Asking to shadow if you work near doctors but not with them?

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.

Gauss44

Full Member
10+ Year Member
Joined
Oct 28, 2012
Messages
3,185
Reaction score
416
I am an emergency room volunteer who's job is to float around helping patients for about 4 hours a week. I've been wanting to ask a doctor if I can shadow him/her for an hour, day, or whatever. So far none of the volunteers or lower level workers seem to make small talk with the doctors so I don't know them personally.

Should I just go up and say,"Hi my name is so and so, I'm a premed. I was wondering if I could shadow you?" Would that be too abrupt, pushy, forward? I'm too new to know all of the unwritten etiquette rules.

(Similar SDN discussions don't cover approaching doctors within your own department.)

Members don't see this ad.
 
Go for it. He/she will probably say yes, and if not, they will be nice about it. They understand the shadowing game, don't feel ashamed to ask.
 
Members don't see this ad :)
This is just like asking a girl out. You don't know until you ask.

In any case you should get to know the person first. Going up cold and asking is somewhat shocking. It can be considered to be rude.
 
This is just like asking a girl out. You don't know until you ask.

In any case you should get to know the person first. Going up cold and asking is somewhat shocking. It can be considered to be rude.

If asked in a nice way I don't see how a doctor would take it as rude.
 
This is just like asking a girl out. You don't know until you ask.

In any case you should get to know the person first. Going up cold and asking is somewhat shocking. It can be considered to be rude.

Some of these doctors I would rather ask out than to shadow. Shadowing is scary because it's new.
 
The attendings will likely be more receptive to having people shadow them. Just ask nicely and I'd say the majority of physicians would be more than happy to have you around!
 
They are just human. They were all in your position at once, and if they can't see you have an interest in medicine and are unwilling to help you out then don't waste your time trying to shadow them. Shadowing is one of the best things about being a premed. Do not settle for a doctor who is unwilling to teach.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN Mobile app please excuse punctuation and spelling
 
They are just human. They were all in your position at once, and if they can't see you have an interest in medicine and are unwilling to help you out then don't waste your time trying to shadow them. Shadowing is one of the best things about being a premed. Do not settle for a doctor who is unwilling to teach.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN Mobile app please excuse punctuation and spelling

This. I am an ER scribe and I never see volunteers really do this, but I think it'd be perfectly reasonable to ask to shadow a doctor for a part of his/her shift. Many (not all) of the doctors have very sociable and friendly personalities so there's a definite potion who would likely say yes.
 
This is just like asking a girl out. You don't know until you ask.

In any case you should get to know the person first. Going up cold and asking is somewhat shocking. It can be considered to be rude.

I respectfully disagree.

"Hi Doctor, my name is Premed!"
D: "Nice to meet you"
"Uh, so do you like....stuff? Doctor stuff?"

Just ask him if you can shadow him. If you just try to court him, he'll know your intentions and you'll just come off as timid and weak.
 
Members don't see this ad :)
There's some doctors I'd rather ask out if you catch my drift.

464px-Thirteen-house-season7.jpg
 
I went through the same thing as a volunteer. It didn't work out for me. I was told due to HIPAA, it's illegal to have pre-meds shadowing doctors. Later found out that wasn't true and all you have to do is sign a legal document explaining that you won't talk about what you saw, etc. Also, the Doc has to introduce you to the patient and if the patient agrees with you staying in the room then it's fine. IMO some of the hospitals MDs just don't want to go out of their way to set this up. It takes effort and working in a hospital drains you enough. Having a pre-med constantly watching and judging you makes the Docs exert more effort than they are willing to put out.

What worked for me, in terms of getting shadowing experience, was finding private practice physicians. They seem to be much more open to have a pre-med around. What I would do in your position is ask your parents/grandparents about MDs that they know of personally and get in contact with them. Tell them that you are a pre-med, really motivated, excited, etc, researched HIPAA and explain the procedure that I mentioned before (sign a doc, intro to patient) to the Doc. This will not only show that you understand HIPAA and value patients privacy, but really want this experience. This worked for me and I've shadowed several MDs so far.

Good Luck!
 
I respectfully disagree.

"Hi Doctor, my name is Premed!"
D: "Nice to meet you"
"Uh, so do you like....stuff? Doctor stuff?"

Just ask him if you can shadow him. If you just try to court him, he'll know your intentions and you'll just come off as timid and weak.


Yeah, what a "great" idea to ask a doctor on a date or something. Then pick her up, go to a restaurant and start asking about shadowing!!! Lol! That's such a TERRIBLE IDEA it's worthy of the movies.

If I were to be indirect, it would probably go something like, "Hi, Do you have a minute? My name is so and so. I'm a pre-med who's been wanting to shadow. I'm sort of new to this. Do you, as a doctor, have any suggestions regarding how to go about that here?" I'm sure there's a better way.
 
You miss 100% of the shots you don't take. - Wayne Gretzky.
 
The worst thing that will happen is that the doctor will say no. Then, you'll be in the same position you are now. Nothing else would have changed.

Best lesson I got from working in sales.
 
i went through the same thing as a volunteer. It didn't work out for me. I was told due to hipaa, it's illegal to have pre-meds shadowing doctors. Later found out that wasn’t true and all you have to do is sign a legal document explaining that you won't talk about what you saw, etc. Also, the doc has to introduce you to the patient and if the patient agrees with you staying in the room then it's fine. Imo some of the hospitals mds just don’t want to go out of their way to set this up. It takes effort and working in a hospital drains you enough. Having a pre-med constantly watching and judging you makes the docs exert more effort than they are willing to put out.

What worked for me, in terms of getting shadowing experience, was finding private practice physicians. They seem to be much more open to have a pre-med around. What i would do in your position is ask your parents/grandparents about mds that they know of personally and get in contact with them. Tell them that you are a pre-med, really motivated, excited, etc, researched hipaa and explain the procedure that i mentioned before (sign a doc, intro to patient) to the doc. This will not only show that you understand hipaa and value patients privacy, but really want this experience. This worked for me and i've shadowed several mds so far.

Good luck!

+1
 
At the teaching hospital I work at (which was also my very first hospital job with pt contact), I'd ask everyone- nurses and doctors included - on what so-and-so does, means etc. everyone is more than happy to answer your question. Although, at first, I would gauge their receptivity to my questions and see how their attitude is like. As for docs, you warm up to them by just asking these questions that you're genuinely interested in knowing. Then when you feel like the time is right, you pop the question in.

Now, that doc is one of my Facebook friends and I go out with him and his colleagues in the different department of the hospitals in dive bars and they call me the 'young buck.' Another plus side is that I can just ask a medical question by simply a text away.
 
Call and make an professional appointment with the Dr. to give he/she a time frame of your drop-in, then wait patiently for your 5 minutes of face to face time. Ask and you shall receive.

You must ask in person as email/phone it's way to easy to say no.
 
Top