medical schools in the United States in 1998 suggests that both students and faculty find the ceremonies uplifting and meaningful. After all, science, medicine, and humanism are intertwined in western history and culture. Yet ...References1. Wear D. On white coats and professional development: the formal and the hidden curricula. Ann Intern Med. 1998; 129:734-7. Google Scholar2. Branch W, Pels RJ, Lawrence RS, Arky R. Becoming a doctor. Critical-incident reports from third-year medical students. N Engl J Med. 1993; 329:1130-2. Google Scholar3. Christakis DA, Feudtner C. Ethics in a short white coat: the ethical dilemmas that medical students confront. Acad Med. 1993; 68:249-54. Google Scholar4. Sheehan KH, Sheehan DV, White K, Leibowitz A, Baldwin DC Jr. A pilot study of medical student "abuse." Student perceptions of mistreatment and misconduct in medical school. JAMA. 1990; 263:533-7. Google Scholar5. Hundert EM, Hafferty F, Christakis D. Characteristics of the informal curriculum and trainees' ethical choices. Acad Med. 1996; 71:624-42. Google Scholar6. Konner M. Becoming a Doctor: A Journey of Initiation in Medical School. New York: Viking; 1987. Google Scholar7. Branch WT, Pels RJ, Harper G, Calkins D, Forrow L, Mandell F, et al. A new educational approach for supporting the professional development of third-year medical students. J Gen Intern Med. 1995; 10:691-4. Google Scholar8. Branch WT Jr. Professional and moral development in medical students: the ethics of caring for patients. Trans Am Clin Climatol Assoc. 1998; 109:218-30. Google Scholar9. Novack DH, Suchman AL, Clark W, Epstein RM, Najberg E, Kaplan C. Calibrating the physician. Personal awareness and effective patient care. Working Group on Promoting Physician Personal Awareness, American Academy on Physician and Patient. JAMA. 1997; 278:502-9. Google Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: Emory University School of Medicine; Atlanta, GA 30322Corresponding Author: William T. Branch Jr., MD, The Emory Clinic, 1525 Clifton Road NE, 4th Floor, Atlanta, GA 30322. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoThe Magic White Coat Richard G. Druss On White Coats and Professional Development: The Formal and the Hidden Curricula Delese Wear Metrics Cited byEmpathic nonverbal behavior increases ratings of both warmth and competence in a medical contextWhite coat, patient gownDiscourses of student orientation to medical education programsStunting professionalism: The potency and durability of the hidden curriculum within medical educationA Symbol of Our Profession: White Coat Ceremony Address to the Class of 2014Wearing white-right or wrong? A satirical analysis of medical attireTeaching and learning professional behavior in practiceThe white coat: Reflections from a second-year PA studentPoetic License: Writing Poetry as a Way for Medical Students to Examine Their Professional Relational Systems.An Intentional Modeling Process to Teach Professional Behavior: Students' Clinical Observations of PreceptorsReflective Practice and Palliative Care EducationWhat do Australian junior doctors think of white coats?Assessing Professional BehaviorDeclarations made by graduating medical students in Australia and New ZealandThe White Coat Ceremony: Turning Trust Into EntitlementWhich values do attending physicians try to pass on to house officers?White coats and the medical professionShould doctors wear white coats?Challenges in Teaching Ethics in Medical SchoolsStudent professionalism: a CDIM commentary11The opinions expressed in this paper are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Department of Defense, the United States Air Force, or other federal agencies.Contemplating the White CoatDavid G. De Marco, SJ, MDContemplating the White CoatMark M. Paulsen, MD 1 November 1998Volume 129, Issue 9Page: 740-742KeywordsDomestic violenceDrugsFatigueHistory of medicineHospital medicineMedical educationTraditional medicine Issue Published: 1 November 1998 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 1998 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...