Enclothed Cognition

I didn't want to see Dr Pinkel the last time I went home. It was October, and I was four months into my residency, struggling with this troublesome truth: I wished I hadnt become a doctor. Honest to God, if I could've taken back my four years, thousands of notecards, and literal house of debt, I would have. It was so hard, and so unrewarding, and I was so unhappy. I remember hiking around the time of my graduation, looking at the green hills and flowers, excited about the new growth in my own life, the direction it had taken. I hiked the same trail again in October, and all the grass was brown and dead, the flowers were gone, and I was staring at the hills, resentful of how the flora reflected my life once again. I wondered why I had done this, why I had thought it was such a good idea and the only direction my life should go. Because it didn't seem now like it was such a good idea anymore. And I didn't want to see Dr. Pinkel, disappoint him with this news that he had been wrong. He had seen a good doctor in me at twenty-one years old, had written a glowing letter of recommendation for me, and happily gave me a graduation gift of more money than I'd ever received at one time. I respected him more than just about anyone I had ever met- this elderly man that had a career including finding a virtual cure for acute lymphoblastic leukemia and being the founding medical director for St. Jude Children's Hospital. And now I was in town, and avoiding him. I'm really sorry, I thought, and went back to work a few days later. I just got back from visiting again, now in May, now eleven months into my training. I called him up the minute I got into town, and visited him the next day. We had a nice lunch that turned into a three-hour chat. I told him about my patients, my surgeries, all the things I can do now that I couldn't do the last time I saw him. He told me about how in his time, GYN surgery was a fellowship from general surgery, and obstetrics was a very separate specialty. Interesting. He also told me about some pearls from his own training, like this story: In the 1950s and prior, it was hospital policy that parents were only allowed to visit their children for a few hours each month. It was thought that the families had made children sick, so they were limited in seeing them while inpatient. In his medical school training, he watched families wave to their children through a window, standing outside. As a resident, he let in parents and grandparents as much as they wanted, and paid hell for it, but eventually changed the hospital's policy. He tells me about his graduating class, how there was not one woman at commencement. They started out with six, he tells me, and five had a child and dropped out in their first year. One made it to the senior year, and the professors/attendings/other students teased her for it. But, she got pregnant too and left school before graduating. How very different from today, where my class was split 45/55, and we intentionally have to look for men to join our OB/GYN program. He also tells me about the inception of St. Jude Children's Hospital (this was so special, I thought it deserved it's own post. More on this to come). I am amazed by his history, realizing how he has indeed changed history. And he tells me my life is important too. That he is glad I became a physician, because we need more doctors like me. What a compliment. I go hiking again after I leave his house. The spring growth is back on the hillside. I am glad I became a doctor too. 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.

Along with our friends at Henry Schein Dental, we'll be sponsoring several contests over the next few weeks. In honor of Father's Day, our current contest features our Fauchard Dental Lab Coat for Men - named after Pierre Fauchard, “the father of modern dentistry." Designed to resemble a men’s suit jacket with a traditional collar and blazer pocket, the 40? length Fauchard dental lab coat is the most professional and tailored dental lab coat on the market. The Fauchard dental lab coat is designed specifically to accommodate the exact range of motion and ergonomics required of dental practitioners, and features cuffed sleeves and snap closure to the neck for OSHA compliance. Comfort with movement in dental specific positions was the paramount consideration in this lab coat design, and an ergonomic design of the sleeves and upper back allows for full range of motion. Double back vent. Easy snap front closure. Underarm grommets for ventilation. The Fauchard dental lab coat also boasts breathable, 100% cotton pre-shrunk performance fabric that repels fluid, soil, and stains – including blood and impression material, while helping to maintain the bright white coat color that signifies prestige and professionalism. Enter today for your chance to win a FREE Fauchard Dental Lab Coat for Men by Medelita - complete with complimentary Name & Title Embroidery. Enter the contest here, and on the next screen you will be asked to invite others. For every colleague you successfully invite into the contest, we'll add an entry to your name. Join the giveaway now and don't forget to ask your colleagues!

