Enclothed Cognition

In an occupation surrounded by demanding patients and difficult situations, medical professionals can use these alternative terms and phrases to add a little humor to their communications with colleagues. The best cure for a long week is a good laugh, so we’ve compiled a list of silly, punny, and amusing medical slang for healthcare workers to use when you need to lighten the mood!

Watching television as a medical professional can be awfully frustrating. Some common medical goof-ups on the silver screen include poor oxygen supply to patients who have been operated upon, depictions of hospitals having more physicians than nurses, doctors operating outside of their specialty, and absolutely awful sterilizing procedures. 

New medical students all over the country recently slipped on their white lab coats for the first time and got to feel the prestige and honor that this symbol holds. The white lab coat worn by doctors transcends the limits of merely functional workwear, giving the wearer a feeling of confidence and pride in their accomplishments and the knowledge that they are looked up to as among the most trustworthy members of society.

Experts such as Tom Frieden, Director of the CDC, worry that the overuse of antibiotics could lead to the next global pandemic by creating microbial illnesses that cannot be controlled by modern medicine. Here's what you need to know about antibiotic resistance.

The medical apparel industry has witnessed a revolutionary transition from shapeless, unflattering, uncomfortable uniforms to garments that are functional, comfortable, and flattering enough to wear outside of the workplace.

Mary Mallon, commonly known as “Typhoid Mary” was an Irish immigrant who moved to the United States in 1833. Mary was a typical immigrant worker making her way in a new country, and her memory would have faded quickly had she not become the infamous icon of infectious disease that she is now known for. 

October 1st of last year marked the official date of mandatory ICD-10 implementation, which is a tough transition for everyone in healthcare. Where ICD-9 had a mere 13,000 codes, ICD-10 has upped the ante with a whopping 68,000 codes. The new codes are extremely comprehensive and incredibly specific--sometimes laughably so.

In honor of PA Week, which starts today October 6th and ends October 10th, Medelita's own H.I.P. (Honoring Inspiring Professionals) Ambassador Justine Roberts, PA-C opens up about her experiences as a PA, what drove her towards this career, and discusses what makes her challenging role so rewarding at the end of the day.

The PA role has been shaped by years of experience and has its roots as far back as the 1600’s, when Peter the Great introduced “feldshers” into his armies as military medical assistants. Throughout modern history one can find references to non-physicians providing healthcare, especially during wartime. 

Between 1932 to 1972 the U.S. Public Health Services violated the basic rights of its human patients in a study that went on for forty years. The Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment was “the longest nontherapeutic experiment on humans in medical history” (James Jones), during which 600 black men became the unknowing victims of one of the most infamous breaches of medical ethics.