DO's and DONT's while Shadowing Pods

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preDPM

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Hi Everyone,

Can someone please post tips on the Do's and Dont's while shadowing a Podiatrist?

Is it ok to ask a DPM to allow me to shadow for a month or more?

Any tips on how to approach a DPM to ask if they will let you shadow them?

Any other tips would be appreciated very much. Thanks you.
 
preDPM said:
Hi Everyone,

Can someone please post tips on the Do's and Dont's while shadowing a Podiatrist?

Is it ok to ask a DPM to allow me to shadow for a month or more?

Any tips on how to approach a DPM to ask if they will let you shadow them?

Any other tips would be appreciated very much. Thanks you.
Click to expand...

Hey preDPM,

I'll just let you know what I did to get some time with my DPM.

I called the office and talked to the staff - told them I was a pre-med who wanted to shadow a pod in the clinic. The doctor approved, and I went in the next week with my student ID and what-not. On this subject, AACPM has a link on the website through which you can find a mentor in your community.

Most of the DPM's I have met are so enthusiastic about their careers, they may want you back to the office for more time. Mine offered some surgery watching time, which I obviously took. They know that in order to make an intelligent, informed decision, takes more than two hours in the office.

Here are some tips I'll pass along -

Dress well. I did shirt, tie, and slacks everytime I was in the office. Even though you don't work for the doctor, your representing him/her when your with patients.

Ask questions. All of the DPM's I have been with have told me so much about education, residencies, etc. If they have invited you to their office, they would probably expect questions.

When you first meet the physicians, tell them a few interesting points about yourself. Don't turn it into Spring Break 2005 to Cancun-mind vomit. But, when you ask for a recommendation, the doctor will know a little more about you than "He/She is a student."

Good Luck, Friend!
 
^Nice post. Too bad there isn't a site that you can search for other docs that are available for shadowing.
 
TUSP0diatricM said:
Hey preDPM,

I'll just let you know what I did to get some time with my DPM.

I called the office and talked to the staff - told them I was a pre-med who wanted to shadow a pod in the clinic. The doctor approved, and I went in the next week with my student ID and what-not. On this subject, AACPM has a link on the website through which you can find a mentor in your community.

Most of the DPM's I have met are so enthusiastic about their careers, they may want you back to the office for more time. Mine offered some surgery watching time, which I obviously took. They know that in order to make an intelligent, informed decision, takes more than two hours in the office.

Here are some tips I'll pass along -

Dress well. I did shirt, tie, and slacks everytime I was in the office. Even though you don't work for the doctor, your representing him/her when your with patients.

Ask questions. All of the DPM's I have been with have told me so much about education, residencies, etc. If they have invited you to their office, they would probably expect questions.

When you first meet the physicians, tell them a few interesting points about yourself. Don't turn it into Spring Break 2005 to Cancun-mind vomit. But, when you ask for a recommendation, the doctor will know a little more about you than "He/She is a student."

Good Luck, Friend!
Click to expand...

Thanks a lot for those tips. I am an international student (English speaking country in the South Pacific) and have a lot of patient contact as I work in healthcare. I hope this will help me also when I am shadowing.

Btw do you need to read up on Podiatric diseases before shadowing? I mean how much prior knowledge would they expect you to have?
 
preDPM said:
Thanks a lot for those tips. I am an international student (English speaking country in the South Pacific) and have a lot of patient contact as I work in healthcare. I hope this will help me also when I am shadowing.

Btw do you need to read up on Podiatric diseases before shadowing? I mean how much prior knowledge would they expect you to have?
Click to expand...

Expectations in the knowledge department? None. Don't worry, you won't be pimped. They will be doing a lot of explaining to the patients, especially new patients, so you'll be learning a lot that way. They may interject information that they think will interest you as the student, especially if they know your educational background.
 
preDPM said:
Hi Everyone,

Can someone please post tips on the Do's and Dont's while shadowing a Podiatrist?

Is it ok to ask a DPM to allow me to shadow for a month or more?

Any tips on how to approach a DPM to ask if they will let you shadow them?

Any other tips would be appreciated very much. Thanks you.
Click to expand...

I would stay away from asking questions or even talking while you are in the room with the doctor and patient. That time is for patients and you may say something in front of the pt that the doc does not want you to say. Questions are good, but ask them when you are away from the patient. Good luck.
 
Instigator said:
^Nice post. Too bad there isn't a site that you can search for other docs that are available for shadowing.
Click to expand...

There is a site where you can search for shadowing opportunities. Go to the APMA website (www.apma.org/careers) and click on "DPM Mentor Network." If there are no doctors listed in your area, please feel free to contact the APMA at [email protected] Give us your location and we'll do our best to give you some names in that location. Best of luck.
 
