Line #116 Main/LabcoatOfScienceAndMedicine


1	%% Image and caption selected per Image Pickin' thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1368634085029220100
2	%% Please do not replace or remove either without starting a new thread.
3	%% Note that the characters shown are from MythBusters but the image is from their cameo in CSI.
4	[[quoteright:350:[[Series/{{CSI}} https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/labcoat-of-science-and-medicine_csi_3499.png]]]]
5	[[caption-width-right:350:[[Series/MythBusters "Trope confirmed."]]]]
6
7	->''"Fear not, lab coat fans! This comic isn't the last we've seen of lab coats and the wearing thereof. There [sic] are of the utmost importance in a lab / basement where they have yet to be seen ever working with hazardous chemicals."''
8	-->-- TheRant [[http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2012-04-10 here,]] ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive''
9
10	In media, there are two sorts of people who wear labcoats: scientists and medical doctors. As such, a character wearing a lab coat is a good indication that they're involved in either science (and/or [[MadScientist Mad Science!]]), or a medical field. This is despite the fact that in real life doctors and scientists do not normally wear such coats unless there is a reason that they need to keep their clothes clean, and should definitely not wear them in public because they might expose people to dangerous substances. In media, this coat is almost always white. In RealLife, labcoats are often white, but also come in blue and green. These colors show stains well, which is the point - you need to know when to wash your coat.
11
12	A subtrope of the Labcoat of Science and Medicine is the Mad Scientist Lab Coat which is typically the Howie-style lab coat with the asymmetrical front panel and the high, stiff collar. This style of full-coverage lab coat, designed to minimize pathogen contact with street clothing, has long been associated with [[MadScientist esoterically-minded scientists]] from [[Franchise/{{Frankenstein}} Dr. Frankenstein]] to Dr. Horrible, and is pretty much a clear sign that its wearer doesn't care about such silly things as medical ethics boards while he Gets Shit Done. (It probably helps matters that to many viewers this style subliminally suggests [[InstitutionalApparel a straitjacket]].) Another marker of ScienceRelatedMemeticDisorder is when the coat (Howie-style, or otherwise) is particularly ragged, tattered, stained with unknown substances and full of holes burned by acid, lightning or god knows what else; this is a clear sign that the wearer experiments with dangerous stuff, doesn't care about either safety or appearance.[[note]]In RealLife, scientists tend to replace damaged coats with new ones as soon as possible. However, if the coat is only stained with a non-dangerous substance, it can remain for quite some time. Chemistry students, however, may wear ragged, iodine-stained coats because they have no [[StarvingStudent money]] or time to replace them, or because they're [[TrashOfTheTitans students]], or because everyone whose first choice to study was chemistry is a MadScientist at heart anyway.[[/note]]
13
14	Naturally, this also makes a lab coat a very convenient costume for a person who's trying to appear intellectual, whether or not they actually are. This could include a SnakeOilSalesman, someone FeigningIntelligence, or of course [[ImNotADoctorButIPlayOneOnTV an actor who plays a doctor on TV]].
15
16	Supertrope to DressedToHeal which also requires a stethoscope and a head mirror. Compare EinsteinHair, another classic visual cue that screams "Science person!" Also see GroupIdentifyingFeature. NerdGlasses are technically optional but functionally may as well be a required accessory.
17
18	----
19	!!Examples:
20
21	[[foldercontrol]]
22
23	[[folder:Advertising]]
24	* [[https://web.archive.org/web/20171027192813/http://www.travelwithpetmeds.com/wp-content/themes/travelwithpetmeds/images/mascots.png Max and Molly,]] the FemaleFelineMaleMutt mascots of 1-800-PET-MEDS, wear labcoats... and [[BarefootCartoonAnimal nothing else]].
25	* This is nearly universal in advertising, really. Any product with any sort of purported health benefit will have a doctor straight out of Central Casting giving it the stamp of approval, and almost invariably decked out in a white labcoat. Since a labcoat [[TheCoconutEffect is visual shorthand for "medical expert"]] to the layperson, expect to see one worn even when said expert's field doesn't require such protective gear, like a behavioral therapist or a dietitian.
26	[[/folder]]
27
28	[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
29	* While we don't know what subjects does Yuki Endou from ''Manga/AsteroidInLove'' teaches, she was an astronomy enthusiast. PresentDay, she often wears a lab coat over business casual attire.
30	* Hokuto , the token labcoat guy of his team from ''Anime/BtX'', is a person who actually does BOTH science and medicine.
31	* Shinra from ''Literature/{{Durarara}}'', who is noted even by the other characters for not taking that coat off, ever.
32	* Icchan from ''Manga/AngelicLayer'', who really ''is'' a scientist, but most people associate his outfit with "pervert/weirdo."
33	* Professor Tomoe from ''Anime/SailorMoon'' wears a labcoat in all of his appearances, even in his own house. It's meant to emphasize his MadScientist status.
34	* ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'': Ritsuko wears one, being in charge of NERV's medical facilities, alongside being the local OmnidisciplinaryScientist. Naoko and Yui apparently wore them as well, both having high qualifications in meta-physical biology.
35	* All the regional professors in the ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'' franchise wear these coats.
36	* Kakei of ''Manga/DrugAndDrop'' runs a pharmacy and has the lab coat to match. What's less clear is whether he is an actual pharmacist [[BackAlleyDoctor or not]].
