Enclothed Cognition

Happy July 4th! Our American forefathers declared their independence from Great Britain in 1776, and today we declare our unique independence as well. We proudly call it our Uniform Independence. We believe physicians have a right to look and feel amazing. High-powered attorneys and business executives spend thousands of dollars on professional attire to look their best. Why shouldn't you look your best, too? We believe that unisex is an unacceptable word. Wearing anything unisex is the modern-day equivalent to wearing a potato sack - unprofessional, frumpy, and far from flattering. It's why Medelita lab coats and scrubs are gender-specific, designed to fit well and exude professionalism. We believe that your uniform should work FOR you. You have an important job, and the last thing you should be worrying about are stains - coffee, sweat, blood, or otherwise. You shouldn't be thinking about how your scrub top is cut too low or how your lab coat makes you feel like a child in your father's jacket. What do you believe? Share with us - and declare your own Uniform Independence.

One question we get asked quite a lot is what makes Sanita® clogs different from Dansko® clogs. Are there unique benefits to Sanita? Isn't Dansko the same as Sanita? Are Sanita clogs ultimately better than Dansko clogs? Here are the top five reasons to wear Sanita clogs: 1. If your Dansko clogs were made prior to 2008, they were made by Sanita For many years, Sanita® was relatively unknown, and Dansko® was the clog of choice for medical professionals. Part of the reason for Sanita's anonymity was the fact that since the early 1990s until August 2007, Sanita® private-label manufactured all of the Dansko® stapled clogs collection, including Dansko® Professional Clogs. In August of 2007, Dansko® and Sanita® ended their long-term partnership. If you're curious whether or not your existing clogs were made by Dansko® or Sanita®, there is a way to tell. Check the sole of your shoes. If your clogs were manufactured before 2008 by Sanita® you will see patent 0060240. This indicates that your clogs were made by Sanita® according to their patented construction. If you have a pair of really old Dansko® clogs, you may even see Sanita® stamped on the bottom as well as the patent number mentioned above. If the sole of your shoes has no patent number, you have a redesigned Dansko® shoe, which was manufactured after its split from Sanita®. 2. Sanita clogs are handmade In 1907, a visionary and the founder of Sanita®, Christian Meldgaard Andersen, created the first pair of hand carved wooden clogs. And after 100 years, every clog is still handcrafted in Europe - with the same tradition of craftsmanship and caring. Dansko® began their own manufacturing in China, and Sanita® decided to continue their Professional Clog line under their own name, with continuation of production in Europe. 3. Sanita manufactures at consistent standards For the past century, Sanita has upheld a tradition of craftsmanship, quality, and caring by handcrafting every clog in the same dedicated clog factories in Denmark and Poland. Sanita® clogs have also been awarded the “Seal of Acceptance” by the APMA (American Podiatric Medical Association) for their supreme quality and comfort. Since Sanita® stopped manufacturing Dansko® Professional Clogs, Dansko® has experienced some inconsistencies with their clogs – most noticeably, many of our customers have commented that the new heel design and higher arch on Dankso clogs is uncomfortable, causing ankle instability in a fast-paced, on-your-feet-all-day work environment. 4. Sanita clogs are anatomically designed One of the main complaints we hear about Dansko clogs is the narrow width of the heel, which can cause anything from a twisted ankle to an all-out tumble. Sanita clogs feature the original, wider heel, and have been awarded the “Seal of Acceptance” by the APMA (American Podiatric Medical Association) for their supreme quality and comfort. The oiled leather and reinforced stabilizing instep offers additional padding, while the protective heel cap provides support. Anatomically designed, Sanita clogs ensure a perfect and comfortable fit. 5. You can save 15% on Sanita clogs Medelita now offers Sanita professional clogs in a number of men’s and women’s styles that offer a finished look when paired with our scrubs and lab coats. And – for a limited time, we’re offering our entire line of professional clogs at a special 15% discount. No coupon codes, no fuss, just automatic savings. While we're obviously biased, that bias is very much based on fact - Sanita® has built a reputation of keeping medical professionals comfortable during a long, strenuous shift. In addition to their impressive history, premium leathers, innovative designs, style, quality, durability, and comfort – Sanita® professional clogs emulate our philosophies at Medelita. They represent the perfect blend of tradition and innovation that we ourselves strive to embody – offering a modern look infused with color and texture, while remaining professional and traditional.

