what is the best approach to find a DO to shadow?

That should be fine. All I did was go on my schools website and type in DO and found a couple at my schools hospital (MCV). I emailed one and he wrote back and Ive been shadowing him for a year now. Regular mail will probably work good too. Good luck

I opened up the phone book and went online and started calling every DO in a 60 mile radius. Even though I work at a large private hospital they still would not allow me to shadow a DO. I would suggest smaller county hospitals or clinics. That is were I shadow a DO. It is so relaxed that nurses, ER docs, MDs and DOs invite me over for dinner to help me with my app. process. I do have to drive 30 mins but it is SOOOOO worth the $4.00 a gallon gas. Good luck!!

pharm1234 said:

I am thinking about mailing a letter to DOs in the area expressing my interest in shadowing them. Has this worked for anyone? Is there a better approach?

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That's a good plan. You might ask a doc you know if they know of any DO's who would take you on. Even if you only know them as a pt, it's still worth a shot.

Pls excuse me for my naiveness but i worked at the hospital for two years and i keep hearing shadowing a doc, can someone ls tell me what shadowing a doctor means? Is it only used for working in the clinic(bcs i never did that), or is it the same thing as scribe(basically writing down the charts and fllowing the doc in the ER) thanks.

Kubed said:

That's a good plan. You might ask a doc you know if they know of any DO's who would take you on. Even if you only know them as a pt, it's still worth a shot.

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ineedhelp85 said:

Pls excuse me for my naiveness but i worked at the hospital for two years and i keep hearing shadowing a doc, can someone ls tell me what shadowing a doctor means? Is it only used for working in the clinic(bcs i never did that), or is it the same thing as scribe(basically writing down the charts and fllowing the doc in the ER) thanks.

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Shadowing a doc consists of standing there watching treatment of patients in the office, and sometimes watching surgery. Most of the time a doctor will let you look at the chart/x-rays (if applicable) and let you know what is going on. Some doctors will actually let you participate in office visits (in small ways) or watch up close surgery(scrub in) and talk to you and let you know what they are doing and why (these are the doctors you want to shadow). Other doctors will let you watch but will not explain that much.

The main thing to remember is not to get in the way and to help if at all possible. Stay humble, dress professionally, be on time, and do not overstay your welcome. Most doctors you shadow will allow you to shadow them for 2 or 3 days. Other will allow you to shadow for a week or more (these seem to be the exception).

Good luck to you , hope I have helped.

ineedhelp85 said:

Pls excuse me for my naiveness but i worked at the hospital for two years and i keep hearing shadowing a doc, can someone ls tell me what shadowing a doctor means? Is it only used for working in the clinic(bcs i never did that), or is it the same thing as scribe(basically writing down the charts and fllowing the doc in the ER) thanks.

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Just echoing what hardbody said.

There's two aims in showing a doc. 1) getting clinical exposure to see if medicine is really for you and 2) getting a letter of rec. from the doc. Most doctors remember their pre-med time and know why you're there. Hopefully you can find a cool doc who will let you follow him around for a few days, let you sit in while he interviews patients, let you watch procedures… etc.

Good luck.

I was totally in the same boat. I started out by asking my fam. practice doctor if she knew anyone and she highly recommended someone. So I wrote a heartfelt letter to her and put it in a card I signed. Never heard back, so I wrote 10 more letters and received 3 responses, which was surprising to me.

So after all of that, I'm now shadowing and working on a research paper with a D.O. who has a lot of advice to offer. I have the luxury of living in a big city, so there were many to choose from. Good luck to you.

I called my local Osteopathic Association, and they were very helpful in giving my names of DO's who have been open to students in the past. I also told them that I was interested in seeing manipulation, and they knew which doctors used it and which ones didn't.

I'm about to go shadow my first DO in about a 1/2 hour. Hopefully we will hit it off.

Here is a link to a searchable database of Osteopathic physicians who have signed up to be mentors for potential medical students, etc. You can search each state individually, so chances are you will find a physician who is willing no matter where you live. It was in the FAQ section of this forum.

Sundarban1 said:

Here is a link to a searchable database of Osteopathic physicians who have signed up to be mentors for potential medical students, etc. You can search each state individually, so chances are you will find a physician who is willing no matter where you live. It was in the FAQ section of this forum.

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The Mentor site... it's not just for med students, right? Premeds can use it?

Oculus Sinistra said:

The Mentor site... it's not just for med students, right? Premeds can use it?

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Yes, pre meds can use it.

would it matter if we shadowed a MD instead of a DO and want to go to a DO schoollll....

Hope14 said:

would it matter if we shadowed a MD instead of a DO and want to go to a DO schoollll....

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It sure does matter. You can do 90% of your shadowing with M.D.'s, that does not matter. However, most schools require a letter of rec from a D.O. and you can't exactly pull that one out of a hat.

Hardbody said:

It sure does matter. You can do 90% of your shadowing with M.D.'s, that does not matter. However, most schools require a letter of rec from a D.O. and you can't exactly pull that one out of a hat.

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most schools DO NOT require a DO letter- most schools will accept either a DO or MD letter. i think there are only 2-3 schools which will not accept an MD letter in lieu of a DO letter. while it is better to have a DO letter in most cases, if you have a letter from an MD who you have shadowed for months vs a letter from a DO you have shadowed twice, i would go with the MD letter- advice right from the DO adcoms.