37	* In ''Manga/{{Nichijou}}'', the ChildProdigy Professor wears an oversized lab coat and tie. Science teacher Kana Nakamura simply wears one over her regular clothing.
38	* Okabe Rintarou ([[DoNotCallMePaul or rather HOUOUIN KYOUMA!!]]), the [[LargeHam hammy]] protagonist and self-proclaimed MadScientist of ''VisualNovel/SteinsGate'', naturally always wears one of those.
39	** So does Makise Kurisu. When seeing her wear a lab coat, Okabe decides that they make a [[BackToBackBadasses pose]] and it was EPIC
40	* ''Franchise/LyricalNanoha'':
41	** Resident LargeHam MadScientist and ''Anime/MagicalGirlLyricalNanohaStrikers'' BigBad Doctor Jail Scaglietti is rarely ever seen without one. [[spoiler:At least, until he was finally arrested and imprisoned]].
42	** This became part of [[WhiteMagicianGirl Shamal's]] uniform after she became a medical officer for the TSAB. Fellow TSAB personnel Mariel Atenza also wears one as part of her uniform, although in her case, she's the head of the precision engineering section.
43	* Just to remind the audience that he's a scientist as well a [[LaResistance resistance soldier]], ''Anime/KillLaKill'''s Aikuro Mikisugi will occasionally don a labcoat. [[NoShirtLongJacket An open labcoat]]. And ''[[ShamelessFanserviceGuy nothing else]].''
44	* ''Webcomic/HetaliaAxisPowers'':
45	** Early in the series, a scientist who was giving a lecture was shown wearing one.
46	** Germany wore a white lab coat when he was researching a substitute for coffee.
47	* ''Manga/ScienceFellInLoveSoITriedToProveIt'': The entire main cast wears lab coats despite in a field (the mathematical side of computer science) that does not requires lab coats. The only time the presence of lab coats is questioned is when the two leads trying to scientifically prove they are in love with each other elect to wear them on an experimental date.
48	* Downplayed in ''Anime/BNABrandNewAnimal'': [[IAmNotWeasel Mink]] beastwoman Marie Itami might wear a labcoat, but the most scientific thing she's done so far is hack into a broadcasting truck.
49	* MadScientist Dr. Stein in ''Manga/SoulEater'' always wears a lab coat that's covered in stitches just like his skin and his house.
50	* ''Manga/NurseHitomisMonsterInfirmary'': Hitomi, as the school nurse, and Ken Tatara, as the science teacher, both wear lab coats at work. Hitomi's assistant Itsuki wears a more HospitalHottie-type uniform.
51	* ''Manga/StoryOfADumbPrefectAndHighSchoolGirlWithInappropriateSkirtLength'':
52	** Former JapaneseDelinquent Izubuchi wears one with "health" embroidered on the back, but it looks like a UsefulNotes/{{Bosozoku}} jacket.
53	** Tougo's dad is a professional doctor, and apparently carries one around with him at all times. Poemu lampshades this, asking what kind of doctor actually walks around in a lab coat.
54	* ''Manga/SPYxFAMILY'': Loid wears a white labcoat for his [[DeepCoverAgent fake job]] as a psychiatrist. He acknowledges it's not typical for his specific field, but brings an air of professionalism.
55	* ''Anime/{{Pecola}}'': Dr. Chu wears one; it's justified as he is both a scientist and inventor.
56	[[/folder]]
57
58	[[folder:Arts]]
59	* In 1929, Tamara de Lempicka painted a rather dashing ArtDeco portrait of [[https://www.wikiart.org/en/tamara-de-lempicka/portrait-of-dr-boucard-1929 Dr. Pierre Boucard,]] suitably-attired and ready for battle with his microscopic enemy. Never before has the study of diarrhea-causing bacteria looked so glamorous!
60	[[/folder]]
61
62	[[folder:Comic Books]]
63	* In ''ComicBook/{{Daredevil}}'' #324 Dr. ComicBook/{{Morbius}} puts on a labcoat specifically because it helps him thinks like a scientist he says. In ''[[ComicBook/ThePunisher Punisher]]'' v7 #11 he wears a Mad Scientist Labcoat when stitching back together Frank Castle who had been chopped to pieces by Daken, and turns him into a FrankensteinsMonster.
64	* Another Creator/MarvelComics example: This is the standard attire of ''ComicBook/SpiderMan'' villain The Lizard.
65	* Not only do Dr. Sivana and his children, Professor Edgewise, and most of the other myriad good/evil scientists in the original ''[[{{ComicBook/Shazam}} Captain Marvel]]'' comics wear these, they're bizarrely never seen taking them off.
66	* Dr. Harry Vanderspeigle of ''ComicBook/ResidentAlien'' wears one when on-duty.
67	* Spoofed in an ''ComicBook/AvengersVsXMen'' tie-in depicting an alternate scenario where all the scientists of Marvel brawl with one another over science. They're all wearing labcoats as they fight, including Iron Man (who is wearing the labcoat ''over'' his armor).
68	[[/folder]]
69
70	[[folder:Fan Works]]
71	* ''Fanfic/AbraxasHrodvitnon'': In the {{denouement}}, the [[spoiler:[[Characters/AbraxasHrodvitnonHumans Apex Cybernetics]]]] scientist [[spoiler:who records his findings after studying the Zmeyevich]] is wearing a white labcoat during the recording.
72	* ''Fanfic/{{Contraptionology}}'': Professor Stranger von Danger, of course, goes around wearing a white lab coat in both work and casual settings.