A lab coat is a perfect Father's Day gift - a gift of pride and stylish sophistication. We currently offer four different men’s styles, all of them equally popular but intended/purchased for different reasons. Follow the suggested tips below to help you find the best style for your medical man. Height Men that are of taller stature, typically 6’1” and above look best in the Osler lab coat. Height is not the only requirement for this particular lab coat. It is also preferred by men who simply want a longer coat as a symbol of prestige and stature. This 44” lab coat falls to the knee and is tailored, sophisticated, and highly functional, including fluid & stain resistant fabric. The Laennec lab coat is our best selling lab coat, likely because it is the most traditional in appearance, and the average man is between 5’8” and 6’ tall. The Laennec lab coat is a 40” lab coat that looks extremely professional, with blazer like styling features and a perfect fit. Specialty Physicians and most clinicians prefer the traditional look of the Osler and Laennec lab coat styles. Dentists and dental surgeons prefer the dental specific Fauchard lab coat, although some OBGYNs also purchase this style as they, too, are often gloved and working from a stool. It is highly functional and extremely ergonomic in both a seated and standing position. Students and some dental professionals prefer the 30” Fleming lab coat, as a hip length consultation lab cat, either as a required length or a preferred length. Cuffs or No Cuffs? The Fauchard dental lab coat is the only men’s lab coat with cuffed sleeves, specifically designed to not come out of your gloves while doing procedures. The entire sleeve is ergonomic in both range of motion and exact positioning at the elbow, for a true position of function that results in no tension in any position. Buttons or Snaps? The Osler, Laennec and Fleming all have highly durable buttons that are triple secured, and these styles look highly professional both open and closed. The Fauchard has a snap closure to the neck, and looks best in a closed position. Single Back Pleat or Double Back Pleat? Most men don’t realize how important the back lower pleats are to both comfort and aesthetic. Similar to a stylish men’s blazer, the back of our lab coats have either a single back pleat (the Fleming, the Osler, and the Laennec) or a double back pleat/vent (the Fauchard). Both have an ideal length and positioning in order to maximize comfort and add to the overall sophisticated look of each lab coat. What Size? If you want the perfect fit for the lab coat, simply order the same size as you would for a sport coat or blazer. It’s that simple, and you (and he!) will be surprised by how tailored and professional a Medelita Men’s lab coat can look and feel. For help in choosing a lab coat style, determining proper size, or if you would like to inquire about custom logo or name & title embroidery, please call 877-987-7979 or email contact.us@medelita.com for highly personalized, professional service.

One of our customers and colleagues, Dr. Bill Green, was recently featured on a CNN news segment wearing his Laennec Medelita lab coat in our original fabric. Dr. Green invented the T-ring™, the latest breakthrough in digital tourniquet technology for any physician or clinician who treats digit or nail injuries. His segment on Net Worth (viewable here) shows the benefits of a bloodless field (without vascular compromise) for digit injuries using the T-ring. There are three commonly used methods to stop the blood flow from a lacerated finger: a Penrose drain, the rolled glove finger, and the Tourni-cot. A well-known complication of these digital tourniquets is neurovascular damage due to excessive pressure generated beneath the tourniquet. Previous studies have demonstrated that each of these three methods may exert pressure to the digit that exceeds what is generally considered to be safe; often the result of using the wrong size tourniquet or applying it too tightly. Contributing to the risk is the inability to safely monitor the pressure to alert the user when excessive pressure is being applied. Approved by U.S. Military and Government agencies, the T-ring automatically adjusts to any size digit. It applies safe non-direct pressure, cannot be over-tightened, and provides ideal wound visualization with immediate hemostatis. “As a hand surgeon, I frequently operate on the thumb or fingers for which control of bleeding is critical . The “T-RING” is an ingenious new product which I rely on to achieve both effective exsanguinations and to control bleeding. This device is simply slipped from the top of the digit to the base, and quite elegantly allows procedures to be done in a bloodless environment.” - Ross Nathan, M.D.

