Emergency Cardiology: an Evidence-based Guide to Acute Cardiac Problems

The white coat, the definitive symbol of the doctor, has been under assault in recent years. For physicians, white became the new black towards the end of the 19 century, reflecting a new emphasis on cleanliness and antisepsis. Nursing uniforms followed suit as did those of religious orders tending to the sick. Twenty years ago, a medical student or junior doctor would have been chided on the ward for forgetting their white coat. In the new millennium they are likely to be harassed for wearing one