73	* ''Fanfic/DungeonKeeperAmi'': For Ami and other science and medicine people:
74	** When Anise is being a nurse, as seen in "Abandon Ship, Part 1" she wears one, presumably due to Ami's requirements:
75	---> “You are pretty well informed, aren’t you?”\
76	“You could say that,” Jered replied, curious and a little wary. He could make out the shape of two short swords underneath the open lab coat she was wearing, after all.\
77	[...]\
78	“I’m ''volunteering'' !” the redhead clarified. “I’m supposed to be a guard, not a nurse!
79	** When Ami does science, she wears lab coats, in her lab, such as in [[https://forums.sufficientvelocity.com/threads/dungeon-keeper-ami-sailor-moon-dungeon-keeper-story-only-thread.30066/post-15328834 "Odd Discoveries"]]:
80	---> The noise of her lab coat swishing echoed faintly in the bare, white-tiled lab that she had designed to be easy to clean, not unlike a modern bathroom.
81	* ''Fanfic/{{Evershade}}'': Worn by medical doctor, Dr. Emilly Dane, who, due to [[spoiler:her literally child-like appearance]], doesn't help people recognize her as a doctor.
82	* ''Fanfic/{{Kitsune}}'': Worn by a "Doctor" of some description:
83	--> Hanford Nuclear Facility near the Tri Cities region, Washington State\
84	"Daddy!"\
85	Doctor Malcom Jenkins turned and smiled as a pint sized brunette flew into his arms, hugging him tightly. He was of middling size and build, with fading black hair and glasses atop his long lab coat. "Bea! How was the gymnastics meet?"
86	* ''Fanfic/TheNightmareHouse'', a fanfiction of ''WesternAnimation/TheLoudHouse'', has Lana having a bad dream featuring a MadDoctor in a lab coat.
87	* ''Fanfic/NeitherABirdNorAPlaneItsDeku'': Jor-El wears a green version of this while working in his personal laboratory.
88	* ''Fanfic/OversaturatedWorld'': ''Group Precipitation'': "Comes Great Sweetsponsibility, by Masterweaver" has science time being signified by putting on a labcoat.
89	* The ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' of Creator/AAPessimal sees a budding romance between wizard Ponder Stibbons and Assassin Johanna Smith-Rhodes. Johanna's scientific interests lie in zoology and animal management; she runs the Animal Management Unit, a purpose-built facility where young Assassin students learn that Nature is a thing of wonder and majesty to which the appropriate respect must be shown. Knowing Johanna hasn't had ''that'' much experience with men, and making a shrewd guess as to what a scientifically-minded nerdy Wizard might appreciate in a love interest, more worldly friends get her into a white lab-coat and give her a clipboard to hold. Ponder Stibbons, visiting the A.M.U., is suitably entranced.
90	[[/folder]]
91
92	[[folder:Films -- Animation]]
93	* Dr. Cockroach from ''WesternAnimation/MonstersVsAliens'' wears a lab coat, as any respectable MadScientist would.
94	* Jumba wears a labcoat in the opening scenes of ''WesternAnimation/LiloAndStitch'', when he's on trial for creating Experiment 626. He ocassionally wears one in [[WesternAnimation/LiloAndStitchTheSeries the series]] when he's working at his lab.
95	* [[spoiler:The Twilight Sparkle native to the human world]] from TheStinger for ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyEquestriaGirlsRainbowRocks'' wears one, [[spoiler:indicating a parallel to the original Twilight Sparkle's proficiency in magic]]. She got dubbed "Sci-Twi" as a result, to distinguish the two.
96	[[/folder]]
97
98	[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
99	* ''Film/BackToTheFuture1'': Doctor Emmett "Doc" Brown wears this until he returns from the future.
100	* ''Film/{{Flash Gordon\|1980}}'': Both Dr. Hans Zarkov and his assistant, Munson, sport traditional white labcoats in spite of them not actually being in a lab of any kind.
101	* ''Film/Ghostbusters1984'': The Ghostbusters wear blue lab-coats in their first commercial.
102	* In ''Film/GIJoeTheRiseOfCobra'', the scientists working on a particle accelerator all wear lab coats. In real life, particle accelerator operators dress less like movie scientists and more like [[https://cdn.facilityexecutive.com/wp-content/uploads/0809002_42-a5-at-72-dpi.jpg this.]]
103	* The MadScientist Dr. Heiter in the ''Film/TheHumanCentipede'' dons a lab coat despite being long-retired and even when not doing anything of a medical nature.
104	* As Nathan Shumate (of the now-defunct ''Cold Fusion Video'') noted in his review of ''Film/TheInvisibleManiac'', the scientists at the supposedly big and important symposium where protagonist Kevin Dornwinkle fumbles his demonstration of an {{Invisibility}} serum "must be the best of the best of the best in the scientific community, because this entire international symposium is comprised of maybe a dozen people (who didn't even bother to take off their labcoats)." Dornwinkle himself proves to be much more relaxed about this himself later on when he's shown perfecting his invisibility serum at home in his apartment in his civilian clothes.
105	* ''Film/JamesBond'':
106	** ''Film/{{Skyfall}}''. Lampshaded when Bond meets the new (and very young) Q.
107	--->'''Bond:''' You've got to be joking.\
108	'''Q:''' Why, because I'm not wearing a lab coat?