I'm just going to find me an emergency med DO to write me a letter. I'm not shadowing some FP doc just to get a letter. I have done no shadowing and I do not plan on it.

I find it easy to find a doc to shadow--it seems many docs are very receptive and understanding to the idea to shadow. Try calling up hospitals and ask. Some even have shadowing programs where they give you a range of choices of docs to shadow.

markboonya said:

most schools DO NOT require a DO letter- most schools will accept either a DO or MD letter. i think there are only 2-3 schools which will not accept an MD letter in lieu of a DO letter. while it is better to have a DO letter in most cases, if you have a letter from an MD who you have shadowed for months vs a letter from a DO you have shadowed twice, i would go with the MD letter- advice right from the DO adcoms.

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While I do not have the ambition to look up which schools actually require the D.O. letter right now, I am pretty sure it is more than 2-3. I plan on applying to 8 schools this cycle and I am pretty sure all but 2 of them require the D.O. letter. I also have not called to see if they would take an M.D. letter in lieu of a D.O. letter, so maybe the number of schools that actually adhere to their policy strictly is 2-3, but I think it would be wise to get the D.O. letter anyway. I absolutely agree with you that schools look at the relationship you have with ALL your LOR writers.

pharm1234 said:

I am thinking about mailing a letter to DOs in the area expressing my interest in shadowing them. Has this worked for anyone? Is there a better approach?

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You probally shouldn't write a letter. I would suggest that you call the doctor you want to shadow. Also be persistant because doctors are busy people and most won't even call you back so you have to take the intiative. Make a list of all the DO's in your area and try all of them. Also you will NEVER speak to the doctor when you ask for him/her, so make sure you leave a message and don't just say you'll simply call back. The nurses at all the places I have shadowed at say something like "The doctor is seeing patients" even though the doctor was standing right there. Don't be discouraged you will eventually find a DO

pharm1234 said:

I am thinking about mailing a letter to DOs in the area expressing my interest in shadowing them. Has this worked for anyone? Is there a better approach?

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When I started my search for a DO to shadow, I ran around with my head cut off. I didn't know where to start. Basically what I did was search for as many DOs in my area as possible. I called their offices for the correct mailing address. I, then, wrote a solid cover letter. Treat this as if you're applying for a job. You want to sell to the DO the idea that you're in on this for the experience and the lessons to be learned. I told them that I believe that they will be a key factor to my success in osteopathic medicine. I also told them my goals, my prior experiences (internships, volunteering), my willingness to undergo any protocols and documents about patient confidentiality, and my academic background (ie. graduating with a BS in biological science). Just be firm. At the end, I told them (not ASKED them) that I will be doing a follow up of the letter within a week to make arrangements to meet with the doctor for an interview. Take the initiative. Like I've read many times in the replies above, these doctors are very busy. They run on a schedule, therefore you make one for them (and for yourself). Lastly, I attached a list of all my internships and a description of experience (ie. tasks). In the end, I'm now shadowing one of the best surgeons in my city--also the first DO surgeons to break the invisible wall to operate in the hospital. I've been enjoying the experience ever since.

They are busy, but they are definitely people with compassion. These doctors understand the true values of shadowing, so make sure you let them know that you will definitely gain something out of them.

Last tactic, mail your letters in batches of 5-7 or so. Give them a week before you start calling them. For every rejection you get, not only will you get sympathy but also 1-2 more recommended doctors to contact, AND free emailing consultation for help in the application process.

Doctors = package of human nature and compassion.

how long a time span do you think would count as a proper/appropriate amount to request a letter

lina123321 said:

how long a time span do you think would count as a proper/appropriate amount to request a letter

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good question!

would a week be good enough

lina123321 said:

how long a time span do you think would count as a proper/appropriate amount to request a letter

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I think if you feel the doctor knows you well enough to write you an outstanding letter, that should be the time span. Some doctors require extra time outside of the office to get to know you better. Some don't take the time and just asks for a copy of your personal statement so they can work off of that. Use your best judgement. It's better to have only one GREAT letter than 10 mediocre letters.

Good luck.

pharm1234 said:

If you shadow multiple physicians do you tell one about the other?

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If they ask who else have you or are currently shadowing, then of course you tell them. This is why it is important not to make a bad impression on any one doc, many docs know each other.

pharm1234 said:

So if the doctor doesn't ask don't bring it up? I shadowed a doctor for a day but the doc's practice is a little bit of a drive and I really don't want to go there anymore because I have another doc who is closer. What do I say?

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If they are not located near each other and are in completely differnet specialties, they probably do not know each other. I am not sure as to why you would not mention it if/when asked, but if you do not want to tell the new doc for whatever reason I would guess he would not find out. It is not like doctors talk to every doctor they know and ask, "hey, have you had any pre meds shadow you lately? And if so, what are the names?".

pharm1234 said:

I am not worried about docs talking to each other. If asked I will say who I shadowed. When I was leaving, after shadowing, the doc said I can come back on a later date if I wanted. I said OK. I don't really want to go back because its too far away and have a place closer where I can go. Do I just tell the doc I got another opportunity closer so I won't be back? I want to end it nicely and leave it open to go back in the future if I have time.

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Send the doc a thank you card. It will be remembered and if you want to go back sometime in the future, the door will be wide open.