Pretty simple question. Also, since I volunteer in the ER, it would make sense to ask an EM doc to shadow, but are these fellows too...umm, busy compared to another IM doctor?

Pretty simple question. Also, since I volunteer in the ER, it would make sense to ask an EM doc to shadow, but are these fellows too...umm, busy compared to another IM doctor?

In general, yes, but obviously it depends on the physician (and possibly that particular hospital's policy... usually it isn't a problem). I don't think it hurts to ask.

Btw, both types of doctors are going to be plenty busy. But IM docs (i.e. internists/hospitalists) have one tough and some might say thankless job. Arguably among the most demanding and stressful jobs of any doctor in the hospital (topped only by ICU docs and general surgeons). Much more so than EM, in my humble opinion.

Quick off topic question, what do you do at the ER? I was thinking about volunteering at one.

Yea, what do you guys do in ER ???

Telling the patient he/she is all right ? :rolleyes:

IM docs (i.e. internists/hospitalists) have one tough and some might say thankless job. Arguably among the most demanding and stressful jobs of any doctor in the hospital (topped only by ICU docs and general surgeons). Much more so than EM, in my humble opinion.

Hmmm, that is a different perspective, thank you. I almost feel bad for not thinking of that.


As for what I do at the ER: stock equipment carts, stock the rooms with other various things, make nursing flowsheet packets, make allergy bracelets, make ER transfer forms, make bedpan packages, make specimen sample bags, and the largest part is going from room to room asking if there is anything you can do to help the patient, whether it be just sitting and talking or bringing them food/water/blanket or getting the nurse if necessary.
There are tons of times when the place is either empty (depending on your hours) or the ENTIRE place just seems to not want anything, making you feel like an idiot going from room to room facing all these seemingly-annoyed people. But there are also so many interesting people who I've met and will never forget talking to. Know that this is not always a good thing, as I have talked to some mentally unstable people (yet still interesting and quite often polite), and you need to be able to respond to these people in the right way. Luckily no one has ever gone bonkers on me.
It's also odd to go from the doctors' perspective to the patient's as you go back and forth. Overall it's pretty cool. Sometimes I've been to the lab to pick things up too.

i volunteered in the ER for three years.
this is what i did:

1) i went into the patient snack room and ate the snacks. they have great juice boxes and popsicles.
2) i read through patient charts. most of them were for friends who had stumbled into the ER due to alcohol poisioning, std's, UTI's, and other various things. now i have a lot of dirt on a lot of people i know. of course i can never say anything to anyone about it, but at least i know it.
3) i hung out in the trauma room (where patients who are admitted from ambulances and helicopters arrive) usually these patients are stabbed or shot so its cool to see doctors IN ACTION!

I shadowed an orthopedic surgeon over the summer before my senior year while I was in HS.

I was able to follow him in clinic a few days a week and then I watched him in surgery the other days. It was some amazing exposure that early on.

I know my med school actually has a summer program for HS students where they shadow a number of different health professions. I saw the presentations they put together at the end, a bunch of them got into OR, ED and various clinics around the hospital.

It's definitely possible to shadow and get exposure as a HS student. The best way to do this is to talk to family friends or docs you know. Ask them if you can shadow them for a day or if they know someone you can. If that doesn't work, you might be able to find a formal program that is designed to give HS students exposure to the health professions (such as a mini-med school, or an outreach program, etc).

Ok, so a doctor that I've spoken to in the ED before would be a good choice? I haven't seen my family physician in forever....I don't even know who it is.

I shadowed 2 different anesthesiologists in high school. It was really cool.

im going to try and shadow an anesthesiologists next summer

Ok, so a doctor that I've spoken to in the ED before would be a good choice? I haven't seen my family physician in forever....I don't even know who it is.

Yes, a doctor that you know is a great way to get involved in shadowing. Just be aware though that as far as shadowing goes, it won't be an exciting experience. Typically, do to HIPAA and patient protections laws, you aren't allowed to touch a patient, so you'll be mostly just watching the doctor speaking with patients and ordering tests.

