AOA mentorship

[Jessica Stone]

Advertisement - Members don't see this ad

Hello my name is Jessica 🙂 and I have a couple of questions about the AOA mentorship program that I'm hoping someone can help answer. As you can tell, I decided on applying to medical school a few months ago and I plan on applying to a couple of DO schools in addition to the MD school in my area.

I know that DO schools strongly encourage premedical students to shadow DO physicians, so I checked with the AOA, filled out the personal information page (I selected about 20 DO physicians that I thought would be a good match), and submitted it through their website. On the website, it says that AOA mentors will contact interested mentee within two weeks.

So my question is, how long does it usually take for the mentors to get back to you after you select their name and send them your name and contact information? How many mentors did you eventually hear back from (did you have to contact them in order to arrange shadowing opportunities)? I'm just wondering because shadowing DO's seems so different from shadowing MD physicians. Also were there any differences between shadowing MD or DO's. Thanks for helping me out everyone!

 

[TeamZissou]

I dunno what luck others have had with this program, but I sent my info to some docs who were alumni from the school I'm likely attending. I let them know I was probably attending their school and would like to shadow them to learn more about their specialty as well as any insight they had on the school. Its been 2 months with no response. Maybe I should have cast a wider net but I'd guess the best way to go about it is find the mentors you want to shadow. Find their contact information and contact their practice directly via email or mail and then maybe you'll get a response.

I know that kind of goes outside of the program but hey gotta make things work somehow.🙄

 

[Jessica Stone]

I dunno what luck others have had with this program, but I sent my info to some docs who were alumni from the school I'm likely attending. I let them know I was probably attending their school and would like to shadow them to learn more about their specialty as well as any insight they had on the school. Its been 2 months with no response. Maybe I should have cast a wider net but I'd guess the best way to go about it is find the mentors you want to shadow. Find their contact information and contact their practice directly via email or mail and then maybe you'll get a response.

I know that kind of goes outside of the program but hey gotta make things work somehow.🙄

Thanks for the insight! 🙂 Yeah I've wondering about it since I submitted my contact info nearly 2 weeks ago and I haven't heard back yet. Either the website is out of date or I just randomly picked 20 very busy docs. I'll see what I can do, but thanks a ton!

 

[rddoms]

I haven't had any luck with the AOA Mentorship program either (trying to get info on specialty residency programs from the PD's, etc.). When I was an undergrad, I grabbed a phone book and called some offices. The docs were really eager to let me shadow, and let me start within a couple of days. If you do that, I'd have a CV and maybe a brief statement about your interests (some docs like to have that stuff). If you don't get any replies from the AOA Mentorship program, try calling some docs yourself.

Good luck!

 

[engineeredout]

I literally checked off every DO on that list in a 20 mile radius from me. eventually heard back from one, whom I ended up shadowing and getting my LOR from.

Id wait longer than two weeks, maybe a month or so. If you don't hear anything, check off EVERYONE.

GOod luck

 

[Jay Strongbone]

Jess contact the DO's personally. I think you might have better luck asking them if it would be cool if you shadowed them in their respective offices. Some hospitals are rather frugal when it comes to letting a doc do rounds with a pre-med student, usually do to insurance of course. good luck and go introduce yourself to the local DO's.

 

[DrWBD]

Hello my name is Jessica 🙂 and I have a couple of questions about the AOA mentorship program that I'm hoping someone can help answer. As you can tell, I decided on applying to medical school a few months ago and I plan on applying to a couple of DO schools in addition to the MD school in my area.

I know that DO schools strongly encourage premedical students to shadow DO physicians, so I checked with the AOA, filled out the personal information page (I selected about 20 DO physicians that I thought would be a good match), and submitted it through their website. On the website, it says that AOA mentors will contact interested mentee within two weeks.

So my question is, how long does it usually take for the mentors to get back to you after you select their name and send them your name and contact information? How many mentors did you eventually hear back from (did you have to contact them in order to arrange shadowing opportunities)? I'm just wondering because shadowing DO's seems so different from shadowing MD physicians. Also were there any differences between shadowing MD or DO's. Thanks for helping me out everyone!

If you want to shadow a DO (or a physician in general) your best bet, in my opinion, is to find one in academic practice. Physicians in private practice, MD or DO, often find it difficult to accomodate a stranger following them around in their office.

If you're in NY, as I'm guessing from your profile, look up a program director from one of the local osteopathic family practice or internal medicine residencies. Usually they'll be making teaching rounds at a hospital or precepting a resident's clinic at least once a day, so you being there observing wouldn't be an additional burden.

Here's the NYCOMEC website for you to take a look at:
http://iris.nyit.edu/~nycomec/

 

[Jessica Stone]

If you want to shadow a DO (or a physician in general) your best bet, in my opinion, is to find one in academic practice. Physicians in private practice, MD or DO, often find it difficult to accomodate a stranger following them around in their office.

If you're in NY, as I'm guessing from your profile, look up a program director from one of the local osteopathic family practice or internal medicine residencies. Usually they'll be making teaching rounds at a hospital or precepting a resident's clinic at least once a day, so you being there observing wouldn't be an additional burden.

Here's the NYCOMEC website for you to take a look at:
http://iris.nyit.edu/~nycomec/

Thanks wanna_be!

 

[eagleMDtoDO]

The only problem you may face in shadowing a doc on his rounds at a hospital is the hospitals administration. I shadowed a few doc's on their rounds, but had to jump through a few hoops. Luckily I did some of my training for certifications for CNA and phlebotomist at the hospital. Because of that, the admin remembered me an ok'd the deal. Some admins can be pricks and not allow it (I'm in a different state, so may be different rules). Give it a shot, all they can do is say no. If all else fails, find a D.O. and go to his/her office with your resume and ask if they would allow shadowing. It may be harder to turn someone down in person than over the phone. Good luck.

 

[yangxx2]

I tried it out, actually.
I only filled out my state information, and then just clicked on all the DO's that were in nearby towns.
I got declined two (I guess because they were so busy) and one has contacted me! 😀
I filled it out approximately 2-3 days ago.
So I would say your best bet is to have as broad a range as possible in the search criteria, and narrow it down from there.