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Whats Behind a Doctors Coat?

It doesn’t matter if you are part of the medical community or not, every person who sees a person, man or woman in a white coat automatically assumes that the individual is a doctor.  Those white coats have long been as much a part of the medical tools of a doctor as the stethoscope and thermometer.  Or have they?  The history of the doctor coat doesn’t actually begin with doctors.  The tradition actually started with scientists.  It’s worth a couple of minutes to explore the exact origins of wearing white doctor coats.

 

You might be asking yourself why scientists were actually the ones to start using this familiar symbol of the medical doctor.  Due to the nature of their work, scientists of a hundred or two hundred years ago used lab coats to protect their skin and clothing from the harsh elements they worked with in their studies.  Along the mid 1800’s, scientists had surpassed doctors in terms of respectability and trust because it was during this time that many of the medicines used by doctors had been proven to be useless by the scientists.  As you can imagine, this turn of events changed the way many people viewed the medical profession and doctors.  Instead of looking to doctors to solve their health problems, the general public paid more attention to the scientific community.

 

Naturally, there was no way doctors could allow that to happen.  As an attempt to gain back the prestige and trust they had once enjoyed, doctors adopted the habit of wearing lab coats as well.  When patients came to see them, the doctors looked so much like scientists; people couldn’t help but feel a little more secure.  From that point on in history, the lab coat became the doctor coat.  It wasn’t long before doctor coats were used to indicate the seniority and prestige of the doctor in question.  The longer the doctor coat was, the more important the doctor.  Of course, today, the coat is the most convenient length for the doctor to wear given his or her responsibilities.

 

Now that we have how doctors came to wear lab coats out of the way, the more modern approach is worth taking a look at as well.  Doctor coats are typically made out of a polyester cotton blend.  The reason for this material is that it is easy to keep clean and very stain resistant.  Doctor coats can be found in other materials, but by far and large, this is the most popular option to choose.  It is certainly easy to find plenty of choices in the cotton polyester blend options.

 

While once the symbol of prestige and importance, the length of the doctor coat now depends on the doctor’s personal preference and the policies of the institution he or she works in.  Doctors’ coats can be ordered in lengths from the waist all the way down to the knees if desired.  Most doctors wear white doctor coats, but in some cases, colors or patterns can be worn if appropriate.

 

MSEC remains dedicated to stocking the very best and the very latest in medical supplies and equipment.  We never cease to be on the lookout for the latest innovation that will benefit both our many clients and the patients they dedicate their lives to caring for.  If you have any difficulty finding your choices in our vast inventory, call our customer service at 1-877-706-4480 to speed up your order or to make a special request.  We are always happy to help you.

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