Anyone here from Omaha NE and is fed up trying to shadow a physician?

[CornHuskerUNL]

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A long time lurker here.

I am intending on applying to medical school next June, and I have e-mailed/called/faxed about 10 physicians (or their office assistant) a day, everyday, for the past 3 months (900 physicians). I first e-mailed every single faculty member listed on the UNMC and Creighton website, and then I started calling/faxing private physician's offices. Not a single one of them ever replied back to me, and not a single one of their secretaries who said they would get back to me ever did.

The UNMC's formal physician shadowing program won't let you be part of it until you have already *APPLIED* for medical school. What is the point of doing that when its already too late to make a difference in your application.

Anyone else here from Nebraska, and is fed up with our physicians who don't give a damn to pre-meds wanting to shadow?

 

[pefro123]

Volunteer in the UNMC or CUMC emergency rooms. U can get to know physicians in the ER if ur not shy and show some genuine interest in what's actually going on. Call ur family doctor or pediatrician that u went to while growing up. They should remember u and would be happy to let u shadow, or they'll feel obligated to let u shadow. At a minimum they can hook u up with a doctor who is open to pre-med shadowing. hope this helps

 

[CornHuskerUNL]

Volunteer in the UNMC or CUMC emergency rooms. U can get to know physicians in the ER if ur not shy and show some genuine interest in what's actually going on. Call ur family doctor or pediatrician that u went to while growing up. They should remember u and would be happy to let u shadow, or they'll feel obligated to let u shadow. At a minimum they can hook u up with a doctor who is open to pre-med shadowing. hope this helps

I being volunteered at UNMC for over 3 years now. Not a single doctor I met agreed to let me shadow - they all just refer me to the UNMC's shadowing program. Which, as I said, is completely useless as you have to have already APPLIED in order to even be eligible.

I grew up in another state, and obviously I can't contact them.

How did you get your shadowing experience?

 

[LizzyM]

Shadowing isn't essential if you've observed doctors at work during your years of service there.

 

[CornHuskerUNL]

Shadowing isn't essential if you've observed doctors at work during your years of service there.

In what other ways do you suggest I look for physicians to shadow?

Despite your opinion, I believe many schools, including mine, will view my lack of shadowing as red flags.

 

[LizzyM]

In what other ways do you suggest I look for physicians to shadow?

Despite your opinion, I believe many schools, including mine, will view my lack of shadowing as red flags.

Do you have a pre-med advisor? Does your advisor think you need to shadow given your hospital experience? If so, your advisor should help you find shadowing experiences in your community.

 

[CornHuskerUNL]

Do you have a pre-med advisor? Does your advisor think you need to shadow given your hospital experience? If so, your advisor should help you find shadowing experiences in your community.

Pre-med advisors at UNL are useless. I brought this up to her at least a dozen times, she doesn't know where I can shadow either in Omaha or Lincoln. All she does is do a google search infront of me and point me to the UNMC job shadowing program, which I explained to her in vain that I am NOT eligible for. All the other pre-med students got their shadowing through family and friend connections (I don't know anyone within my family or friend that is a physician).

I am so sick of Oh-My-Hoe (O-ma-ha) advertising itself to be a friendly Midwestern state, yet the physicians don't give a damn.

 

[Stumpyman]

my family is personal friends with tons of doctors (in different towns across America, as we used to move quite a bit) and every summer I usually go to 2-3 towns and shadow the doctors I know.
Just a suggestion, if you do know a few outside of Omaha.

 

[dani042]

Pre-med advisors at UNL are useless. I brought this up to her at least a dozen times, she doesn't know where I can shadow either in Omaha or Lincoln. All she does is do a google search infront of me and point me to the UNMC job shadowing program, which I explained to her in vain that I am NOT eligible for. All the other pre-med students got their shadowing through family and friend connections (I don't know anyone within my family or friend that is a physician).

I am so sick of Oh-My-Hoe (O-ma-ha) advertising itself to be a friendly Midwestern state, yet the physicians don't give a damn.

Hey, I'm from NE and we sure are one of the friendliest states around. PM me what you are looking for and I can see if I can help you out.

 

[BigRedBeta]

Your problem is that you went towards the academic physicians - ones that likely already have significant obligations to fellows, residents, and medical students. Throw in not wanting get into situations of possible bias and you're in a situation that makes shadowing difficult. There are so many other physicians in Omaha (or Lincoln, Fremont, Gretna or Council Bluffs) that you should EASILY be able to get the experience you need. Make better decisions and you'll see.

 

[CornHuskerUNL]

I went on google and typed in family physician in Omaha/Lincoln Nebraska, and I eventually went down the entire list, and no success whatsoever. I always follow up the initial call with fax and e-mails, and its useless.