IlizaRob said:
I would stay away from asking questions or even talking while you are in the room with the doctor and patient. That time is for patients and you may say something in front of the pt that the doc does not want you to say. Questions are good, but ask them when you are away from the patient. Good luck.
Click to expand...

Good point, the main point of "shadowing" is, just that, to SHADOW. If you have questions, save them till the physician is finished with the patient(s). (bring a notebook, in case you need to write down anything)
 
Can you ask the shadowing DPM (after few weeks/month) about what kind of salary would a DPM make in different settings i.e. private, hospitals, etc And ask what a new DPM grad can expect to earn in the 1st year and thereafter.

A lot of posts in this forum state vastly different salary ranges (40k-600k!!). Although the APMA, etc state an average of 150k or 270k, it is still difficult to for someone new to the field to guage the real truth.
 
preDPM said:
Can you ask the shadowing DPM (after few weeks/month) about what kind of salary would a DPM make in different settings i.e. private, hospitals, etc And ask what a new DPM grad can expect to earn in the 1st year and thereafter.

A lot of posts in this forum state vastly different salary ranges (40k-600k!!). Although the APMA, etc state an average of 150k or 270k, it is still difficult to for someone new to the field to guage the real truth.
Click to expand...

Hmmm, I never asked the pod I shadow specifically about his salary. But the guy kind of hinted that he's doing quite well after explaining the $1.5 million bid he placed on a house on the north shore of long island (ocean front property). He's a graduate of nycpm, head of the county's pod med association, 35 years old, chief of podiatry in a local hospital, etc. Did a 2 year residency in manhatten and specializes much of his practice in wound care.
 
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I used the mentor network on the aacpm website and emailed the doctors closest to me. They were very responsive and my shadowing experience was great. Bring a notebook!
 
I just went to Yahoo Yellowpages and looked up "DPM", I got a pretty large listing. I wrote down the names and addresses and drove around and asked a bunch of pods, if I could shadow them. The were all very helpful and said they would be glad to have me. I ended up just choosing the one closest to my house.

I would usually wear slacks and a tie to look professional. I would carry a notebook and write things down from time to time. Turns out the podiatrist that I was shadowing serves on the board for APMA, and is a huge advocate of the expansion of field of Podiatry. He would actually drive me around in his car back and forth from hospitals and clinics. Overall a wonderful experience.

It came in handy during my interview at Temple because the podiatrists that interviewed me actually new the the podiatrists that I was shadowing. I guess it came in handy because they accepted me.
icon12.gif
 
JackedUp said:
I just went to Yahoo Yellowpages and looked up "DPM", I got a pretty large listing. I wrote down the names and addresses and drove around and asked a bunch of pods, if I could shadow them. The were all very helpful and said they would be glad to have me. I ended up just choosing the one closest to my house.

I would usually wear slacks and a tie to look professional. I would carry a notebook and write things down from time to time. Turns out the podiatrist that I was shadowing serves on the board for APMA, and is a huge advocate of the expansion of field of Podiatry. He would actually drive me around in his car back and forth from hospitals and clinics. Overall a wonderful experience.

It came in handy during my interview at Temple because the podiatrists that interviewed me actually new the the podiatrists that I was shadowing. I guess it came in handy because they accepted me.
icon12.gif
Click to expand...


That's pretty cool about the pod you shadowed. Ironically, one of the DPM's iin my college town was a recent past president of the APMA! He is one of the original backers/founders of resolution 2015. He took me out to lunch earlier in the year and it was a really cool experience. 👍
 
I did a co-op through my school for shadowing. Because I was the first pre-pod they had in 10 years, my advisor and I had to set up things for myself, establish a grading scale, and give myself homework. Even though I'm from an area with a pretty small population, I got lucky because my childhood podiatrist had a lot more clout than I had realized. He was a graduate from Scholl, but a frequent guest lecturer at DMU back in the day, which was my first choice. I got to see the evaluation form the school gave him and he ranked me in the top 5% of shadowees he'd ever had. I think it was because I could play the part of the shadow, interact with patients when it was appropriate, and I asked a ton of questions about the different conditions I saw. I knew VERY little before I started my shadowing, but he saw my genuine interest and excitement in the profession. He's getting close to retirement, he said I could take over his practice if I wanted to.... i have no clue if he's serious. But, end of story, he must have written a pretty kick-*** letter of recommendation because I got interview offers almost immediately at every place I applied.
I also shadowed another DPM in my college town. I just called up the pod department at the hospital and asked who wanted to take me. I found that it was a better route than trying to seek them out individually, because the ones who didn't want a student observer wouldn't return my calls. So, dress nice, smile, and ask questions when you're out of the room!
 
