Doctors and PAs wearing full scrubs vs. office-type clothes under a lab coat

I've experienced this a couple of times and I always wondered what the difference denoted. The attractive, older Filipina P.A. who gave me the most complete and thorough physical of my life wasn't wearing scrubs. She was a wearing a silky pink blouse, brown pencil skirt, and brown leather flat shoes under her lab coat. Also Dolce And Gabana designer eyeglasses. The ER doctor who attended me when I had such a severe case of acid reflux that I was vomiting wasn't wearing scrubs either. She was wearing a blue and white flower print dress under a lab coat. And shiny black leather flat shoes.

Both ladies certainly looked nice, but that seems awfully fancy for a medical environment. I kept thinking to myself "if they accidentally get someone's blood, urine, feces, vomit, saliva, etc. all over their nice outfits, that's REALLY gonna suck".

When a med pro dresses up under a lab coat vs. wearing scrubs all day, what difference does that denote? Does anyone know?

Different hospitals and clinics just have different policies, and different doctors have different preferences. It's usually due to the administrators, though.

My PCP, male doctor in his 60's, wears a shirt and tie. My dentist, a male about 70, wears scrubs. My optometrist, late 60's male, wears business casual. And my dermatologist, female doctor early 40's, wears scrubs. Thank God for her, all of my other doctors old men!

Today it is more of a comfort level. Just like casual wear has become more acceptable in the business community. White coats were once the “uniform”, even denoting Doctors vs nurses or techs. Most of our docs dress casually, our urologist likes scrubs and our oncologist dresses casually under a white coat. There’s been some concern that white coats aren’t laundered enough (like everyday clothes) and often carry germs and other critters!

Female nurses and female doctors look hot in scrubs!!

Most of my doctors wear white lab coats over “business casual” clothes. The exception is my urologist who I see for various outpatient procedures and who is usually wearing scrubs.

All the doctors I have seen just wear nice clothes.

My father pointed out that doctor's neck ties were germ carriers since they get worn for extended periods without cleaning. He took it so far as having shirts screen printed with ties on them.

Most of the doctors I have seen wear lab coats and regular clothes except my pcp. Sometimes when I see her in her hospital office building location she usually is in scrubs don’t really understand why and I never asked but it does make a bit of a difference especially when she grabs the gloves and lube and flashes that smile 😂

It really varies in my experience. I've seen the same provider multiple times over a couple of weeks and they have with scrubs and they have worn the white coat over business casual clothes. My dermatologist even came in on one visit wearing her white coat over scrubs (although I think that was due to the office's AC being set slightly above "Arctic")

The CMA that works with my dermatologist almost always wears scrubs that offer a recurrent view of her cleavage and bra whenever she would lean over toward me, usually to take a picture of a mole or numb an area before a scrape/biopsy. Interestingly, sometimes it was a "sensible" or "utilitarian" garment and sometimes it was quite lacy and revealing.

When I began my practice of internal medicine in the late 70s nearly every physician wore a shirt and tie with a white lab coat. The only ones wearing scrubs were those in the OR or cath lab. My practice was about 75% outpatient and 25% hospital. The only time I wore scrubs was if, for some reason, I spent most of the night seeing patients in the hospital, usually admitting from the ED or a sick patient in ICU. But by the time I left practice 10 years ago everyone was wearing scrubs. I understand the comfort of them and all you had to do for a change in clothes was pop into the surgery dressing room. But wearing scrubs out of doors totally destroyed the concept of having on clothing that was cleaner than everyday outside garb. Nowadays scrubs seem to me to just be a badge saying "hey! I'm a healthcare provider!"

My doctor is usually wearing scrubs which I find interesting for a PCP.

I have a male PCP and he just wears normal everyday clothes without a lab coat. I have never seen him wear scrubs either.

When a med pro dresses up under a lab coat vs. wearing scrubs all day, what difference does that denote? Does anyone know?

Potentially that they're lucky enough not to have been covered in blood/vomit/stool or other bodily fluids yet that day.

There is no doubt that scrubs are neat, tidy and comfortable. However, I am concerned about the large number of medical people wearing scrubs to work on public transport. Surely this is an open invitation to contagion?

One of my doctors wears scrubs it makes him look really good. I personally like when my playdoc wears scrubs as it makes it more clinical feeling. I think it is easier to submit to doctor wearing scrubs.

It was one of those times when my asthma was being more aggressive because I pushed myself too hard while exercising.

It was later in the afternoon when my doctor entered the exam room. She was not sporting her usual lab coat and scrubs. She was wearing a gray pencil skirt and matching nylons accompanied by a blue v neck sweater that accentuated a beautiful well toned body. She looked like one classy knockout with a nightclub walk that would make a grown man feel like a smitten schoolboy. She was flattered by my compliment about how nice I thought she looked. She stated I was her last patient of the day and that she was having a date night with her husband where she likes to let her hair down and be a girly girl once and a while.

I prefer the formal wear with a white coat over scrubs. It reinforces the power dynamic.