As I mentioned recently, I have a tendency to yell at the television. This tendency is particularly pronounced during medical dramas, what with their rather casual connection to the world of facts. I generally avoid watching them because of this.
Thus, I have never seen a full episode of “Grey’s Anatomy.” I’ve caught a few scenes here and there, enough to be glad that Sandra Oh is getting work and to find Ellen Pompeo’s character annoying. I know nothing of the plot. For all I know, it may be the purest distillation of what you’d get if you tossed Michael DeBakey and Dick Wolf into a blender and hit “frappe.”
I came home late from a meeting the other night to find the Better Half sitting on the couch in the family room, doing work with the TV on in the background. I like to give him a hard time about his taste in television, because it is awful. (He admits this freely.) But I’m giving him a pass this time, since he wasn’t really watching. As it happens, the closing scenes of last weeks “Grey’s Anatomy” were playing. Those of you who watch the show but haven’t seen last week’s installment, it gets spoiler-ish around now.
For some reason, just about all the major cast members were on a plane. Where they were going or why, I have no clue. No, what caught my eye is what all of the characters (who are surgeons) were wearing. They were all wearing scrubs. On a plane. (At the end of the episode, Events Transpire in the kind of eye-rolling cataclysm that signals when writers of a long-running show are fresh out of ideas.) As you might have predicted, upon seeing a troupe of surgeons wearing scrubs on a plane I commenced yelling at my TV.
You see, the reason surgeons wear scrubs is to avoid bringing germs from outside the hospital into the sterile environment of the operating room on their clothing. Every hospital where I’ve ever worked makes an ample supply available for their surgical staff to change into when they arrive and out of upon departure, to be laundered in the facility. Now, healthcare workers will often wear scrubs in and out of the hospital because they’re comfortable and easy to clean if they get soiled with… let’s just say “healthcare-related material.” I did this all the time during residency, and it’s a widespread habit. However, it technically defeats the purpose of wearing scrubs if you go outside the hospital wearing them. And it totally defeats the purpose for surgeons to do so.
There are precisely two reasons a surgeon might wear scrubs onto a plane in real life:
1) He or she plans to perform surgery on said plane. As I’ve already admitted, I only caught a few scenes at the end of the episode. Perhaps there was a surgical suite somewhere on that plane, and I missed that part. Completely plausible. If this was indeed the case, then I apologize to the good people at “Grey’s Anatomy” for slandering them.
2) He or she is an utter douchebag. No matter how comfy scrubs are, that is no excuse to wear them on a plane. Doing so is the kind of “lookit me! I’m a doctor!” behavior that medical students should grow out of, or at worst should have beaten out of them during residency. (Lord knows, by the time I was done with being forced to wear them for a jillion shifts in the NICU the bloom had thudded off that rose.) People for whom the attention of others is so deeply important as to prompt such behavior are to be pitied. This is especially true if they are wearing scrubs at the gym.
Now, I don’t know the arcs of all the different characters on “Grey’s Anatomy.” I’m sure there’s a douchebag or two in there. But all of them? Surely not. Surely that cannot be where the writers were going with that scene. It must be that they just wanted to communicate “surgeons on a plane” to their audience. So here is my free advice to the writers at “Grey’s Anatomy” (which I am super-sure they will read) — surgeons wear their regular clothes on planes, just like accountants and dance instructors and cashiers at Hardee’s and everyone else.
Unless they are tools.
Comfy is not a reason in and of itself? There isn’t a fierce joy that comes with the knowledge that you never have to think about what you’re going to be wearing ever again?
Bummer.
Supposably, that’s the draw to wearing a suit to work, I’m not sold.
Suits don’t tend to have the “comfy” thing down, though.
Here at work, when some of the developers wanted to make middle management sweat a little, they all decided that Monday would be Dress-Up Day. They’d all wear suits to work on Mondays (as if they had interviews).
That lasted about 3 months.
All of your developers owned suits?
Ties, anyway. They got asked “is there a funeral?” as often as “do you have an interview?”
