Closest thing to shadowing a psychiatrist?

[Brain Whisperer]

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(sorry if it's the wrong place to post this)

Hi guys, I've been recently in a predicament where I'm deciding if I should go into medical school. If I were to go, my number 1 option is very easily psychiatry since I imagine there's enough variation to not get bored (and the medscape burnout/hours worked/overall happiness is very good) plus it's very doable from a DO school.

However, I have no idea how a psychiatrist spends their day and whether I'll enjoy doing this for the rest of my life. Shadowing doctors here in Canada is a bitch already, so there's no chance for psychiatrists.

What's the best way to gain experience into the job before getting into med school? Any advice is appreciated

 

[UTsksk]

Finding a psychiatrist to let you shadow is a pain. I had a difficult time getting psychiatrists to let me do an elective rotation with them even when I told them I was a 4th year going into psych. Some specialties that see psych cases that are probably easier to shadow would be family med, emergency med, and neuro.

 

[splik]

it's all relative, but the closest thing to shadowing a psychiatrist is stalking one. i do not personally endorse this however

 

[Taddy Mason]

You could look for a job as a psych tech/nurse aid.

 

[TexasPhysician]

You could look for a job as a psych tech/nurse aid.

This. Once you have even the smallest credentials at a facility, a nice psychiatrist would let u join some sessions.

 

[FlowRate]

Decide if you want to be a medical doctor. Shadow a surgeon and a hospitalist and a family doc. Most people change their specialty plans during med school.

 

[Psychotic]

I shadowed a psychiatrist in the ER, and one who did hospice/palliative care.

 

[childpsychhopeful_1]

(sorry if it's the wrong place to post this)

Hi guys, I've been recently in a predicament where I'm deciding if I should go into medical school. If I were to go, my number 1 option is very easily psychiatry since I imagine there's enough variation to not get bored (and the medscape burnout/hours worked/overall happiness is very good) plus it's very doable from a DO school.

However, I have no idea how a psychiatrist spends their day and whether I'll enjoy doing this for the rest of my life. Shadowing doctors here in Canada is a bitch already, so there's no chance for psychiatrists.

What's the best way to gain experience into the job before getting into med school? Any advice is appreciated

- volunteering with suicide hotline
- grief service center volunteer
- look in your area for centers for children or families with ADHD or autism or intellectual disability and become a volunteer, those centers usually have programs for people suffering with mental health issues and need people to interact with patients
- get involved in a research project in mental health, if you are at university look around their psychiatry department and volunteer to get involved in ongoing projects as a research assistant, tell the PI you are considering medical school, try to get your name on a poster

 

[Mad Jack]

it's all relative, but the closest thing to shadowing a psychiatrist is stalking one. i do not personally endorse this however

Beat me to it