JEWmongous said:
That's pretty cool about the pod you shadowed. Ironically, one of the DPM's iin my college town was a recent past president of the APMA! He is one of the original backers/founders of resolution 2015. He took me out to lunch earlier in the year and it was a really cool experience. 👍
Click to expand...

nice, Hatch? dude, so you got political ambitions? haha
 
TUSP0diatricM said:
Hey preDPM,

I'll just let you know what I did to get some time with my DPM.

I called the office and talked to the staff - told them I was a pre-med who wanted to shadow a pod in the clinic. The doctor approved, and I went in the next week with my student ID and what-not. On this subject, AACPM has a link on the website through which you can find a mentor in your community.

Most of the DPM's I have met are so enthusiastic about their careers, they may want you back to the office for more time. Mine offered some surgery watching time, which I obviously took. They know that in order to make an intelligent, informed decision, takes more than two hours in the office.

Here are some tips I'll pass along -

Dress well. I did shirt, tie, and slacks everytime I was in the office. Even though you don't work for the doctor, your representing him/her when your with patients.

Ask questions. All of the DPM's I have been with have told me so much about education, residencies, etc. If they have invited you to their office, they would probably expect questions.

When you first meet the physicians, tell them a few interesting points about yourself. Don't turn it into Spring Break 2005 to Cancun-mind vomit. But, when you ask for a recommendation, the doctor will know a little more about you than "He/She is a student."

Good Luck, Friend!
Click to expand...

This post is good, for all prospective healthcare professionals. Can we sticky it, please?
 
TUSP0diatricM said:
Hey preDPM,

I'll just let you know what I did to get some time with my DPM.

I called the office and talked to the staff - told them I was a pre-med who wanted to shadow a pod in the clinic. The doctor approved, and I went in the next week with my student ID and what-not. On this subject, AACPM has a link on the website through which you can find a mentor in your community.

Most of the DPM's I have met are so enthusiastic about their careers, they may want you back to the office for more time. Mine offered some surgery watching time, which I obviously took. They know that in order to make an intelligent, informed decision, takes more than two hours in the office.

Here are some tips I'll pass along -

Dress well. I did shirt, tie, and slacks everytime I was in the office. Even though you don't work for the doctor, your representing him/her when your with patients.

Ask questions. All of the DPM's I have been with have told me so much about education, residencies, etc. If they have invited you to their office, they would probably expect questions.

When you first meet the physicians, tell them a few interesting points about yourself. Don't turn it into Spring Break 2005 to Cancun-mind vomit. But, when you ask for a recommendation, the doctor will know a little more about you than "He/She is a student."

Good Luck, Friend!
Click to expand...

So about how long is acceptable for shadowing---what about a week?
 
lightfoot said:
I got to see the evaluation form the school gave him and he ranked me in the top 5% of shadowees he'd ever had. I think it was because I could play the part of the shadow, interact with patients when it was appropriate, and I asked a ton of questions about the different conditions I saw. I knew VERY little before I started my shadowing, but he saw my genuine interest and excitement in the profession. He's getting close to retirement, he said I could take over his practice if I wanted to.... i have no clue if he's serious.
Click to expand...

That's almost the same boat I'm in! Unfortunately my GPA is pretty sub-par as of right now, but I've shadowed this DPM seven times last summer and scrubbed in on 4 different surgeries with him. He was very eager to take me and has constantly kept in touch. He also mentioned the same thing about his practice. I really need to get into school first!
 
Le tout puissant- Bist du der Allmaechtig? (German)
 
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Dites-moi pourquoi nous sommes tous Français parlant ?
 
Vad sa du? Jag forstår inte! (swedish)
 
Worüber sprechen Sie?....breebINSCHMLIGEN
undt HEIMEINSCHLIEEEPENDEIMAH vINAH undt eina GUUGEIN HIEEEMAAH!!!!

(GERMAN)
 
Iaith gorau Cymraeg.

I mewn Cymraeg y enw - Troed meddyg llawdriniaeth.

Bendigedig!
 
aith gorau Cymraeg.

I mewn Cymraeg y enw - Troed meddyg llawdriniaeth.

Bendigedig!






Haha wtf is this Welsh!!! half welsh right here lol can't speak it though
 
ThetaChiNAU1856 said:
aith gorau Cymraeg.

I mewn Cymraeg y enw - Troed meddyg llawdriniaeth.

Bendigedig!






Haha wtf is this Welsh!!! half welsh right here lol can't speak it though
Click to expand...

It's very bad Welsh. I'm sure my Nan would vomit if she saw me speaking like this. :laugh:
 
Is the likelihood of me getting deferred by the podiatrist higher because of the fact that I'm not enrolled into a pre-med program yet? I'm hoping not; the earlier the better...
 
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Whatever you do; do NOT hit on his wife or daughter! Other than that you should just be yourself. Well, not the drunk for three days and havent been able to take a shower and brush your teeth-self. The shirt and tie with a little attitude that shows you are confident but not cocky-self.
 
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