"Even if you're recreating a logo, there's room to be artistic," says Medelita embroidery artist, David Saldana. In this month's Stitches magazine, our very talented embroidery artist discusses the thought, detail, and artistic consideration that goes into every custom logo we create. Check out the article to realize the incredible number of thread colors and time that goes into a single professional logo at Medelita. All of our custom logos are digitized in-house by David. Each customer provides a .jpeg of their logo, and David uses that as a basis to recreate it as an embroidered image. He rebuilds each logo from scratch, applying his decade of experience to add his own artistic touches – every single stitch is programmed by hand. In David’s words, “For me, it's in the play of light. Some embroidery artists think one dimensionally, but I like to try to make the light bounce off my designs. If you can control the light, it gives a whole different texture to the design. I want certain colors to shine and others not to shine when the light hits it at varying angles. I do that by manipulating the thread angle and the type of stitch I use. If you take a simple circle, for instance, most embroidery will be a straight stitch. I do that, but then I go back in and create an angled radius that plays with the light.” Our set fee for a custom logo is $75, and that includes the digitizing and embroidery, as well as one revision. Generally speaking, the changes required for a revision are often minor – a shade of color changed or certain lines thickened, etc… It’s very rare for a customer to need to pay an additional fee for extra revisions, and we do try to avoid it by communicating thoroughly throughout the process to truly understand your needs from the beginning. The cost of ‘perfection’, however, is something that we retain as the manufacturer. Much like our actual garments, we do spend more to attain a certain level of quality. As David put it, “It's the little details that set you apart. I don't skimp on stitches. A lot of people will pull stitches out of a design to save time or money, but I'll spend an extra dollar in thread to make a logo exceptional.” 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.

T.S. Eliot once said, "I have measured out my life with coffee spoons." I could say the same - at least from about age seventeen onwards. At Medelita, we definitely love our coffee - and we have found an exceptional company (and great coffee!) that we'd like to share with you: Singing Rooster. Coffee has a long and rich history in Haiti, and Singing Rooster is a nonprofit organization that seeks to offer direct assistance to communities in Haiti by building self-sustaining economic infrastructures based, in part, on coffee growing, production and exportation. The coffee we have here at the office, Singing Rooster's Haitian Mountain Bleu coffee, is grown in the same region as the wildly successful Jamaican Blue - but at a fraction of the price. Each 12 oz bag of Haitian Mountain Blue is $9, and 100% of profits go back to Haiti. Singing Rooster helps farmers to cultivate and process high quality, gourmet Haitian coffee. They work with and buy their beans directly from farmer owned cooperatives. They provide pre-harvest financing and pay well above Fair Trade prices. Most importantly, they return all proceeds for coffee sales back to the farmers and their communities in the form of projects that support coffee production, land management, and small business development / entrepreneurship.

As summer officially arrives, we're offering unprecedented savings on our Summer Color Scrubs: Caribbean Blue and Leaf. Now is the perfect time to breathe new life into your summer scrub rotation with these beautiful and nature-inspired colors - while supplies last. All Men's and Women's Caribbean Blue and Leaf physician scrubs are now automatically at least 25% off. No coupon code required! We are planning to retire these popular colors once our inventory runs out, so don't miss this opportunity to buy them at an incredible savings.

Though still a far cry from true equality, Ancient Egypt afforded women a surprisingly modern status. Compared with their counterparts in Ancient Greece, where women were considered eternal legal minors, ancient Egyptian women had a greater range of personal choices and opportunities for achievement. Although men and women had traditionally distinct powers in society, there were no insurmountable barriers for pioneers who wished to deviate from the established path. One such pioneer was Peseshet. Peseshet practiced at the time of the building of the great pyramids in Egypt, about 2500 BC, and is often credited with being the earliest known female physician in ancient Egypt. However, such a claim is inaccurate - that title in fact belongs to the female physician Merit-Ptah, a woman who practiced medicine almost 100 years earlier. Peseshet is the first recorded female physician with a directorial position. Excavation of the tomb of her son and high dignitary of Ancient Egypt, Akhet-Hetep, revealed a monument dedicated to his mother Pesehet, who is identified by many important titles including "Lady Overseer of Female Physicians." Peseshet directed over 100 qualified female physicians in Ancient Egypt, as well as training midwives at the peri-ankh (medical school) of Sais.