The old joke is that the modern man only dresses up for weddings, funerals, and job interviews, and owns a single suit that he wears to all three.
I don’t think it works if everybody dresses up at once. I used to be very conspicuous on days that I had a job interview. When asked about it, I would say that I was dressed nicely because I had a doctor’s appointment (“What kind of doctor’s appointment” “With an anesthesiologist” “That makes no sense” “No, it doesn’t”). I had a timid coworker who had a job interview but didn’t want to stand out so he asked if I would dress up on the same day. I did, and it was that time when my boss and the CFO pulled me into an office and asked what kind of pay bump it would take for me to stop the interviews. It was, as far as I recall, the only time I “faked it”.
Numerous retailers sell a wide variety of sweatshirts and bluejeans, which can comprise a handy, no-thought daily attire without the attendant “don’t mind me, just a surgeon casually sittin’ here on the plane” difficulties.
The people who work billing at the dentist office wear scrubs now, though. The people who work the counter at the vet’s office. If I see someone in scrubs at the grocery store, I’m as likely to suspect that they’re clerical as that they are medical.
If I see someone in scrubs at the grocery store, I’m as likely to suspect that they’re clerical as that they are medical.
Given how much this change in connotation must stick in the craw of those who wear scrubs out and about per reason #2 above, I am tepidly supportive.
I suspect it’s more for the uniform/professional look. (Like it or not, scrubs are the medical as suits are to businesss, so seeing the doctor’s staff — from nurses to clerks — in scrubs looks ‘professional’).
Also serves as a fairly handy visual cue as to whether you have a wandering patient in the bigger practices.
lastly, just because you’re a clerk doesn’t mean you’re not around sick people all day. I doubt they want to bring germs home, either.
White lab coats are the “formal” dress that says “I AM A DOCTOR.” Which as noted above, may not necessarily be true. Scrubs are less formal than the lab coat. Scrubs and a lab coat at the same time? Entering at-risk territory for the displays of pretense and ego which stains the public reputation of doctors as badly as do the displays of prevarication and greed which stain the public reputation of attorneys.
What I found in my too frequent bouts of hanging around medical facilities over the past couple years is the Lab Coat (with embroidery) *is* a prerogative that Docs keep for themselves and (in actual hospital settings) they do don them over scrubs.
My wife used to do beside nursing and had the exact same issue. She worked in the burn unit, where a sterile environment was absolutely essential, and she was not one to fish around. She could usually identify those folks outside the hospital who were medical as opposed to clerical by other paraphanalia, such as the color/text on their ID cards and other stuff. She wanted to yell at those people too, because they were either violating important protocol or they were fortunate to work on a unit where remaining sterile was not as important as it was on her unit, which meant it was presumably an easier unit (pretty much ALL units are easier than pediatric burn units), and she was jealous. Ultimately, she just thought it was unprofessional, since keeping things sterile should always be valued in a hospital and because it so often reeked of the “PAY ATTENTION TO ME, I’M IMPORTANT THING!” which she shuns as any good little introvert will.
I keep trying to get her to steal me a pair since rumors of their comfort abound, but I think the hospital has some weird procedure to prevent this. Plus she works in an office now (informatics) and doesn’t have any reason to be dallying with scrubs).
I think the hospital has some weird procedure to prevent this.
They often do, but they’re easily subverted for those who are truly motivated.
PS> Completely unrelatedly, I’m using your Butt Stuffer story as the into to tomorrow’s Question. (Properly credited, of course.) Is that OK with you?
She is a rule follower if there ever was one (I have to literally push her across the street if we haven’t been explicitly invited to cross), so I will likely remain scrubless.
Please do use the story! I’m curious to hear the question…
Of course, I’m MORE curious to see what Google searches your blog ends up on when you combine things like “gay” “doctor” and “butt stuffer”…
My wife used to do beside nursing
Is that anything like being a bespoke tailor?
You know what happens to people who wear hoodies, don’t you?
They do hundred billion-dollar IPOs.
Beat me to it.