Meet the South College School of Pharmacy Inaugural Class of 2014 - looking sharp in their Medelita lab coats at their recent White Coat Ceremony. The School of Pharmacy is the first doctorate degree program at South College, allowing graduates to apply for licensure immediately upon graduation from the school. South College offers an accelerated, three year PharmD curriculum unique to pharmacy education in Tennessee. In January, South College received approval from the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) to launch its Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree program. The approval awards the School of Pharmacy Precandidate Status, allowing the School to proceed with its inaugural class, shown above. It's an exciting time for South College and especially the class of 2014. In a traditional white coat ceremony in May, South College honored its first class of doctoral students in the School of Pharmacy transitioning into the profession of pharmacy. Thirty-seven South College Doctor of Pharmacy candidates received their beautiful Medelita white coats during the ceremony. We're proud of these modern-day pioneers and honored to be a part of this new tradition.

ADVICE TO MOTHERS!—Are you broken in your rest by a sick child suffering with the pain of cutting teeth? Go at once to a chemist and get a bottle of MRS. WINSLOW’S SOOTHING SYRUP. It will relieve the poor sufferer immediately. It is perfectly harmless and pleasant to taste, it produces natural quiet sleep, by relieving the child from pain, and the little cherub awakes “as bright as a button.” It soothes the child, it softens the gums, allays all pain, relieves wind, regulates the bowels, and is the best known remedy for dysentery and diarrhoea, whether arising from teething or other causes. Mrs. Winslow’s Soothing Syrup is sold by Medicine dealers everywhere at 1s. 1½d. per bottle. Manufactured in New York and at 498, Oxford-street, London. Source: The Hampshire Telegraph and Sussex Chronicle, Saturday 9th January 1875 I imagine that every mother has moments when a miracle potion claiming to 'soothe' her child seems like a welcome idea. Luckily, we're far more health conscious and less blindly trusting these days than we were back in the 19th century when a series of "soothing syrups," lozenges and powders were created. A far cry from safe, these formulas contained everything from heroin and marijuana to morphine and opium...a shocking and disturbing combination when marketed to adults, let alone for use with babies and young children. One of the most infamous of these formulas, Mrs. Winslow's Soothing Syrup, contained one grain (65 mg) of morphine per fluid ounce! Mrs. Charlotte N. Winslow was a physician and nurse for 30 years, primarily among children. She compounded her soothing syrup with sulfate or morphia, sodium carbonate, spirits foeniculi, and aqua ammonia, purported to sooth any human or animal regardless of age. First marketed in 1849 as "Mrs. Winslow's Soothing Syrup", the popularity of this medicine climbed to incredible heights among men and mothers alike. The company used various media to promote their product, including recipe books, calendars, and trading cards. Some Civil War soldiers returning home from the war wounded, and often addicted to morphine, would buy Mrs. Winslow's Soothing Syrup when they could not readily obtain morphine. Although not required to list ingredients until the Pure Food and Drug Act was introduced in 1906, products containing opium and other narcotics were required to pay a special tax on each bottle of "medicine" and to signify that the tax was paid by sealing the unopened bottle with a tax stamp. Finally in 1910, following the overdue introduction of the Pure Food and Drug Act, the New York Times ran an article exposing the ingredients of Mrs. Winslow's Soothing Syrup and others, and identifying the dangers associated with these harmful concoctions. One year later, the American Medical Association put out a publication called Nostrums And Quackery. One section was called “Baby Killers” and incriminated Mrs. Winslow’s Soothing Syrup, Monell’s Teething Syrup, and others - effectively ending the reign of these dangerous and misrepresented formulas.

Embroidery is the first thing everyone notices when you're wearing a lab coat - the splash of color on a sea of white naturally draws the eye. For your patients, it's an introduction - Who are you? What is your title? Are you qualified to take care of them? While our customers often pick standard colors (like black) for their embroidery, we are especially fond of our ‘out-of-the-box’ colors that allow for a more upscale, professional look. Choosing a unique color, like Cocoa, Willow, or Slate Blue, allows your Name & Title embroidery to draw the eye of patients and colleagues as an especially distinguished display of your personal achievements. But you don't have to take our word for it! We recently asked for our customers' favorite embroidery colors on Facebook, and they agreed. Our customer favorites include Cocoa, Khaki, Storm Navy, Blossom, Charcoal, Bougainvillea, Slate Blue, Teal, and Warm Wine. Next time you order, consider choosing one of these colors for a beautiful, sophisticated, and original representation of your diploma. We are currently featuring complimentary Name & Title embroidery every weekend. Order on a Saturday or Sunday, and you will receive Name & Title embroidery for a scrub set and/or lab coat free of charge. We consider ourselves embroidery experts, so please call us Monday-Friday 8 AM – 5 PM PST at (877) 987-7979 if we can assist you in any way with your perfect finishing touch.