With that said, when I shadowed a couple of ER docs in highschool, I thought it was a great experience that helped to solidify my decision to enter medicine.

I see. Thanks. I didn't really expect to be touching patients anyway, I mean it is called shadowing so I expect to just follow the doc around.

Oh another question. Would I be bringing anything to take notes on like a clipboard or something? I'm curious about this because I've seen a couple people following around a doctor, going into rooms with clipboard and just writing stuff down. They're definitely not nurses, and they don't seem to be the normal registration/payment folks. I sorta wanna know what they do.

I shadowed a Cardiologist at his practice the past two days. He has a 1800 dollar chair that was ****ing sweet.

Oh another question. Would I be bringing anything to take notes on like a clipboard or something? I'm curious about this because I've seen a couple people following around a doctor, going into rooms with clipboard and just writing stuff down. They're definitely not nurses, and they don't seem to be the normal registration/payment folks. I sorta wanna know what they do.

Bring a mini-spiral/notepad and a pen. Something that is easy to carry around. You don't need a clipboard.

Chances are the clipboard you've seen other people carrying into the room is the patient's vitals (blood pressure, heart rate, temperature, respiration rate, pulse oximetry).

Why are these people dressed differently from all the nurses and doctors? They're not wearing scrubs or coats, and I don't think they're registration/money people because they just go in the room with the doctors and stuff, whereas the money people here only go in after the patient is ready to be discharged.

If they're not medical people (doctor, nurse, tech, PA, MA, NA, etc) or registration/scheduling/billing (clerk, registrar, whatever) they might be study people- go in , ask a few questions, write down the answers.

Then you file the form somewhere and forget about it for a few years. :D

They could also be social work, nutrition, patient representatives, legal.

What do you do in the ER? I worked in the ER checking people in...it's a very intresting experience.

Okay, I should have gotten to this sooner. I do all of my shadowing in two ER's One is a Top 10 Level 1 Trauma and the other is not top 10 but also Level 1.

Pretty simple question. Also, since I volunteer in the ER, it would make sense to ask an EM doc to shadow, but are these fellows too...umm, busy compared to another IM doctor?

I like every EM doc I have ever met. Generally (and this is soley based on my experiences) they are extremely busy. The nurses take less patients and they don't really talk much to other EM's (unless they have residents) which means they like the company. They see a lot of crap so tend to be pretty lax. All of them explain anything I ask about, including about the personal aspects of medicine i.e. (The pay/healthcare sucks because...). Every now and then (a couple times each time I shadow) they will ask about medical things for me to answer. Usually really simple stuff that I have already seen at least once. ex. "This Pt has athsma and is using her inhaler 3 times / day, what is something else we can do?" or "Okay so a little blood in the urine and pain on the rt lower back, what is something it could be?" Easy stuff that makes you realize you are picking up on some stuff and makes it feel like you aren't wasting your time there.

Quick off topic question, what do you do at the ER? I was thinking about volunteering at one.

As a volunteer I can't help you there. When shadowing it depends on your attending, but overall not much. I get introduced to all of the patients (in a way that doesn't sound like it is optional for me to be there). One of the attendings I shadow has me touch just about every patient in some way. Listen to lung/heart sounds and pulls me in to see things. The other is more of an observing thing but shes really good at explaining things and answering questions. I should add she sees more patients and has no residents so she really doesn't have the time to let me touch the patients as it isn't really medically nessesary.

Yea, what do you guys do in ER ???

Telling the patient he/she is all right ? :rolleyes:

I don't talk to the patients at all really. The first thing you will see is that the Doc isn't in the room long and there are more important things that need talked about than me or anything I could say. That being said sometimes they want to start a conversation and I oblige but it's pretty much an unspoken rule that I leave when the attendings do. (This is a good policy to avoid being asked questions, esp from drug seekers who are the natural enemy of the ED physicians.

I hope I answered this well. I just got back from the ED and am extremely out of it.

i wonder if "shadowing" as a HS student is allowed in Hong Kong =/
b/c all your personal stories sound so good~!

I volunteer in the ER too.

I will be observing surgery all day Friday.