There needs to be a scene in a movie where a character is part of a small group, and Something Terrible happens, and everyone turns to the guy/gal in the scrubs – having assumed all along that they were caught up in the Something Terrible with a medical professional – and the guy/gal in the scrubs says, “I just wear these because they’re comfortable, dammit, I’m not a fishing doctor! YOU save that guy!” or something to that effect.
Only if that scene is immediately followed by all of the other characters beating the tar out of the guy in scrubs while screaming “that’s why they invented sweatpants!”
No, THIS is why they invented sweatpants:
http://www.comedycentral.com/video-clips/rg7n1e/michael—michael-have-issues-break-up-sweatpants
My gratitude to anyone who can imbed this.
Led up to by:
Sexy Young Thing: Ooooh, I think doctors are amazing. Have you ever saved anyone’s life?
Jerkass in Scrubs: Well, you know, it’s not something we’re supposed to talk about. You know, Hippocritic oath.
If this were 1982, Pat’s setup would be the entire pitch for ABC’s next big sitcom. It would be called Bad Medicine. It would have followed the Welcome Back Kotter time slot, and today it you could watch on TV Land at 2am.
(The above comment was meant to include a picture of a young woman pointing her index finger into her opened mouth, as though to induce vomiting.)
“The sea was angry that day, my friends, like an old man trying to return soup at a deli.”
Please, let us save a little opprobrium for Dr. Oz, who wears scrubs and a stethoscope to record a television show.
Actually, I tend to assume something clerical in a medical office as well.
A stethoscope? It cannot be. I would almost be willing to accept that he wears scrubs, in the same way that Liz Taylor wore diamonds or Lady Gaga wears desperation and meat, as a kind of professional token. But a stethoscope? I… no. I’m putting this in my “Snooki is a published ‘author'” file and pretending it never happened.
Maybe not regularly. But check out this picture, and then try to scrub (haha) the seared image from your retinas: http://bit.ly/JzY8VL
What’s worse, I just read the article included in the link and I’m about to have a seizure.
Make sure you don’t bite your tongue!
Well, it’s important to give both sides equal time and credence. Even on empirical matters.
This reminds me, what’s with all those stores that sell scrubs?
I had figured all y’all were required to bring your own or something, but now that you’re mentioning that they’re provided and laundered by the hospital, who’s buying enough of those to support a whole store in the outlet mall?
It depends a lot. At least at all the places where I’ve had to wear them, the hospital has provided them. But for people who work in private offices or clinics, they may have to provide their own.
perhaps the hospitals?
Where I work, there are enough “optionals” that people can get at least a teensy bit creative. At least while the steelers are playing…
Some people like customized scrubs (particularly nurses with florally-designed scrubs, if I’m going to get stereotypical).
Has anyone here seen real people on a real plane wearing scrubs? I don’t remember ever seeing such a thing (not that I disapprove — comfort is an important part of life).
I’d assume that it’s for the benefit of making it easier to get past the TSA. They’re probably wearing Crocs as well.
No, I don’t actually think I’ve ever seen anyone in scrubs on a plane. Because I imagine in real life most surgeons aren’t big enough tools to think it’s a good idea.
Sadly, I have seen many, many people wearing scrubs at the gym.
My wife wore scrub-bottoms on our last plane trip, with a tie-died T-shirt. Her jeans don’t fit anymore and we’re still not sure about how to press forward with the maternity wear thing. Or rather, we’re too cheap to plunge in and are looking for alternative options. When she was a resident, she’d wear full-on scrubs in public occasionally, usually on her way home from work if she stopped by for a coffee or something. But she got tired of being asked if she was a nurse. She got some college boys hitting on her and that was their misbegotten opening line.
(The funny part? It was my opening line, too, when I first met her. Fortunately, we got passed it.)
You didn’t ask, but this is an area in which I happen to have a lot of expertise. Sign up for Old Navy emails, and wait for 30% off sales. They have decent maternity. Or Target. Also check out consignment and ebay. Or hit up your formerly-pregnant similarly-sized friends.
