Let’s take a selfie!

The selfie can not be considered just a gesture of vanity, but a snapshot that outlines the identity we feel most ours at a specific time. As in every shade of life, it is necessary to take balance and certainly the abuse of self contained can involve a split personality, the real and the digital, but despite this selfie is certainly an instrument of contemporaneity. So why not discover new uses and, for example, take a photograph to grasp the image that we want to give ourselves? Instead of avoiding to share it at all costs? We keep this photograph, or rather, this idea that we would like to give ourselves in our private sphere, setting a goal that we want to achieve exclusively to enhance our individuality. If we dedicate ourselves to this reflection, if we really want to improve ourselves, then the others will notice it without the need for fiction.

In the world of health professions and, more generally, for the care of the person, the lab coat worn has the same strength as a selfie on social media, represents a real business card, and yet it is not taken for granted that a professional buys a new one habitually, I do not think that is necessary. These are the most common thoughts for which it comes to purchase: the lab coat is still good although slightly discolored, some stain is the symbol of our operation, the size is comfortable and I do not need something different. But how does the patient read into our scrubs? This is the first question we should ask ourselves, which we should make follow another even more important one: does this lab coat faithfully reflect who I am, as I do, my professionalism, the attention I devote to my patient every day?

The lab coat represents the most negligible cost center in the management of a private studio and it is also the least considered aspect. Yet the lab coat has a powerful communicative energy. It is the symbol of a medical profession, but being usually lived as an obligation, it does not always arouse due respect, in relation to the years of study and work. The patient is still looking for reassurance, giving him/her the necessary time and ensuring that he/she will be well cared for. For this reason, the first impression undoubtedly plays a fundamental role: the famous “first thirty seconds” must convey a reassuring image, in line with the environment and the objectives of the visit. The personal image is not a purely aesthetic concept, but it has a fundamental importance in the professional life of everyone. It must inform our patient that we are serious and reliable. And, if the image lacks coherence, at an instinctive level, the patient will not be well disposed towards us, since we communicate a wrong message.

So let’s take a selfie and see if the image we see is what we think we’re projecting, maybe considering replacing the worn-out lab coat with a model that really shows who we are and what we’re worth.