"I am the original new woman...Why, before Lucy Stone, Mrs. Bloomer, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony were—before they were, I am. In the early '40's, when they began their work in dress reform, I was already wearing pants...I have made it possible for the bicycle girl to wear the abbreviated skirt, and I have prepared the way for the girl in knickerbockers." - Dr. Mary Edwards Walker We don't often associate clothing with suffrage, but our attire has always been reflective of our status. In the mid-nineteenth century, clothing became a central issue in the struggle for women's rights as women attempted to free themselves of tight corsets and long heavy skirts. Dr. Mary Edwards Walker was one such woman. Refusing to be bound by societal standards, Dr. Walker wore a bloomer dress (a controversial combination of trousers and a dress) until the late 1870s, when she began dressing in men's clothes. She was arrested for impersonating a man several times - a fact of which she was extremely proud. Born in Oswego, New York, Mary Walker worked on her family farm as a child, and in her teenage years, Mary taught at the local school in order to pay for her medical school tuition. Dr. Walker was the only woman in her class at the Syracuse Medical College when she graduated in 1855 at the age of 21. At the outbreak of the American Civil War, Dr. Walker volunteered with the Union Army as a civilian. She was accepted as a nurse, as the Army had no female surgeons. Undeterred, Dr. Walker worked as an unpaid field surgeon near the Union front lines. Finally in 1863, she was appointed a "Contract Acting Assistant Surgeon (civilian)" - becoming the first-ever female surgeon employed by the U.S. Army Surgeon. During this time, it is believed that she also served as a Union spy, as she continually crossed Confederate lines to treat civilians. She was arrested in 1864 by Confederate troops and imprisoned as a spy in Richmond. Dr. Walker was exchanged four months later, with two dozen other Union doctors, for 17 Confederate surgeons. After the war, Mary Edwards Walker, MD was awarded a Medal of Honor, the United States military's highest decoration for bravery. She is the only woman to receive the medal and one of only eight civilians to receive it. In 1917 her Congressional Medal was rescinded when Congress revised the Medal of Honor standards to include only “actual combat with an enemy.” Dr. Walker refused to give back her Medal of Honor, wearing it every day until her death two years later in 1919. A relative told the New York Times: "Dr. Mary lost the medal simply because she was a hundred years ahead of her time and no one could stomach it." An Army board reinstated Walker's medal posthumously in 1977, citing her "distinguished gallantry, self-sacrifice, patriotism, dedication and unflinching loyalty to her country, despite the apparent discrimination because of her sex."

Not everyone knows that we offer custom logo embroidery - a service of which we are extremely proud. Our very talented embroidery artist, David, builds every custom logo from scratch using a base image file. Applying his decade of experience, David pays extreme attention to each and every order. One of our recent custom logos was designed for the Dept. of Emergency Medicine at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center in nearby Los Angeles, California. Harbor-UCLA is a public teaching hospital that is well known for its academic excellence and commitment to disadvantaged communities in Los Angeles. The hospital is funded by the County of Los Angeles and serves as one of the main teaching hospitals for the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. David's biggest challenge in creating this logo lay in maintaining a clear level of detail without cluttering the design. "If you put too many stitches into fabric, it'll bunch up and look bad so I had to balance the stitching to look great without overpowering the fabric," says David - who absolutely loved the challenge presented by this logo. Do you think your logo could provide a welcome challenge for our embroidery artist? If you have any questions about custom logo embroidery or group orders, we’re here to help. Contact us at 877-987-7979 or email us at contact.us@medelita.com.

"She carried herself like a ramrod. Little old woman she was not. She was a grenadier." Katherine Dexter McCormick (1875 – 1967) was a U.S. biologist, suffragist, and philanthropist. She was the second woman to graduate from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (in 1904) and the first woman to receive a science degree from MIT (major in biology). Katherine had originally planned to attend medical school, but her plans were postponed when she married Stanley McCormick, heir to the International Harvester fortune. Two years into the marriage, Stanley developed schizophrenia and was soon lost to dementia. He was declared legally incompetent in 1909—only five years after their wedding. Katherine turned her attention then to philanthropy and actively pursued the role of women’s rights activist. She became vice president and treasurer of the National American Woman Suffrage Association and organized much of the efforts to gain ratification for the Nineteenth Amendment. She firmly believed that a woman's right to control her body was as important as her right to vote, and it was during her suffragist days that she met with legendary birth control activist Margaret Sanger - for whom Katherine smuggled diaphragms into the US during the 1920s. In the 1950s, when the United States government, medical institutions and the pharmaceutical industry wanted nothing to do with controversial contraceptive research, Katherine McCormick (at age 75!) singlehandedly funded the development of the first oral contraceptive pill. She gave approx. $2 million to the research of Gregory Goodwin Pincus, a scientist that had been working on hormonal methods of birth control, and she took an active role in the development of the Pill. When the Pill came on the market in 1960, the scientists and doctors involved in developing it were thrust into the spotlight for their contribution to science. Katherine McCormick was a footnote in the coverage, yet she deserves credit for her dedication and contribution to what The New York Times called the “most sweeping sociomedical revolution in history. . . [whose] impact on the United States and other nations [is] almost too vast to analyze.” Her other philanthropic efforts included the establishment of the Neuro-Endocrine Research Foundation at Harvard Medical School, a $5 million dollar donation to Planned Parenthood, and a $1 million dollar donation to Worcester Hospital for a research and care facility for the mentally ill. In addition, she supported women’s education at MIT by donating money to build the Stanley McCormick Hall – the first all female dormitory at MIT. Katherine also donated $5 million to the Stanford School of Medicine for the encouragement and assistance of women pursuing the study of medicine and biomedical research.