Thanks! I’ll pass this along. We’ve heard that thrift stores are good places for maternity stuff in general, as well as baby stuff in general (though Mom’s thrift store throws out all baby toys and equipment for liability/recall reasons).
Her jeans don’t fit anymore and we’re still not sure about how to press forward with the maternity wear thing.
Special dispensation can be granted for circumstances such as these. And the tie-died T-shirt pretty much negates any *cough*Imadoctor*cough* effect, anyway.
When she was a resident, she’d wear full-on scrubs in public occasionally, usually on her way home from work if she stopped by for a coffee or something.
Again, I’m down with this. I did this all the time, too. That’s a far cry from “this is what I’ve chosen to wear while flying.”
Consignment work well if you’re looking for nicer things than the thrift, but they’ll probably be a lot more expensive, good for baby stuff, too.
Mrs. P depended heavily during her pregnancy on what they usually sell as ‘yoga pants’ as long as the waistband was stretchy enough.
I bought maternity yoga pants and still use them now that I’m not preggo.
My problem with that scene is kind of the opposite.
My thought when seeing it is, “Wait, where are the stethoscopes and those headbands that have the head mirror on them? How can we be sure they’re really doctors without those? If they’re just in scrubs, they might be food service employees, or escapees from a women’s prison, or The Wiggles. It’s just shoddy production values.
If they’re just in scrubs, they might be… The Wiggles.
Actually, you need to be on the lookout for this, even in real hospitals in real life.
If you’re a man wearing scrubs, the assumption is you’re a doctor. If you’re a woman wearing scrubs, they as as likely as not to assume that you’re a nurse.
Before I met my wife, I had a pair of scrubs that I wore as pajamas that I had gotten from a second-hand store. They make *great* sleepwear. Clancy made me throw them out (okay, not really, but she urged it and the story goes better if I say she made me) because she could already imagine that if anyone saw me in them, they’d assume that I was the doctor and she was a nurse.
She does wear scrub bottoms when she doesn’t have any jeans that fit (like, now). I’m not sure how that fits into the Dr. Saunders scheme of things. They serve the purpose for her that pajama pants serve for other people (the people that wear them in public, I mean).
I can’t wear scrub bottoms even as pajama pants anymore because of my cell phone holster, which I wear until I crawl into bed (I typically put my pajama pants on an hour or two before going to bed).
I had to skip over part of this post. I don’t “watch” Grey’s Anatomy, but I do listen to it on my smartphone. It’s one of those shows you don’t have to actually watch to follow what’s going along. A guilty pleasure, I suppose.
I’ve actually been thinking of writing a post n Sandra Oh’s new show, Scandal. The first episode started out with the best 30 minutes I’ve seen in a new show for a while, followed by a painful twelve minutes (starting, of course, right as Clancy entered – leading her to ask, “What are you watching?!”)
I think that’s changing but not so much by the virtue of the scrubs but the scrub patterns:
For me if I see someone wearing single color scrubs (ie all blue or all green) I tend to assume Doctor or the like. If I see floral print scrubs I tend to assume nurse or clerical. Exception being scrubs with Disney or Sesame Street where I just assume “pediatric medical professional”.
I suppose that another generation or two will finally knock out the “Boys are Doctors, Girls are Nurses” assumption. I know that if Xander wants to put up with the insane hours of nursing he’ll have my full support and if Kaylee wants to do the 24 hour rotations to become a doctor I’ll be there with a cup of coffee for her and the “I told you so” raised eyebrow.
My son assumes a doctor will be female unless otherwise specified. When talking about a generic doctor, he says “she.” His pediatric practice is all female.
Mike and Tod, even though I don’t say it, you guys both regularly crack me up.
I didn’t even know that show still came on until reading this. Thought it was cancelled forever ago.
Burt already said that.
Let’s try that again
Hm; no IMG HTML in combox on the subblog.
Okay, here:
https://ordinary-times.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/doc.jpg
Well, I think docs should always dress like your avatar, Doc.