109	** In ''Film/TheLivingDaylights'', TheDragon infiltrates an SIS safehouse [[DeadlyDelivery disguised as a milkman]]. He gets out by hanging a stethoscope around his neck, so with his white clothes he now looks like a doctor evacuating a wounded man.
110	** In ''Film/TheWorldIsNotEnough'', an attractive doctor working for [=MI6=] is wearing a white coat over the rest of her clothes shortly before Bond removes all of it as [[SexForServices he needs a clean bill of health to go on the mission]].
111	* Franchise/MonsterVerse: Several people across the various movies wear white labcoats, even in settings which normally wouldn't require such garments: the MUTO-monitoring scientist Jainway in ''Film/Godzilla2014'', the scientists at the China outpost monitoring Mothra's egg in ''[[Film/GodzillaKingOfTheMonsters2019 Godzilla: King of the Monsters]]'', and several Apex scientists involved in [[HumongousMecha Mechagodzilla]]'s development at the Pensacola facility in ''Film/GodzillaVsKong''.
112	* The Tooth Fairy from ''Film/TheSantaClause'' wears a dental lab coat.
113	* Lawrence Gordon, an oncologist, wears one in a flashback at his workplace in ''Film/SawI''.
114	[[/folder]]
115
116	[[folder:Literature]]
117	* In ''Literature/ABadCaseOfStripes'', the five doctors all wear lab coats.
118	* ''Literature/DarcyAndGranDontLikeBabies'': The doctor is drawn wearing a labcoat.
119	* The standard uniform of every Technician, the caste who keep society's machines and computers, and thus, society, functioning in Creator/RobertWestall's ''Literature/FuturetrackFive'' is the classic white labcoat, buttoned in different ways to differentiate between grades of Tech.
120	* Invoked by Dr. Sandrisson in ''Literature/GrandCentralArena'', whose usual outfit is a white suit of which the coat is tailored to resemble a lab coat.
121	* In ''Literature/HeartOfSteel'', Alistair wears Howie-style lab coats almost exclusively until he very end, when he has manufactured exactly one steampunk-style suit for a formal dinner, plus another to visit the grave of his beloved.
122	* The "Bird Doc" in ''Literature/HowToBeComfortableInYourOwnFeathers'' is a generic doctor in a lab coat.
123	* In ''Literature/TheMouseWatch'', [[BigBad Dr. Thornpaw]] and his acolytes wear them.
124	* ''Literature/RoysBedoys'': In “What Do You Want to Be When You Grow Up, Roys Bedoys?”, Maker wears a lab coat when explaining that he wants to grow up to be an epidemiologist.
125	* ''Literature/{{Twig}}'' is centered around an AcademyOfEvil focused on [[MadScientist Mad Scientists]], so naturally labcoats are common attire. White is worn by students, to indicate they're still learning. Black is worn by professors, so that the stains don't show.
126	* ''Literature/WhateleyUniverse'': Labcoats are standard gadgeteer/deviser uniform at Whateley, due to the convenience of the pockets and hardpoints that make it easy for them to carry what they need with them.
127	[[/folder]]
128
129	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
130	* ''Radio/OurMissBrooks'': Mr. Boynton typically wears a labcoat whenever he's seen in his classroom, the Biology room, at school. In "Madison Country Club", Mr. Conklin dismissively refers to the coat as a "burlap smock".
131	* Practically every character on a ''Series/{{CSI}}'' series wears a labcoat at one point or another, for the scientist version. And sometimes it's a double, with characters like Doc Robbins and Ray Langston on regular CSI or Dr. Hawkes and Sid Hammerback on ''Series/{{CSINY}}''. Sort of. Although they are [[NotThatKindOfDoctor that kind of doctor]], and have been known in some cases to treat colleagues, they aren't actually practicing medicine.
132	* In ''Series/KamenRiderExAid'', all doctor characters wear white coat. Anyone (but one person) who does not has some reason like guilt or EvilCostumeSwitch.
133	* ''Series/{{ER}}'': Most of the doctoral staff that work directly with patients wear a white labcoat unless in surgery. This is in contrast to the nursing staff, who wear only scrub, and administration, who wear suits. The ''length'' of the labcoat becomes a minor plot point in a season 13 episode, when Pratt, the ER attending, buys a one for Tony Gates, a parademic-turned-medical student who is a bit full of himself. His confidence had led to many patients assuming he was more qualified than he was, and Pratt makes it a point to buy him a ''short'' labcoat, as this denotes his status as a medical student who is still learning. As opposed to a longer one that would indicate he was a resident or a full-fledged physician. This was, at one point, TruthInTelevision, though labcoats at all are becoming outdated.
134	* Dr. Beverly Crusher, from ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'', is rarely seen without her blue labcoat.
135	* ''Series/NoahsArc'': When Ricky wakes up in the hospital, he sees Junito (who is wearing his labcoat for the first time). The presence of the labcoat lets Ricky know that Junito's there as a doctor, not a visitor, and something serious must've happened to him.
136	* ''Series/TheXFiles'': Agent Dana Scully wears scrubs and/or a labcoat whenever she performs an autopsy. She's the scientist and sceptic of the Dynamic Duo.
137	* ''{{Series/NCIS}}'' has forensic scientist Abby Sciuto (science sub-type) and Chief Medical Examiner Donald "Ducky" Mallard (medicine sub-type).
138	* In an episode of ''Series/RizzoliAndIsles'', the detectives are dealing with a witness who claims he can't remember faces. To test this theory out, Jane (having interrogated him earlier) borrows Maura's lab coat and puts her hair up to pretend to be a forensic scientist. [[spoiler: The theory proves correct - he eventually only recognizes her by voice).]]
