There is a shift in medical education towards patient centered learning, a pedagogy that
promotes an integration of science and clinical practice with an emphasis on humanism.
I came across this thoughtful essay by a medical student titled The Fifth White Coat. No, this does not explore white coats as potential vehicles of contagion, rather, the essay addresses the symbolism of the white. In this case, the white coat represents the detached, scientific aspects of medicine that create an artificial barrier between doctor and patient, possibly impacting humanism.
The author's goal is to ''wear a white coat, not become one.''
