How Can I Ask to Intern a Neurosurgeon (or other doctor)?

[Krebs Psychle]

Hello! Thank you in advance for reading this

My high school has an externship ("executive internship") program for high school seniors. Through this program, the student follows a profession for about 5hrs/wk. during school.

I applied and got accepted into this program. I'm really interested in pursuing medicine, and I really enjoy learning about behavioral sciences and the brain, so I was hoping to ask a neurosurgeon at my local hospital if I could intern him. Apparently, we've had high school students intern surgeons in various fields in the past few years.

My question is, how should I ask? Sorry if this is a dumb question. It's just that I figured that neurosurgeons are really busy and don't have time to make an appointment to talk with a high school student. Therefore, would it be okay for me to just give the receptionist at the department a portfolio containing my resume, a letter about my desire to intern the doctor, and a brochure of my high school's externship program?

Again, thank you for reading this!

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[mmmcdowe]

You can do that too, but I'd try emailing them first. You can also call the department's main office and ask the best way to go about shadowing as well.

 

[Snoopy2006]

When I was a premed, I just called the doctor's office and asked the receptionist if he had allowed pre-meds to shadow in the past and would be willing to again. But your way with the portfolio / brochure sounds more impressive.

Do not ask to have a face to face appointment with the doctor. The receptionist will relay your request and the doc will say either yes or no, and you'll move on. Keep trying until you find someone. Some docs just have too busy of a practice to teach, so don't take it personally. Eventually you'll find someone willing to let you shadow.

And by the way, if you're interested in the function of the brain, you might want to consider shadowing a neurologist instead of a neurosurgeon. The first doctor I ever shadowed with was a neurosurgeon, and while it was a great experience to get in the OR and watch surgeries (from afar), the theoretical teaching was minimal. It was just a bunch of spinal lesions in clinic followed by spinal surgeries. This will obviously vary from physician to physician, but as neurologists specialize in brain function/theory, you'll probably get more of that with a neurologist.

 

[Krebs Psychle]

Thank you both for the responses!

@Snoopy2006: I will definitely consider shadowing a neurologist! Haha, I have indeed heard that neurosurgeons do quite a lot of spinal surgeries, not just brain surgeries! I know someone who has epilepsy, and it's amazing to know how neurologists can diagnose and treat such brain disorders

 

[hippo_crates]

Going back to what the other person said, I volunteered with a general surgeon for a year and while the experience was great there wasn't much interaction because he was so busy with all the patients and busy focusing on the surgery. Now though I'm shadowing an infectious diseases specialist in the PICU and I go around with her team and round with them throughout the day. Since it's a small team and the patient load most days isn't that bad, they include me in sometimes on the thought process and I've learned a lot in a shorter amount of time. I actually asked her after I had been volunteering at the hospital for a couple months and since I'm in patient transport I have a lot of interaction with different doctors and nurses already and so a couple of them knew me.

 

[Krebs Psychle]

@hippo_crates Yeah, I could see how neurosurgeons are busy with the surgeries they perform AND the administrative tasks they have to do :/ That sounds like a really great experience! I was actually considering volunteering at my local hospital sometime soon, so maybe I could use that to my advantage to connect with doctors and nurses

 

[barsoum.michael]

I shadowed a neurosurgeon junior year of high school. It was awesome. All you have to do is email the doctor and ask

 

[Yazo]

I'm also going to be doing a senior internship on May 18-29, 5 hrs a day.
Are you from MA?

 

[Krebs Psychle]

@Yazo Cool! But nope, I'm in FL, the sunshine state! haha