Sanita® Clogs are a great way to add a splash of self-expressive color to an otherwise monotone uniform, while still maintaining a polished appearance. Sanita has been making supreme quality Danish clogs since 1907, and the premium leathers, professional designs, and durability of Sanita clogs represent a perfect blend of tradition and innovation. This past Sunday on Facebook, we ran a competition for a pair of Sanita clogs and the response from our community was enthusiastic. As always, our actions are fueled by your feedback, and we will now be sponsoring regular Sanita Sunday contests on our Facebook page. Along with our monthly Scrub Top Tuesday contest, Sanita Sunday is a fun and exciting way to try to a new product or win more of a product you love. We hope to see you on Facebook!

Congratulations, doctor! Yesterday, thousands of graduated medical students went to work - for the first time as doctors. We're as excited for you as I imagine you must be. A new residency class means a clean slate, a fresh start - no one has forgotten to order a critical lab or dropped a scalpel in the OR yet. Your hospital or practice is currently alive with potential - for both you, the established physicians, and the patients. Enjoy it! Amid the sleepless nights, the rushed lunches, and the frantic nerve-wracking moments - enjoy being a doctor. The cardiac electrophysiologist, John Mandrola, MD has seen his fair share of residency classes pass through the halls of his Kentucky hospital. He offers these words of wisdom: 1. Ignore your pay-stub. It is true, unless you were a heck of moonlighter, you just got a pay raise. Congratulations. But, I implore you to keep living as if you were still in training. Drive an inexpensive car. No, check that, embrace that clunker like it was a pink phone case— something that sets you apart. Don’t add to your debt by buying a huge house. Say no to the country club. Live close to the hospital. Use the extra monthly income to pay off loans. Think of the word: cushion. 2. Keep an open-mind: Yes, we know that you are up on the latest techniques, having seen, and perhaps even used the latest laser, balloon or robot, tools that our hospital cannot afford. You are also well-versed in spread-sheets and abstract writing, and you probably know many well-published people—maybe your former teachers were “thought-leaders.” That’s great. Nifty even. But the thing is, now you are on your own. That humble technician scrubbed-in with you has seen many young docs flail. She has seen the mistakes you are about to make. Listen to her, respect her, pretend she is a professor. She wants to help you; she will help you, if you let her. Likewise, the older docs around the hospital will help you too. Though many of us trained when procainamide was still available, and taking night call meant carrying a bag-phone around, we have probably done your primary procedure 7,399 more times than you have. We have limped out of the hospital in dismay after causing the complication you have yet to cause. We look at your newness with envy. We want to learn from you. You have capital, don’t blow it by acting too much like a cardiologist. 3. Be nice to people. Not just the obvious people, like the woman who sets out lunch in the doctors’ lounge or the procedure schedulers, but everyone else too. This hospital will be your new home. You will see these folks at the grocery, on the ball fields with your kids and soon enough you will need medical care—sooner if you are a bike racer. You are the new kid in class, people want to make friends with you. Let them. 4. Call your referring docs. To folks of my era, this came naturally. The phone call to the referring doctor after a consult or procedure served two purposes: one was to keep the primary care doc in the loop, and the second was to introduce yourself, and perhaps your new specialty. (For me, electrophysiology barely existed in 1996.) But now, the alliances between hospitals and doctors act to create barriers between medical colleagues. I would urge you to call a primary doctor even if they are owned by another institution. Not only because it is right-minded, but also because the changing marketplace may soon make partners of you two. 5. Have fun. Don’t let the checklists, forms, protocols, cubicle-doctors and metastasis of quality measures get you down. At the end of the day, your special skills which came from years of hard work will ultimately help you better mankind. This is a large treasure indeed. And it is immensely fun. Do you have any advice to impart to our new interns? Or perhaps a story about residency to share? We'd love to hear it!