White coat
A knee-length coat symbolizing scientific medicine and laboratory safety.
A white coat, also known as a laboratory coat, lab gown, or lab coat, is a knee-length overcoat or smock worn by professionals in the medical field or by those involved in laboratory work. It protects street clothes and serves as a simple uniform, typically made from white or light-colored cotton, linen, or cotton polyester blend, allowing high-temperature washing and easy visibility of cleanliness. The white coat has become a symbol of scientific medicine since the late 1800s, when physicians adopted it to emphasize a transition from quackery to a more scientific approach.
- field
- Medicine, laboratory work, education
- known_for
- Symbol of scientific medicine and cleanliness; worn by physicians, surgeons, laboratory workers, and as a school uniform in some countries
- introduced_to_medicine
- Late 1800s
- common_materials
- Cotton, linen, cotton polyester blend
- typical_length
- Knee-length
Lore & Background
The white coat was introduced to medicine in the late 1800s as a symbol of cleanliness and scientific rigor. Before that, surgeons often wore black coats, which were associated with the mess and bloodiness of surgery before general anaesthesia became widespread in the early 1900s. Anaesthesia allowed faster surgeries, but did not inherently reduce mess, and white coats then symbolized a bloodless field. Medical students examining cadavers wore black lab coats until the mid-1920s to show respect for the dead, but the 'whiteness' and 'pureness' concepts established in medicine led to the adoption of white coats.
Reader's Guide
The white coat remains a potent symbol in medicine and science, though its role is debated. Studies show that while most patients prefer doctors to wear white coats, many doctors find them hot, uncomfortable, and potential vectors for infection. The UK National Health Service banned long-sleeved coats in 2007, though a 2011 study found no statistical difference in contamination between long-sleeved coats and short-sleeved scrubs. The term 'white coat hypertension' describes elevated blood pressure readings in clinical settings, possibly due to patient anxiety. In laboratory work, the coat protects against spills, with variants like the Howie-style coat designed for maximum pathogen containment. The white coat ceremony, originating at the University of Chicago's Pritzker School of Medicine in 1989, marks entry into medical school and other health professions.
Did You Know?
- In Argentina and Uruguay, white coats are worn by students and teachers in state schools as a symbol of learning.
- The term 'white coat' is sometimes used as a metonym to denote a scientist working in a high-tech company.
- A study in the United Kingdom found that the majority of patients prefer doctors to wear white coats, but the majority of doctors prefer other clothing such as scrubs.
- The Howie-style lab coat, named after the recommendations of a 1978 UK report formally titled 'Code of Practice for the Prevention of Infection in Clinical Laboratories', has elasticated wrists and a mandarin collar to m
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