139	* Dr Cox and Dr Kelso in ''Series/{{Scrubs}}''. One episode involved JD starting to wear a labcoat, and Dr Cox declaring it was now devalued and wearing a hockey jersey. It didn't help that the Janitor started wearing one as well.
140	* ''Series/{{Elementary}}'': Played with in one episode; a witness assumes a woman is a doctor because of her white labcoat. Sherlock and Watson both immediately realize that something is wrong, since doctors never wear labcoats outside of a hospital in case they get dirty and bring pathogens back. Turns out the woman worked for an upscale skincare boutique, invoking this trope to make the place feel more scientific than it really was.
141	* Dr. Clayton Forrester of ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000'' wears a modern-style laboratory coat, but its unconventional color -- lime green -- immediately marks him as a MadScientist.
142	* ''Series/AgentsOfSHIELD'': While Fitz and Simmons are infiltrating a fancy science party, Mack is playing MissionControl. When he mentions he doesn't think any of the attendees are scientists because they're not wearing lab coats, Fitz and Simmons get offended.
143	-->'''Simmons:''' Well, do you think scientists only wear lab coats? Are we wearing them now?\
144	'''Fitz:''' Yeah. What, we walk around all day with goggles and gloves on, do we?
145	* ''[[Series/WonderWoman1975 Wonder Woman]]'': In "Anschluss '77", Wonder Woman transformed into a brown dress and tan heels and put on a lab coat that was available in order to disguise herself as [[MadScientist Dr. Heinrich Von Klemper]]'s assistant. Of course, the ruse didn't last long since the doctor had never previously had a stunningly gorgeous assistant. Her magic lasso worked fine, but it was unclear if she was wearing her belt of strength under the lab coat or whether it would work properly when worn this way. The scene implied that Wonder Woman retained her full abilities as it included Steve Trevor holding two Nazis prisoner - something he rarely could accomplish without Wonder Woman backing him up. Regardless, it's often overlooked that one of the many official Wonder Woman outfits from the series includes...a brown dress.
146	* ''Series/BillNyeTheScienceGuy'' wears a lab coat, though it's usually blue, not white.
147	* ''Series/{{Forever}}'': Henry wears a white lab coat while working at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner as an M. E.
148	* ''Series/{{Friends}}'' {{lampshade\|Hanging}}s this, with Ross getting Joey a job as a maintenance worker at his college, and Joey discovering that those who wear blue coats (maintenance workers)can't mingle socially with white coat wearers (the scientists). A black woman leads Joey to an old white man who shakes his head sadly and tells him that there's always been a color bar between the white and the blue.
149	* ''Series/TwoAndAHalfMen'', in "It Never Rains In Hooterville" had [[Creator/AprilBowlby Kandi]] practicing for a part in a television series as a forensic scientist, wearing a lab coat over [[PaintedOnPants skin-tight pants]] and a [[Main/ImpossiblyLowNeckline scoop neck blouse]]. Having her lean over while facing the camera was [[Main/InnocentFanserviceGirl amazing]].
150	* ''Series/LessonsInChemistry'': Scientist-turned-cooking show host Elizabeth forgoes the apron for a lab coat on air to emphasize that cooking is essentially applied chemistry.
151	[[/folder]]
152
153	[[folder:Music]]
154	* Music/DoctorSteel is almost always seen in a somewhat comical-appearing PVC labcoat. His "doctorate" is never really specified, but he shows aptitude in a multitude of disciplines.
155	* Music/WeirdAlYankovic ends up wearing one at one point in his video for ''Jurassic Park.''
156	[[/folder]]
157
158	[[folder:Pinballs]]
159	* [[MadScientist Dr. E. Shock]] of ''Pinball/StrangeScience'' is always seen wearing one of these.
160	[[/folder]]
161
162	[[folder:Podcasts]]
163	* In ''Podcast/WelcomeToNightVale'', Carlos the obsessive OmnidisciplinaryScientist even has a casual weekend labcoat that he wears on dates.
164	[[/folder]]
165
166	[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
167	* ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000''[='=]s Fabius Bile wears a lab coat as an obvious marker of his nature as an EvilGenius MadScientist. Given that he spends much of his time involved in gruesome surgical experiments or mixing up dangerous alchemical elixirs, it's also of practical use. Of course, this being ''[[CrapsackWorld Warhammer 40K]]'', and Fabius being an amoral monster in league with the Infernal Powers, said labcoat is made from [[GenuineHumanHide stitched together human skins]].
168	* [[LargeHam Leonardo de Montreal]], of ''TabletopGame/ChuubosMarvelousWishGrantingEngine'', usually sports one to make it clear to the ''[[InsufferableGenius intellectual peasants]]'' surrounding him that he is the ''[[MadScientist master of nightmare science]]''.
169	* In ''TabletopGame/{{Rifts}}'', the technologically-oriented Men-Rall race adopted these after a human soldier gave one to a Men-Rall as a lighthearted joke.
170	[[/folder]]
171
172	[[folder:Theatre]]
173	* The doctor from ''Theatre/TheBookOfMormon'' usually dresses the same as other people in his village, but in the scene in his office he wears a meticulously clean white lab coat over his clothes.
