bata blanca

19:03 Jan 28, 2016 

I'm US English; only lived abroad for 2 years. 'White coat' is a very common expression here. 'Lab coat' is more like an internal expression among professionals. It simply describes the garment, which is also worn in laboratories. It does not refer to the medical profession. The book 'White Coat, Black Hat', is about medicine in the US.

16:34 Jan 28, 2016 

I think this comes down to which side of the Atlantic your audience is on. Lab coat is more common in the US. White coat isn't used so much in the US except when referring to "white coat syndrome" (hypertension that results from the anxiety of being in a medical facility).

11:03 Jan 28, 2016 

An interesting post Rachel, thanks for the link too :0-))

11:01 Jan 28, 2016 

23:34 Jan 27, 2016 

Even though doctors may refer to their garment as a 'lab coat', 'white coat' is a widely recognized metaphor for the entire medical profession.