PsyD White Coat Ceremony?

[Psych Guy 2018]

Do PsyD programs typically have white coat ceremonies? Do you guys believe that psychologists should wear their white coat if practicing in primary care?

[insert Psychologist]

Not that I have heard of, white coat ceremonies are traditional and I don't think they have caught on to PsyD's. Also it is important to note that PsyD's do not practice in primary care.

[Clinapp2017]

Yeah most psychologists don’t wear white coats, period. I’ve only ever seen/wore one myself in formal research settings with clinical populations where it helps to establish a more “sciencey” rapport. 

 

I know lots of psychologists at big name medical centers and most don’t wear white coats when they are seeing patients. The exception, maybe (but not sure), would be in patient stuff. 

[Jay's Brain]

9 hours ago, Psych Guy 2018 said:

Do PsyD programs typically have white coat ceremonies? Do you guys believe that psychologists should wear their white coat if practicing in primary care?

Funny that you should bring this up, because I feel like this is something I've thought about to. The White Coat ceremony is a traditional, but it is a traditional that is ingrained in many other health professional programs as a rite of passage/matriculation from preclinical to clinical practice. For psychologists, yes, we don't often wear the white lab coat per se, one reason being that we try to be a even grounds with our clients/patients when we see them for assessment and therapy, but I don't see why this tradition cannot apply to clinical psychology as well.