174	[[/folder]]
175
176	[[folder:Toys]]
177	* ''Franchise/{{Tamagotchi}}'': Professor Banzo wears a white lab coat and is a scientist who runs the Strange Biology Institute and not only studies the alien race known as Tamagotchis, but was the one who discovered them in the first place.
178	[[/folder]]
179
180	[[folder:Video Games]]
181	* In ''VideoGame/{{Anachronox}}'', practically every scientist on Sunder, the planet of science (and on several other planets as well) wears a white lab coat. In order to board the Brain Train (the shuttle taking you to Sunder), you need to wear one yourself in order to look like you belong.
182	* ''VideoGame/BravelyDefault'' uses this along with [[SmartPeopleWearGlasses red glasses]] as the job outfit for the Spiritmaster, an advanced WhiteMage class.
183	* In ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquerTiberianDawn'', dr. Moebius wears one while in public, that is, while being interviewed in a tv studio by a journalist to explain the properties of tiberium. He also wears one in-game in the levels where he is a controllable civilian to rescue.
184	* The coroner and forensic experts in ''VideoGame/CriminalCase'''s police department wear white labcoats when they are performing analysis.
185	* In ''VideoGame/DayOfTheTentacle'', when Hoagie hires himself as Red Edison's assistant, he is told to "grab his labcoat and get to work", even though the only thing going on in Red's lab is simple mechanic work and Red himself isn't wearing one. The labcoat figures into a puzzle where it's used to make a kite.
186	* ''VideoGame/DemonHunterTheReturnOfTheWings'': Dayl is a rare scientist in a fantasy setting, and he wears googles and a labcoat. His Naru's counterpart Davichi also wears a similar labcoat.
187	* Dr. Mario ditches the hat and overalls for a labcoat in his [[VideoGame/DrMario own games]] as well as ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros''.
188	* Labcoats in the ''VideoGame/{{Fallout}}'' games give bonuses to your Science skill, and some Medicine-boosting apparel has the same look. From ''VideoGame/Fallout3'' on, there have been unique labcoats which boost both skills. ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'' has several in the Mad-Science-themed Old World Blues DLC which raise both the intelligence stat and the science skill. In ''VideoGame/Fallout4'', they only raise intelligence.
189	* ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'':
190	** Doctor Hojo of ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'' is never seen without his labcoat, even when laying down at the beach. His rival, Doctor Hollander, wears an identical coat in the [[VideoGame/CrisisCore prequel]]. It's used to establish their MadScientist status and highlight the madness in their scientific endeavors.
191	** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV'' has a labcoat as the unique armor of the Alchemist crafting class, invoking this trope.
192	* The antagonist of ''VideoGame/GameTengoku'', Genius Yamada, is a creepy perverted MadScientist who wears nothing ''but'' a labcoat.
193	* ''VideoGame/GoingUnder'': Fern, the scientist making Fizzle's flavors, wears one, with the Fizzle design all over in, it UnmovingPlaid.
194	* In ''VideoGame/HalfLife1''/''VideoGame/BlackMesa'', ''Blue Shift'', and ''Opposing Force'', almost every scientist you see is wearing a lab coat. Then, in ''VideoGame/HalfLife2'', there's a photo of some Black Mesa employees, and again, everyone in the photo is wearing a lab coat. In the same game, Kleiner is always wearing a white jacket, though it's not quite long enough to necessarily qualify as a lab coat, ''per se''. When you arrive at Black Mesa East, Eli says, "We'll get you out of that hazard suit and into your lab coat where you belong." Black Mesa scientists really like their lab coats, it seems. Though, to their credit, Eli, Judith, and Magnusson aren't wearing them in the ''Half-Life 2'' games — but Magnusson's assistant, Uriah (a vortigaunt), is wearing one.
195	* Tangent in ''VideoGame/IWasATeenageExocolonist'' wears a lab coat in her late teens as she continues studying Science and Engineering.
196	%%* Q in every ''Franchise/JamesBond'' game between ''VideoGame/AgentUnderFire'' and ''VideoGame/EverythingOrNothing''.
197	* In ''VideoGame/TheLastRemnant'', Rush's parents both wear these. The pair are some of the most well-known scientists studying Remnants in the Academy.
198	* In the Classic ''VideoGame/{{Mega Man\|Classic}}'' series, Doctors Light, Wily, and Cossack sport them; they are the foremost authorities in robotics in their world.[[note]]Cossack the lesser of the three.[[/note]] In artwork, Wily sometimes has his unbuttoned so that it [[BadassLongcoat billows out in the wind]].
199	* Naked Snake in ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid3SnakeEater'' gets one in order to infiltrate the soviet's weapon laboratories. Guards will be completely fooled by it as long as Snake doesn't start doing suspicious things like crawling around, but other scientists will immediately trigger the alarm if they see his face.
200	* In the interactive romance novel ''VideoGame/{{Moonrise}}'', Chika and player character are in their first year medical internship, so the traditional labcoat is required dress.
201	* ''VideoGame/MoshiMonsters'' has a scientist named Tamara Tesla, who wears a labcoat all the time.
202	* ''VideoGame/PaperChase'': In the Inform version, the psychologist, who is found in the psychology lab, is described as wearing a white coat.
203	* All the professors from the ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'' series save for [[VideoGame/PokemonDiamondAndPearl Professor Rowan]].
204	* In ''VideoGame/PotionPermit'', Dr. Nestor, Head of the Medical Association, is always seen wearing his lab coat over his clothes, unlike his employees, who dress casually.