We're very proud of our Lucy H.T. Dental Lab Coat. Named after the pioneer dentist and "the woman who pulls teeth," Lucy Hobbs Taylor, the 34? length lab coat is designed specifically to accommodate the exact range of motion and ergonomics required of dental practitioners. The Lucy H.T. dental lab coat features cuffed sleeves and snap closure. As well as being OSHA compliant, the snaps are preferred over buttons by most female dentists and hygienists who wear their coat closed. In addition to the DuPont™ Advanced Dual Action Teflon® fabric protector applied to the 100% cotton performance fabric, the ribbed cuffs of the Lucy H.T. also feature stain technology. This repel technology by DuPont prevents fluid, soil, and stains (including blood and impression material) from seeping into the fabric, ensuring that your lab coat and your cuffs remain white and clean. Enhancing the ergonomic design of the Lucy H.T. dental lab coat, we introduced additional shaping to the sleeves that replicates a true position of function and prevents any tension at the elbow. This very slight adjustment to the sleeves ensures added comfort during procedures and improved durability long-term. With a slimming back waist-band, beautiful rounded pocket detail, finished inside seams, and softly rounded collar – the Lucy H.T. lab coat is ideal for any female dentist or dental surgeon. Enter today for your chance to win a FREE Lucy H.T. Dental Lab Coat for Women by Medelita - complete with complimentary Name & Title Embroidery. Enter the contest here, and be sure to share this opportunity with your friends and colleagues.

I recently visited with my mentor, Dr. Pinkel, and had the privilege of hearing his stories about the inception of St. Jude Children's Hospital, a place that has changed the lives of millions. He tells me about getting cards from his patients who now have their own grandchildren! The pride in his voice and love for his patients, even those he had fifty years ago, is so obvious. He is 87 years old this year, suffers from post-polio syndrome (he nearly died from the disease as a resident), and won't be around forever, I know. I am so pleased to hear these stories, and share them here.

Danny Thomas recruited Dr. Pinkel to be the medical director of St. Jude, as he had started a pediatric cancer center where he had done his residency, in Buffalo, NY. He refused. He didn't want to move to Memphis, and Memphis didn't want the hospital there anyway. Danny continued to call him, and he finally accepted the job after receiving some advice from his own mentor: "You're young. If it flops, you can always do something else." Don Pinkel accepted the job under two conditions. The first was that the hospital would accept all patients, regardless of ability to pay. The second was that it would be fully racially integrated, from the patients all the way up to senior staff. A pretty controversial demand, for a Southern state in 1959.

As I sit talking to him, his wife, also a pediatric hematologist/oncologist, tells me she is preparing to go to Memphis for the 50th anniversary gala to represent him as he is unable to travel now. The gala, which many celebrities attend, is to celebrate the hospital's first opening it's doors in 1962, and is specifically honoring the first five medical directors, of which Dr. Pinkel is the first. He tells me in detail about the other four, who is still living, who is coming to represent each. He tells me about the influential researchers he recruited to come to Memphis, how he wouldn't get off the phone with one young man- for seven hours- until he agreed to come. How another man, a virology researcher, was eager to come to Memphis and study cancer after losing his wife at age 34 to a particularly virulent breast cancer. (At the time, they thought ALL came from a viral source mutating DNA. Keep in mind how new of an idea DNA was in the late 1950s).

I am amazed by this history. I'm laughing at his mentor's comment, that if it flops, he can always do something else- knowing the global presence of St. Jude's in 2012. The thought that a virus caused leukemia. The realization of how significant racial integration was at this time. Everything he said, fit into the framework of today, realizing how different our framework might be had he done something else with his life.

And I secretly wish I could go to the gala to represent him too, because I am so proud of him. And also to meet Gwyneth Paltrow and Jennifer Aniston. I just know we'd be friends.

Medelita Guest Blogger: Dr. Anne Kennard. Anne is an OB/GYN resident in Phoenix. She has kept a collection of writings about medicine/becoming a doctor since her second year of medical school, and we’re honored to welcome her as a guest blogger for Medelita.