Cartoon: Oddities of Doctors

As new participants in the clinical environment, my clinical group and I have had many a laugh at the oddities we see in hospital. The appearance of Registrars and Consultants (American-speak: Residents and Attendings) has provided us with some entertainment of its own. Not because they are dressed poorly, but because it seems that it is the only profession where individuals dress smartly – think designer jackets, leather belts, chinos… followed by the more comfortable tekkies (or sometimes Crocs).

Quick South African vocab lesson: trainers do not exist here. The word is pronouned “tackies“.

We have also noticed that hardly any of the doctors wear their clinical coats, much in the fashion of the infamous House MD. Some of the older specialists wear theirs, but they are few and far between. I think a lot of them fear it to be an infection risk (much like ties), but I think they also like to be set apart from the students, who all wear white coats. What can I say, we like feeling the part.

Anyway, that is enough blab for now – enjoy.