205	* Risukuma from ''VideoGame/PuyoPuyo'' wears a white lab coat since he runs the science club at Suzuran Junior High. Ai from '' VideoGame/PuyoPuyoTetris'' wears one too.
206	* ''VideoGame/QuantumBreak'': From the FictionalDocument of the first half of the ''Time Knife'' screenplay:
207	--> Somebody knocks on Bruce's door and he opens it. It's a SCIENTIST LADY. She looks like a librarian with glasses but she is actually a scientist. You can tell because she has a lab coat.
208	* Given the prevalence of {{Mad Scientist}}s in the ''Franchise/ResidentEvil'' series, these inevitably show up. For example, William and Annette Birkin are never seen not wearing them, and even [[BigBad Wesker]], who, though a scientist, is generally never seen actually working in a laboratory, wears one in a flashback in ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil0''.
209	* Bowman Jeanne of ''VideoGame/StarOceanTheSecondStory'' wears one when in his pharmacy, and retains it if he joins the party. His special attacks are also themed around pills and medicine to further illustrate his association with this field.
210	* ''VideoGame/TalesOfXillia2'' has Jude wearing a labcoat as part of his new outfit signifying his role in spyrite research.
211	* The Medic in ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2'' wears one. In "Meet The Medic", we see him put on his coat while preparing for battle (AFTER performing open-heart surgery on The Heavy).
212	* ''VideoGame/TwistedWonderland'': During potion, alchemy or otherwise science-related classes, Night Raven College students wear lab coats with their dorm emblems printed on the left sleeve and color-coded bands on the breast pocket, and color-coded goggles.
213	* In ''VideoGame/XComEnemyUnknown'' dr. Vahlen wears a variant which is part a labcoat and part a uniform. She uses it in every cutscene, even in the control room of the base, outside the laboratories.
214	[[/folder]]
215
216	[[folder:Visual Novels]]
217	* Ema Skye from the ''Franchise/AceAttorney'' series always wears a white lab coat whenever she appears, befitting her dream of being a forensic scientist.
218	[[/folder]]
219
220	[[folder:Web Animation]]
221	* WebAnimation/HomestarRunner: Invoked in the WebAnimation/StrongBadEmail "stupid stuff", when Strong Bad gives Homestar a lab coat and NerdGlasses in order to make him seem smarter. It fails to make any impact on Homestar's intelligence, but the first word out of his mouth when he attempts to say something smart is "Science!"
222	* Alison from the Argentinian web series ''Triviatopia'' wears a labcoat (resembling a dress).
223	* Object Show characters sometimes wear ones. The most notable are [[WebAnimation/InanimateInsanity Test Tube]] and [[WebAnimation/ModernObjects Prof. Rubber]].
224	[[/folder]]
225
226	[[folder:Web Comics]]
227	* Dr [=McNinja=] of ''Webcomic/TheAdventuresOfDrMcNinja'' is either a ninja in a lab coat, or a doctor with a ninja outfit (with mask) under his labcoat.
228	* In ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive'', Tedd, Dr. Germahn and his staff often wear labcoats when working in their respective labs even though they are never seen working with hazardous chemicals as pointed out in the page quote.
229	-->'''Tedd:''' ''[in a shirt]'' [[http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2012-06-11 Hang on a sec.]] These theories are ''totally'' lab coat worthy.
230	* ''Webcomic/GirlGenius'': Agatha dons an awesome long labcoat with the arms burnt off while [[http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20090828 setting up the crazy device to fix up Tarvek.]]
231	* Laura Drake from ''Webcomic/JennyAndTheMultiverse'' constantly wears a light-purple version of the Howie-style mad-scientist labcoat, despite her repeated claims of not being a mad scientist. She's nominally a physicist.
232	* In ''Webcomic/Life2012'', [[http://www.cha0sden.com/Life.php?comic=46 Felicia puts one on when she starts brainstorming comic ideas on her whiteboard.]]
233	* ''Webcomic/MierukoChan'': {{Exploited\|Trope}} by Romm to blend in at a hospital with nothing but a cheap store-bought lab coat and surgical mask.
234	* ''Webcomic/AMiracleOfScience'': The wearing of labcoats, especially the high-collared sort, is a symptom of ScienceRelatedMemeticDisorder. When [[spoiler:Benjamin]] begins to relapse, he steals one of Virgil's and puts it on.
235	* Similarly, in ''Webcomic/{{Narbonic}}'', {{Mad Scientist}}s tend to wear these. Helen only does it at work, and has other outfits, Madblood (who's a mad engineer and really doesn't need to) wears it all the time. [[spoiler: Dave, after he goes mad, replaces his nerdy flannel with a labcoat, claiming the flannel was "getting nasty".]]
236	* ''Webcomic/PacificRimAmara'': Kai's companion Hannah, who was a former employee of his tech company and now tinkers in the workshop with him and looks after Amara, is always wearing a labcoat.
237	* Most scientists, including Dr. Euphemism, in ''Webcomic/ThePetriDish'', wear lab coats, but the interns don't.
238	* ''Webcomic/QuestionableContent'': [[GeniusDitz Raven]] wears a lab coat to her theoretical physics class, telling the professor that it "just feels so much more [[BuffySpeak sciencey]]".
239	* Frequently used in ''WebComic/SaturdayMorningBreakfastCereal''; {{lampshaded}} in [[http://smbc-comics.com/comic/awkard-ai "Awkward AI"]]:
240	--> "Why do we wear labcoats for computer science?"\
241	"In case the bits splash at us."