 

[CornHuskerUNL]

Your problem is that you went towards the academic physicians - ones that likely already have significant obligations to fellows, residents, and medical students. Throw in not wanting get into situations of possible bias and you're in a situation that makes shadowing difficult. There are so many other physicians in Omaha (or Lincoln, Fremont, Gretna or Council Bluffs) that you should EASILY be able to get the experience you need. Make better decisions and you'll see.

I should also add - some on SDN recommend approaching academic physicians first, as they are used to people shadowing them, not the other way around.

In any case, I did both, and no luck whatsoever.

 

[mouse42]

I went on google and typed in family physician in Omaha/Lincoln Nebraska, and I eventually went down the entire list, and no success whatsoever. I always follow up the initial call with fax and e-mails, and its useless.

Do you drop off a CV or resume with a brief cover letter of why you want to shadow when you go into their offices to ask, and make sure to treat the front desk staff nicely? I know that shadowing isn't a job application, but treating it like one might get you enough attention to get in the door.

 

[LizzyM]

Is your parent the biggest malpractice lawyer in Nebraska? 😳

Is your telephone manner or your written communication such that you come across as a creep?

Maybe the family practice docs read JAMA: http://jama.ama-assn.org/content/305/10/1029.extract

As with applying for jobs, you may have more luck with a more personal approach than with cold calls. Network until you find someone who has a parent, sibling, uncle, aunt, cousin, or neighbor who is a physician. Maybe you can find someone who knows someone who works in a physician's office. Let that person ask on your behalf. Try to get them to set up a 20 minute meeting for coffee between you and the physician. Be prepared with good questions about the practice of medicine. With luck, you may be invited to shadow rather than have to ask. If it doesn't work out, at least you've had the opportunity to chat and have some of your questions answered.

 

[CornHuskerUNL]

Is your parent the biggest malpractice lawyer in Nebraska? 😳

Is your telephone manner or your written communication such that you come across as a creep?

Maybe the family practice docs read JAMA: http://jama.ama-assn.org/content/305/10/1029.extract

As with applying for jobs, you may have more luck with a more personal approach than with cold calls. Network until you find someone who has a parent, sibling, uncle, aunt, cousin, or neighbor who is a physician. Maybe you can find someone who knows someone who works in a physician's office. Let that person ask on your behalf. Try to get them to set up a 20 minute meeting for coffee between you and the physician. Be prepared with good questions about the practice of medicine. With luck, you may be invited to shadow rather than have to ask. If it doesn't work out, at least you've had the opportunity to chat and have some of your questions answered.

Given the fact that 900 physicians hasn't gotten back to me, driving around Nebraska dropping off CV and cover letters in person doesn't seem like a good prospect or pay off considering I have to work during the days.

I am highly professional in my e-mails and phone calls. Heck even AOA's iLearn mentorship website's physicians have not gotten back to me.

 

[kexy]

Who do you work under when volunteering? Nurses? Techs? Medical assistants? Whomever it is, ask them if they could set you up with any particularly nice/open physicians. When I volunteered, the only way I got to see surgeries/talk to physicians was by asking the techs I volunteered for.

 

[CornHuskerUNL]

Who do you work under when volunteering? Nurses? Techs? Medical assistants? Whomever it is, ask them if they could set you up with any particularly nice/open physicians. When I volunteered, the only way I got to see surgeries/talk to physicians was by asking the techs I volunteered for.

That is my point, everywhere, except for Ne"crap'ska has these open and friendly physicians.

After volunteering at Pediatrics for 10 month, I asked a familiar physician I see on a weekly basis if I could shadow him. He said he will talk to his boss. I asked him again in a week, he said to follow up again next week. After the 3rd time I asked him, he reported me to volunteering services because he felt volunteers shouldn't take "advantage" of this opportunity and that its distracting the physicians.

 

[LizzyM]

You need to learn to read. You totally misinterpreted my earlier message.

You don't seem to come across well in writing and based on your story about the pediatrician, you don't come across well in person either.

Apply without shadowing. Practice your interview skills. Hope for the best.

Don't come across as entitled, don't apologize or make excuses for lack of shadowing, don't criticize docs.

 

[Long Way to Go]

Can you post the text of one of the emails/faxes you sent out? I feel that there must be something off if not one of 900 people got back to you.

 

[xPhantom]

I go to UNL as well, and I haven't had any trouble finding shadowing experiences. The physicians here are definitely friendly and willing to help, but if 0 out of 900 physicians haven't replied to you... it could be something about your approach. I'd also be interested in seeing a copy of an email you've sent out.