If you're a 3rd or 4th year student, you might feel somewhat left in the dark about where you can get your scrubs and white coats for clinic. If you've gained the '1st Year 40' like many of us did, there is a good chance that your white coat doesn't button any more (it's okay, mine didn't either). Likewise, at the beginning of 3rd year no one is standing around with a sign telling you what color of green will keep you from getting sent home from clinic.
Hopefully I can help. Here is what you need to know about your clinic attire and where you can get it on the cheap:
White Coats
The white coat you got when you started at KSUCPM is a Landau Consultation Coat (product code: 3224). It is 30" in length and has a 3-button front. They are sized in suit jacket sizes so you will either need to measure yourself or go and try on a blazer at a local department store in order to figure out your size (Warning: Landau jackets tend to fit a tiny bit small so if you're between sized or have love-handles like me, you're better off going up a size). Remember that the idea of the coat is to protect you clothes from blood, flying nails and all other types of nasty so getting it a bit bigger can be helpful.
Here's the problem - Landau coats are nice but being nice comes at a price. So, to help save you some moola, here are some places you can buy them and some other options that aren't by Landau but work just as well and will save you a few bucks:
White Swan Men's Meta Consultation Coat ($14-17 from Amazon) - the material is a bit thinner than the Landau but I actually prefer it because the material isn't as hot and I don't sweat as much when I'm getting pimped. I own 2 of these.
White Swan Ladies Meta Consultation Coat ($14-17 from Amazon) - the ladies version.
Dickies Everyday Men's Lab Coat ($23 from Amazon) - A word of warning: this coat is an inch or so longer than the ones we wear so although I doubt it would matter at all, don't blame me if someone sends you home.
3rd year scrubs
If you look in the KSUCPM student handbook you'll see that 3rd years are required to wear "green" scrubs to clinic. Sounds easy, right!? Not so. Unfortunately there is only one color of green that we are allowed to wear and it's called 'surgical green'. More specifically, the exact color of surgical green that we are allowed to wear is only made by one company that I'm aware of: Cherokee. What makes it tough is that there aren't too many places that carry this color of scrub. From what I've found, here are you options:
Online:
Amazon.com
Allheart.com
ScrubsandBeyond.com
Locally:
Affordable Uniforms - if you're buying locally, this is probably the best place to find them. They are a fair price and have a decent selection of this color. The have several locations in Cleveland.
Matthews Medical Bookstore - 9451 Euclid Ave, Cleveland, OH 44106
Life Uniform - multiple locations in the Cleveland area but selection is limited for the color we need so call ahead.
4th year scrubs
Although half of your 4th year will be spent on externships at residency programs of your picking, while you are at the school's core rotations, you are expected to wear the 4th year scrubs which are described as "blue" in the student handbook. This specific blue is once again a color produced by Cherokee that they call 'Navy'. Although this is a slightly more common color among scrub companies, you are probably better off just getting Cherokee brand scrubs so that you cover your tail. You can get them at the same places as the 3rd year scrubs but here are the links to this specific color online:
Amazon.com
Allheart.com
ScrubsandBeyond.com
4th year clinical attire for externships
Most (but not all) programs where you will choose to do your elective externships will require that you wear business attire and a white coat. It is important that you check the requirements of each program you are visiting to see whether scrubs or fancy duds are required. Showing up in the wrong outfit will certainly not be a good start to securing a residency.
~ Doc