Dang, too slow compared to the estimable Mr. Kelly
Care to comment on whether PhDs should dress up their name with a “Dr.”?
They were the first doctors, not that that affects current usage. Times change, but egos never do.
If someone who holds a Ph.D. degree is working in their academic field, they are entitled to the title. I assume they wish to be addressed as such unless told otherwise. I usually find that they do not wish to have the honorific appended, and then stop using it.
If they attained a Ph.D. but no longer are working in the field, like a medical doctor who no longer practices medicine they are entitled to the title. I assume they do not wish to be addressed as such unless told otherwise.
If you are addressing a formal communication to either type of person (invite to a formal dinner, for example), you should address them as Dr. unless you know already that they prefer a different form of address (just like you should call a judge Hon. Such-And-So, even if the formal communication is not to an event tied to their job function).
If you demand that anybody call you anything, you’re probably… ah, uhm. Perhaps you’re overly concerned with appearances.
Ones who are actively engaged in postsecondary education might also be given the honorific title of “Professor” and this, in my mind, connotes a degree of respect and deference. As with calling an academic “Doctor,” (as opposed to a clinician) the ones most worthy of the respect and deference seem to be the ones who enjoy the honorifics the least.
On a similar level, I’m curious…
Do you sign y0ur name Burt S. Likko, Esq.?
If I ever get my PhD I’m gonna be a stickler for the first year or two with my students because for me there’s isn’t much else to justify getting it. The cost of the education is actually MORE than the pay raise for getting it. In short the only reason to actually do the work is so that you can have mail sent to Dr. and Mrs. or make your students call you Dr.
I think they’ve earned it, so they should be called “Dr.” if they so choose.
As the direct descendant of a former Archbishop of Canterbury, I’m entitled to the courtesy title of “Monsignor”, but I rarely use it.
1) When we meet, I am totally going with “Monsignor.”
2) IIRC, you made a comment about skipping “Dayenu” at the seder you attend. (Am I right with this?) That being the case, I’m delighted to see someone else out there with ties to both the Anglican Church and Judaism.
I’m Jewish. The above was sort of a riff on Rose’s thread about Sedaris — if I say something completely silly without explicitly saying “This was for humorous purposes”, is it a lie?
Well, poop. For one brief, shining moment, I felt less alone in the world.
*dabs eyes*
I blame David Sedaris.
if I say something completely silly without explicitly saying “This was for humorous purposes”, is it a lie?
Have you been to the main page? There’s a lot weirder backstories available in comments than an archbishop in a Jewish woodpile.
1. To the best of my knowledge, “Monsignor” is used only by the Roman Church, not the Anglican.
2. Courtesy titles (that is, unearned titles given to the children or other descendants of people with genuine titles) are used only by secular nobility, not religious hierarchs. (Especially not Roman ones, for obvious reasons.)
So the story doesn’t stand up to a moment’s serious scrutiny.
I am not perhaps 100% serious in my reaction to it.
Everyone knows about h the first chapter of The Princess Bride, right?
No. Unless it’s that Peter Falk talks to the guy from the Wonder Years.
In the first chapter of the book (and if you haven’t read the book, run out and buy a copy. Now. I’ll wait… Everybody back? OK.) William Goldman, the author, tells us about his life. While he’s a successful author and screenwriter, he’s not happy. His wife is a know-it-all child psychologist who’s ruining their son, a fat, lazy slob with no interests or ambitions. He tries to bond with his son by giving him his favorite book in all the world, The Princess Bride, a now-obscure work by the now-obscure writer S. Morgenstern, which Goldman’s father used to read to him when he was sick. The son refuses to read it, and Goldman realizes that the book is unreadable — it’s full of long, dull chapters that satirize customs that died out centuries ago, or criticize courtiers and politicians that no one remembers. Goldman’s father skipped all of that, and read him just the “good parts”, about the main characters and their adventures. So *this* book is a good-parts only abridgment of the original, written as a gift for his son and a memorial to his father.
Interestingly, not a word of this is true,