The Things I Carry

Medical students wear short white coats, and during our clinical years we quickly discover that the pockets of our white coats can be truly lifesaving. Maybe white coat pockets could be best compared to a purse, because we tend to carry lots and lots of helpful things, sometimes to the point of excess. Residents and attending physicians chuckle at the pure volume of stuff that a medical student can cram into their white coat pockets. We move throughout the hospital so often that if we don’t carry something with us, we may not have the opportunity to get it again until the very end of the work day. From quick clinical references to granola bars for the times when we miss lunch, here is a peek into the many things that I carried over the course of my 3rd year:

Medical tools that I have carried at some point over the course of 3rd year: (L to R) tuning fork, reflex hammer, penlight, stethoscope, trauma shears

Personal essentials that I have carried at some point over the course of 3rd year: (L to R, moving clockwise): iPhone, chapstick, phone charger, nametag, sharpie, colored pens, cough drops, alcohol swabs, protein bars

Rachel Nelson

I’m originally from Brentwood, Tennessee, and I came to South Carolina to attend college at Furman University where I was a music major, outdoor enthusiast and lover of life. I never expected to spend four more years here in Greenville, but I could not be more excited to have the opportunity to stay and be a part of this incredible program at the USC School of Medicine in Greenville! I hope that through this blog you will be able to see, as I did, a glimpse of the inspiring vision and stunning reality of this medical school, and that you will share in our innovative and hands-on journey to becoming tomorrow’s doctors.