242	* Parodied in [[http://xkcd.com/699/ this]] ''Webcomic/{{xkcd}}'' strip.
243	-->Did you know you can just ''buy'' lab coats?
244	[[/folder]]
245
246	[[folder:Web Original]]
247	* In ''Script/C0DA'', the [[SnakePeople Tsaesci]] who work for "[[ArcVillain The Intellective]]", "a bionic despot of a parallel reality", wear them. The Intellective is attempting to invade the reality of the work with his "Videoverse", a SchizoTech land [[AdvertOverloadedFuture full of advertisements]].
248	* Some of the ''Website/SCPFoundation'''s enemies/prisoners give them the name "white robes", due to the lab coats their scientists wear.
249	[[/folder]]
250
251	[[folder:Web Videos]]
252	* The titular Dr. Horrible of ''WebVideo/DrHorriblesSingAlongBlog'' has a doctorate in horribleness. Of course, when he goes truly evil at the end, his white labcoat is traded in for a blood red one.
253	* WebVideo/TheNostalgiaChick introduced us to Doctors C. Block and C. Tease. They have had a few recurring appearances, and even crossed over to other Website/ChannelAwesome review videos. Though their doctorates are [[MorallyAmbiguousDoctorate morally ambiguous]] at best; ''WebVideo/ToBoldlyFlee'' reveals that at least one of them got their degree from a cereal box.
254	* ''WebVideo/WorldWarTwo'': Host Indy Neidell changes out of his usual WaistcoatOfStyle wardrobe in favor of one of these for the special series on Nazi drug use.
255	[[/folder]]
256
257	[[folder:Western Animation]]
258	* [[Characters/PhineasAndFerbHeinzDoofenshmirtz Dr. Doofenshmirtz]] of ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb'' claims to be an evil scientist, yet his doctorate was [[PhonyDegree purchased online]]. PlayedForLaughs as everyone who's not familiar with him [[GenreBlind thinks he's a pharmacist]].
259	* Dexter from ''WesternAnimation/DextersLaboratory'' is a young MadScientist in training who wears a labcoat--and apparently no shirt or pants under it, [[LongPants just boots]]. He might not have the formal education, but he certainly has the intelligence.
260	* Dr. Scratchensniff from ''WesternAnimation/{{Animaniacs}}'' wears one, despite supposedly being a psychiatrist.
261	* Dr. Five Eyes from ''WesternAnimation/SkysurferStrikeForce''
262	* Viceroy from ''WesternAnimation/RandyCunninghamNinthGradeNinja'' wears one, though his is lavender instead of the traditional white.
263	* Clyde Crashcup and Leonardo from ''WesternAnimation/TheAlvinShow''.
264	* A pair of scientists who often show up to give Daggett and Norbert some trouble in ''WesternAnimation/TheAngryBeavers'' always wear white lab coats. No matter what they do, it's ForScience!
265	-->''Being a scientist means never having to say you're sorry.''
266	** In one episode, they see Daggett putting on a labcoat and realize he's cured Norbert.
267	* In ''WesternAnimation/AdventureTime'', this is Doctor Princess's usual garb. [[Characters/AdventureTimePrincessBubblegum Princess Bubblegum]] often wears one when she's doing something science-y.
268	* Susan and Mary Test in ''WesternAnimation/JohnnyTest''.
269	* Both Lord Boxman and Professor Venomous from ''WesternAnimation/OKKOLetsBeHeroes'' wear lab coats. Boxman's has a HighCollarOfDoom and he wears it buttoned up; Venomous keeps his unbuttoned.
270	* Most scientists and doctors on ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'' wear white labcoats. Professor Hubert J. Farnsworth, the show's resident MadScientist, physicist and inventor, always wears a white labcoat, exceptions include only going to the beach and skiing. He wears his labcoat even to the baseball game. His former pupil and archnemesis Professor Wernstrom likewise wears a white labcoat. The Planet Express company doctor wears scrubs and a labcoat. Spoofed when there is a conference and every scientist wears a white labcoat despite them not being in a lab.
271	* Galaxy-tier supergenius and mad scientist Grandpa Rick from ''WesternAnimation/RickAndMorty'' sports his labcoat around the house as casualwear.
272	* In the ''WesternAnimation/BobsBurgers'' episode "[[Recap/BobsBurgersS11E20StealMagazineolias Steal Magazine-olias]]", Professor Foxtail is a FunnyAnimal fox scientist in the stolen magazine who dresses this way.
273	* The title character of the WesternAnimation/{{Superman\|TheatricalCartoons}} cartoon "WesternAnimation/TheMadScientist" wears a Howie-style coat and white trousers.
274	* ''WesternAnimation/InsideJob2021'': Of the main characters, Reagan (a roboticist) and Andre (a biochemist) wear labcoats as part of their outfits.
275	[[/folder]]
276
277	[[folder:Real Life]]
278	* [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nathan_Handwerker Nathan Handwerker]], founder of Nathan's Hot Dogs, used this trope to his advantage. His hot dog stand sold hot dogs for a nickel, half the price at the time of this competition. But customers hesitated, thinking the cheaper prices were because of bad ingredients. Handwerker offered free hot dogs to local doctors on the condition that they show up to his hot dog stand wearing their white labcoats. When people saw doctors in labcoats eating hot dogs, their concerns vanished and business boomed.
279	[[/folder]]

Context Main / LabcoatOfScienceAndMedicine